After long dwelling upon the frightful news a [[187]]sort of frenzy took possession of him. He commanded his son to go home, cut off the head of his sister, dip her white garment in the blood, and return with it to him.
“Go! go at once!” he commanded; and the unwilling boy set off.
After traveling all the long way he arrived at his native place. During those days of the journey, love for his sister and horror at the commission put upon him filled his soul. He determined to assure himself of the truthfulness or untruthfulness of the accusation and, even should it prove true, to rescue his sister if possible. Accordingly he began at one end of the town and asked all whom he met where he would be most likely to find his sister.
“Surely, in her own home,” each replied. “No one has ever seen her elsewhere.”
Receiving only answers like this, he reached his own home and knocked at the gate.
“Why, it is my brother!” exclaimed the sister, as she looked through the lattice. Then, flying down the stairs, she greeted him joyfully and escorted him up the staircase, asking eagerly where her father was.
The boy, seeing that the mother was not in, answered: “He is on the way. Come, let us go to meet him!” [[188]]
They hastened out. The youth led the way to a mountain, where he said: “My sister, I have sad news to tell you. A letter was sent to our father by the priest in whose charge he left you, saying that you were constantly running about the streets and had become a disgrace to the place. Upon hearing this he was made into another man. His grief and disappointment put the heart out of his body. He sent me here to kill you. And, to assure himself of my obedience, he commanded that I should dip your white garment in your blood and bring it to him with all speed. This—O, sister of mine!—is the reason for my coming.”
The girl was speechless when she heard these words, and even did not think to contradict the report. The boy hastened to kill a young lamb, which he found in a flock near-by, dipped the garment of his sister in the warm blood, and then said to her:
“Ai! my sister, this is our day of parting. It will be necessary for you to go into a strange land. And may Allah be with you! May he be your helper!”