His extraordinary steed went at such speed that before evening fell he sighted land and became aware that he was in a wide river. As they were going against the stream the pace slowed down a little. By this time Said was very hungry, so he blew his whistle and wished for a meal. Immediately the huge fish stopped, a table rose up from the water, as dry as though it had been a week in the broad sunshine; it was set out with the most delicious food and drink imaginable, and Said set to and made a hearty meal, for since his imprisonment his food had been scanty and unappetising. When he had at length satisfied his hunger he uttered his thanks and the table disappeared, he dug his heels into the dolphin’s sides and it began to swim on again.
As the sun began to sink Said saw a town in the distance, the towers of which seemed to him to resemble those of Bagdad. He had no great wish to land in Bagdad, but his faith in the good fairy was so strong that he was sure she would not allow him to fall into the hands of the wicked Kalum-Bek.
About a mile distant from the town Said noticed a fine country mansion, and to his surprise the dolphin began to steer towards it.
Upon the roof of the house were several well-dressed men, and on the shore were a number of servants, all of whom were staring at him in astonishment. A flight of marble steps led from the water to the mansion, and here the dolphin stopped, and Said had scarcely set foot upon the steps when the fish disappeared.
At once some servants hurried towards him and begged him, in their master’s name, to go up to him after he had changed his wet clothing.
They brought a suit of clothes to him and, having dressed hastily, he followed the servants to the roof, where he found three men, the tallest and handsomest of whom came towards him with a friendly smile.
“Who are you, wonderful stranger,” he asked, “who can tame the fishes of the sea so that you can guide them to the right or left as a good horseman guides his charger? Are you a magician or a man like ourselves?”
“Sir,” replied Said, “I have been a most unfortunate man for some time past, but if you will give me permission I will tell you all about it.” And he commenced to tell his story from the moment he left his father’s house until the time of his wonderful escape.
He was interrupted frequently by exclamations of astonishment, but as he concluded the master of the house said: “I believe you implicitly, Said, but you tell us that you won a gold chain at the tournament and that the Caliph gave you his ring; can you produce these?”
“I carry them next my heart,” said the youth, “and would only part with them with my life, for I consider the saving of the Caliph’s life to have been the noblest action I could have performed.” With that he handed the chain and ring to the men.