Page 71 - Arabiab Studies (IV)

A St. George of Dhofar 61
supper. The one on watch said, ‘Your supper’s here. Just close your eyes
and open your mouth!*
When the serpent closed its eyes and opened its mouth he took a couple
of big branches, and put one across its jaws from top to bottom and the
other from side to side. Then he put his shield12 on top of them and said,
‘When you finish the branches you can eat me.’ The serpent spent a long
time chewing away at the branches but when the first watch of the night
was nearly over, it said, ‘That’s not my supper. Take it out of my mouth!*
The next companion came to take his place on watch. He was so
handsome that a moon-like light shone from him and he had to wear veils
because of this. He said, ‘Give me time to get these veils off.’ ‘All right,*
said the serpent. Then after a little while he took one off and sang to the
serpent. It got quite dizzy at the man’s singing, but when the middle watch
was nearly over it said, ‘This isn’t my supper. Get those veils off!’
He took off his veils and when it looked at him, it was dazzled by the
brilliant whiteness of the man. Still it said, ‘Where’s my supper?’
Along came Abu Zayd and said, ‘Your supper’s here. Open your
mouth!’ It stretched out its mouth and he struck it with his sword and
they had to keep their distance in case the flood of blood washed them
away. Then he cut its head off and lifted up the head.
Abu Zayd then took the girl and travelled with her in the last part of
the night till they reached the town. He told her to be careful not to tell
anyone what had happened and sent her into her house.
Then he made a great leap and put the severed head on the roof of the
house, leaving a bloody handprint half-way up the wall. And when he
went back his brothers were asleep.
In the town the next morning there was the serpent’s head up on the
roof, the bloody handprint half-way up the wall, and the maid back with
her father. They asked the girl who had killed the serpent, but she said she
didn’t know.
Then the ruler sent for the top people of the town and asked who had
killed the serpent. Each of them claimed he had. He told them, ‘I’ll give
my daughter’s hand, without a bride-price, to the one that killed it.’
Every one of them said, ‘I killed it.’ So the ruler said to them, ‘Let each
one of you who’s making a claim leap up and fetch the serpent’s head
from the place where it was put.’
All of those that had come jumped and tried to touch it till they tired
themselves out and couldn’t carry on. Then Abu Zayd came along wearing
mendicant’s clothes13 and stood with the people making their leaps.
Then the girl looked down from her window, saw him and said to her
father, ‘Oh father! Tell that man to have a jump with the others.’ He said,
‘Ugh! Those young fellows couldn’t do it. How could he do it?’ ‘Try it,’
she said, ‘Maybe he is the one.’
So the ruler asked the dervish13 if he wanted to try and he said he did.
He leapt once and pretended he had fallen, and everybody laughed at him.
Then he leapt again and fetched down the severed head.
Then the ruler said, ‘Who exactly are you?’ and he answered him, ‘I am