And nevertheless he dared not yet trust his secret, and his perplexity was written
on his countenance. He could not utter a single word, and remained very
anxious.
The young man observing the state of the Bedouin said to him: "O servant of
God, your embarrassment is evident; you fear to open your heart to me. God
alone, in truth, knows the secrets of his servants. But, in your present situation, it
may be that I can be of some benefit to you."
The Bedouin, hearing these words of the young man, said to him: "O my loyal
friend, know then that I am an Arab-Bedouin of the country of Yemen; that of all
the Bedouins of Arabia there is not one so wicked nor so great a thief as I, and
that my fame as a bandit is celebrated throughout all Yemen. The King, having
resolved upon a wicked deed, ordered his minister to find a man capable of
performing it. As I had the reputation of being the greatest bandit of the country
of Yemen, I was summoned to the presence of the King. As soon as his Majesty
saw me he loaded me with presents and said: 'If you do as I wish I will give you
many more presents of gold and silver and other magnificent things.' I replied, 'O
my lord, king of the world, what is this affair?' 'You must go and kill a man
named Hatim-Thai, who lives on the confines of Syria.' To this I replied: 'O my
lord, king of the world, I am only a Bedouin, a poor robber, wandering in the
forests and the plains. For drink I have but the brackish water of the marshes.
For food I have only rats and locusts.' On account of my wretchedness, I obeyed
the wishes of the King, and promised to execute this affair. But here I am, in a
very embarrassing situation, for I do not know this Hatim-Thai, and I don't even
know where his tribe is, the Ben-Thai."
The young man, hearing these words, began to laugh, and said: "O my brother,
be not disturbed. I know this Hatim-Thai, and I will show him to you." These
words rejoiced the Bedouin. The young man continued: "O my brother, know
that the tribe of Ben-Thai inhabit this village, and that the man named Hatim-
Thai is himself in this tribe. If you will follow exactly what I indicate to you, you
will certainly accomplish your mission."
The Bedouin answered: "O my brother, I place my life in your hands.
What must be done?"
The young man answered: "O my brother, there is a place where Hatim- Thai
goes for recreation. It is an extremely deserted place, which no one ever visits.