So I journeyed to Roum land and visited every part for a whole year，and left no place but therein I worshiped Allah.When I came to this spot，[427]I clomb the mountain and saw there an hermitage，inhabited by a monk called Matrubina，who，when he sighted me，came out and kissed my hands and feet and said，'Verily，I have seen thee since thou enteredst the land of the Greeks，and thou hast filled me with longing for the land of Al-Islam.'Then he took my hand and carried me into that hermitage，and brought me to a dark room；and，when I entered it unawares，he locked the door on me and left me there forty days，without meat or drink；for it was his intent to kill me by delay.It chanced one day，that a Knight called Dakianus[428] came to the hermitage，accompanied by ten squires and his daughter Tamasil，a girl whose beauty was incom parable.When they entered that hermitage，the monk Matruhina told them of me，and the Knight said，'Bring him out，for surely there is not on him a bird's meal of meat.'So they opened the door of the dark room and found me standing in the niche，praying and reciting the Koran and glorifying Allah and humbling myself before the Almighty.When they saw me in this state Matrohina exclaimed，'This man is indeed a sorcerer of the sorcerers！'and hearing his words，they all came in on me，Dakianus and his company withal，and they beat me with a grievous beating，till I desired death and reproached myself，saying，'This is his reward who exalteth himself and who prideth himself on that which Allah hath vouchsafed to him，beyond his own competence！And thou，O my soul，verily self esteem and arrogance have crept into thee.Dost thou not know that pride angereth the Lord and hardeneth the heart and bringeth men to the Fire？'Then they laid me in fetters and returned me to my place which was the dungeon under ground.Every three days，they threw me down a scone of barley bread and a draught of water；and every month or two the Knight came to the hermitage.Now his daughter Tamasil had grown up，for she was nine years old when I first saw her，and fifteen years passed over me in captivity，so that she had reached her four and twentieth year.There is not in our land nor in the land of the Greeks a fairer than she，and her father feared lest the King take her from him；for she had vowed herself to the Messiah and rode with Dakianus in the habit of a cavalier，so that albeit none might compare with her in loveliness，no one who saw her knew her for a woman.And her father had laid up his monies in this hermitage，every one who had aught of price or treasured hoard being wont to deposit it therein；and I saw there all manner of gold and silver and jewels and precious vessels and rarities，none may keep count of them save Almighty Allah.Now ye are worthier of these riches than those Infidels；so lay hands on that which is in the hermitage and divide it among the Moslems and especially on fighters in the Holy War.When these merchants came to Constantinople and sold their merchandise，that image which is on the wall spoke to them，by grace of a marvel which Allah granted to me；so they made for that hermitage and slew Matruhina，after torturing him with most grievous torments，and dragging him by the beard，till he showed them the place where I was；when they took me and found no path but flight for dread of death.Now tomorrow night Tamasil will visit that hermitage as is her habit，and her father and his squires will come after her，as he feareth for her；so，if ye would witness these things，take me with you and I will deliver to you the monies and the riches of the Knight Dakianus which be in that mountain；for I saw them bring out vessels of gold and silver to drink therefrom，and I heard a damsel of their company sing to them in Arabic and well-away！that so sweet a voice should not be busied in chaunting the Koran.If，then，ye will；enter into that hermitage and hide there against the coming of Dakianus and his daughter；and take her，for she is fit only for the King of the Age，Sharrkan，or King Zau al-Makan.'Thereat they all rejoiced with the exception of the Wazir Dandan，who put scant faith in her story，for her words took no hold on his reason，and signs of doubt in her and disbelief showed in his face.[429]Yet he was confounded at her discourse，but he feared to speak with her for awe of the King.Then quoth the ancient dame，Zat al-Dawahi，'Verily，I fear lest the Knight come and，seeing these troops encamped in the meadow，be afraid to enter the hermitage.'So Zau al-Makan ordered the army to march upon Constantinople and said，'I have resolved to take with me an hundred horse and many mules and make for that mountain，where we will load the beasts with the monies which be in the hermitage.'
Then he sent at once for the Chief Chamberlain whom they brought into the presence；and he summoned likewise the leaders of the Turks and Daylamites and said，'As soon as it is dawn，do ye set forth for Constantinople；and thou，O Chamberlain，shalt take my place in council and contrivance，while thou，O Rustam，shalt be my brother's deputy in battle.But let none know that we are not with you and after three days we will rejoin you.'Then he chose out an hundred of the doughtiest riders，and he and Sharrkan and the Minister Dandan set out for the hermitage，and the hundred horsemen led the mules with chests for transporting the treasure.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Ninety-sixth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Sharrkan and his brother，Zau al-Makan and the Wazir Dandan set off with an hundred horse for the hermitage described to them by that accursed Zat al-Dawahi，and they took with them mules and chests for transporting the treasure.Now as soon as dawned the morn，the Chamberlain signalled to the host an order for departure，and they set out thinking that the two Kings and the Wazir were with them；knowing not that the three had made for the monastery.
