Gemila still rides upon the camel, and I can easily understand that
she prays to Allah with a full heart under the shining stars so clear
and far, and that at the call to prayer in the early dawn her pretty
little veiled head is bent in true love and worship. But I must tell
you what she sees soon after sunrise on this second morning. Across
the sand, a long way before them, something with very long legs is
running, almost flying. She knows well what it is, for she has often
seen them before, and she calls to one of the servants, "See, there is
the ostrich!" and she claps her hands with delight.

The ostrich is a great bird, with very long legs and small wings; and
as legs are to run with, and wings to fly with, of course he can run
better than he can fly. But he spreads his short wings while running,
and they are like little sails, and help him along quite wonderfully,
so that he runs much faster than any horse can.

Although he runs so swiftly, he is sometimes caught in a very odd way.
I will tell you how.

He is a large bird, but he is a very silly one, and, when he is tired
of running, he will hide his head in the sand, thinking that because
he can see no one he can't be seen himself. Then the swift-footed Arab
horses can overtake him, and the men can get his beautiful feathers,
which you must have often seen, for ladies wear them in their bonnets.

All this about the ostrich. Don't forget it, my little girl: some time
you may see one, and will be glad that you know what kind of a fellow
he is.

The ostrich which Gemila sees is too far away to be caught; besides,