myself in the tree being in sore terror and trembled till the sun
arose; and, when the elephants appeared and wandered about among
the trees, I shot my arrows at them and continued till I had shot
down one of them. In the evening I reported my success to my
master who was delighted in me and entreated me with high honour;
and next morning he removed the slain elephant. In this wise I
continued, every morning shooting an elephant which my master
would remove till, one day, as I was perched in hiding on the
tree there came on suddenly and unexpectedly an innumerable host
of elephants whose screaming and trumpeting were such that I
imagined the earth trembled under them. All surrounded my tree,
whose circumference was some fifty cubits,[FN#102] and one
enormous monster came up to it and winding his trunk round the
bole haled it up by the roots, and dashed it to the ground. I
fell down fainting amongst the beasts when the monster elephant
wound his trunk about me and, setting me on his back, went off
with me, the others accompanying us. He carried me still
unconscious till he reached the place for which he was making,
when he rolled me off his back and presently went his ways
followed by the others. So I rested a little; and, when my terror
had subsided, I looked about me and I found myself among the
bones of elephants, whereby I concluded that this was their
burial-place, and that the monster elephant had led me thither on
account of the tusks.[FN#103] So I arose and walked a whole day
and night till I arrived at the house of my master, who saw my
colour changed by stress of affright and famine. He rejoiced in
my return and said to me, "By Allah, thou hast made my heart
sore! I went when thou wast missing and found the tree torn up,
and thought that the elephants had slain thee. Tell me how it was
with thee." I acquainted him with all that had betided me;