men spread the tents and lay down under them, saying, "The wood and the
water are gone. We are lost!"

But Abdul said to himself, "This is no time to rest. I must find water.
If I give way to despair, all will be lost."

Then Abdul started away from the tent, watching the ground closely. He
walked and walked. At last he saw a tuft of grass.

"There must be water somewhere under the sand, or this grass would not
be here," thought the merchant.

He ran back to the tent, shouting and calling, "Bring an ax and a spade.
Come quickly!"

The men jumped up and ran with the merchant to the place where the grass
was growing. They began to dig in the sand, and presently they struck a
rock.

Abdul jumped down into the hole and put his ear close to the rock.

"Water! Water!" he cried. "I hear water running under this great rock.
We must not despair!"

Then, raising his ax above his head, he struck a heavy blow. Again and
again he struck the rock.

At last the rock broke, and a stream of water, clear as crystal, filled
the hole almost before the merchant could jump out of it.