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sumptuous provision at the halting-places. So Asef made ready all that was needed for their entertainment and setting out, fared on till he fell in with Faris and saluted him, entreating him and his company with exceeding honour. Moreover, he brought them victual and provender at the halting-places and said to them, ‘Welcome and fair welcome to the coming guests! Rejoice in the certain accomplishment of your desire! Be your souls glad and your eyes solaced and your breasts expanded!’
Quoth Faris in himself, ‘Who acquainted him with this?’ And he said to Asef, ‘O my lord, and who gave thee to know of us and our errand?’ ‘It was Solomon, son of David (on whom be peace!), told us of this,’ answered Asef. ‘And who,’ asked Faris, ‘told our lord Solomon?’ ‘The Lord of the heaven and the earth told him, the God of all creatures,’ replied Asef. Quoth Faris, ‘This is none other than a mighty God;’ and Asef said, ‘And do ye not worship Him?’ ‘We worship the sun,’ answered Faris, ‘and prostrate ourselves thereto.’ ‘O Vizier Faris,’ said Asef, ‘the sun is but a star of the stars created by God (blessed and exalted be He!). And God forbid that it should be a Lord! For that whiles it appeareth and whiles is absent, but our Lord is [ever] present and never absent and He can do all things.’
Then they journeyed on awhile till they came to the land of Seba and drew near the throne of Solomon son of David, who commanded his hosts of men and Jinn and beasts to rank themselves in their road. So the beasts of the sea and the elephants and leopards and lynxes [and other beasts of the land] ranged themselves on either side of the way, after their several kinds, whilst the Jinn drew out in two ranks in like manner, appearing all to [mortal] sight, without concealment, in divers gruesome forms. So they lined the road on either hand, and the birds spread out their wings over them, to shade
