Now the third Qalandar started his story - "O Lady, I am also the son of a King. My name is Azeeb, the son of Khazeeb. After my father died, I succeeded him, and ruled. I used to enjoy sea voyages. I had 50 merchants and 50 yachts for pleasure; and 150 sails for Holy War. Once I took my people in 10 boats, carried the food for one month, set out for a voyage of 20 days. But one night a strong wind came and we thought we were lost. We prayed to Allaah and by morning the sea got calm.

We landed on an island, cooked some food, ate and took rest for a couple of days. Then we set out again for 20 days sail. Again we found ourselves lost, so I said to the lookout man, "Go and look out for some known marks." After a while he said - "Oh, Something black is coming to us, it looks like fish floating on the surface of the sea." The Captain went and saw it, and said - "Oh, We are dead man, nobody is going to be saved." We all wept. Then I asked him - "Tell me, What did you see?"

He said - "O Prince, In fact we lost our way on the night of the storm, then we followed it for two days in calm sea, but then we went astray for 11 days. Tomorrow, by the end of the day we will come to a mountain of black stone, height the Magnet Mountain, that is why these waves are carrying us without our will. As soon as we are under its influence, the ship's sides will open, all the nails will fly and stick to the mountain. The bright spot we see upon its summit, is a dome of yellow laton from Andaaloosia, vaulted upon 10 columns, and on its crown is a horseman who rides a horse of brass and holds a lance of laton in his hand. O King, None destroys folk except the horse-rider, nor will the egromancy be dispelled till he falls from the horse." Then O Lady, We all wept again.

We did not sleep all the night and next day we were near to that island. As the Captain told us, by the evening, our ship had wrecked and we all were struggling in waves around the Mountain. Some of us were saved, and who were saved were not able to recognize others because they were so stupefied by the beatings of the waves. I climbed upon a plank from one of the ships and landed at the feet of the mountain. Slowly, I reached the summit, made Vuzoo ablutions and prayed a two-bow prayer. Then I fell asleep under the dome.

In the dream, I heard a voice, "O Son of Khazeeb, When you wake up, you dig under your feet, and you will find a bow of brass and three laden arrows, inscribed with Talismaan and characters. Take the bow and shoot the arrows at the horseman on the dome-top and free mankind from this calamity. When you will shoot, he and the horse will fall into the sea. Bury them in the place of the bow. When it is done the sea will rise and come up to the top of the Mountain and there will appear a boat carrying another man of laton holding a pair of paddles. He will come to you, and you embark with him; but beware of saying "Bismillaah" or "Allaah Almighty" to him. He will row you for 10 days and will land you on the Island of Safety. Then you can easily reach the port and the people there will send you to your native land. Never take the name of Allaah."

I woke up and did as I was instructed to do. The boat appeared as in the dream, but as I sighted the Island of Safety, I forgot that I should not take the name of Allaah, and just to thank Allaah, I exclaimed - "Allaah, You are Great." As soon as that man heard this, he threw me in the sea. The boat took a dip and sank in the sea. Luckily I was a good swimmer, so I swam the whole day till I was tired. Then suddenly a high wave came and threw me on the shore. I slept the whole night. Next morning I looked around and found that it was an islet. While I was longing for my death, that I noticed a ship coming towards the island. I climbed on a tree and hid myself.

The ship anchored and 10 black slaves disembarked from it carrying iron hoes and baskets. They came to the middle of the island. They dug deep in the ground until they discovered a metal plate. They lifted it opening a trap door. Then they returned to the ship, brought the bread, flour, honey, fruit, Ghee etc; in fact all those things which were required for a house; to that trap door. They brought garments too. They were very rich. Amongst them was a very old man also who was very lean and thin and who was walking with the help of a young man. When they had gone down the trap door, they did not come up for one hour. The slaves came out along with the old man but the young man didn't come out. They closed the door-slab and returned to the ship, away sailed away.

Then I came down and went to the same place. I also opened the trap door which was made of wood. I found a stairway to go down, so I descended the steps. Down below the room was full of things. That youth was sitting there on a couch fanning himself. Some sweet herbs and flowers were kept before him. When he saw me, he turned pale, but I saluted him courteously and said - "Be at ease, no harm will come to you. I am a man like yourself and the son of a King. My Destiny has thrown me here. Tell me your story that why do you live in such a place?"

When he was sure that I was not a Genie and was a man like him, he got relieved and said to me - "My story is a very strange story. My father is a merchant-jeweler possessing a great wealth. He had many slaves, black and white, who traveled to various places; but he didn't have a child. One night he dreamt that he will have a son who will be short-lived. When he woke up in the morning he wept. On the following night, my mother conceived, and my father noted down the date of her becoming pregnant.

At proper time, she bore me and my father rejoiced. He fed many Faqeers and poor. Then he called the astrologers and they told him that I would live up to 15 years of age. But in his 16th year there is a strange aspect, if he passes that year safely, he will live long. And the cause of death will be the Magnet Mountain in the Sea of Peril, on whose summit is a horsemen of yellow laton seated on a horse of brass and bearing on his breast a tablet of lead. 50 years after, this rider will fall from his horse, your son will die and his killer will be who shoots down that horseman, a Prince named Azeeb, the son of King Khazeeb.

Hearing this my father got very sad, still he brought me up in the most tender fashion and educated me excellently. Ten days ago the news came to him that the horseman had fallen into the sea and Azeeb shot him. My father wept bitterly expecting my death and became like possessed with a Genie. Because of this fear, he built a palace for me under the earth and stocked everything I needed to live. He brought me here in a ship and left me here. Ten days are already passed, and when 40 days will pass without any danger to me, he will come and take me away, because he has done all this because of fear of Azeeb. This is my story and this is the cause of my loneliness."

When I heard the story, I thought, "I am that Prince and I have done all this, but as Allaah is with me, I am not going to slay him." I said to him - "O Lord, May this death be far from you, and you will not suffer, for I will serve you as your servant. After the 40 days have passed, I myself will take you to your home, where you will give me some people to take me my home." He was very glad to hear these words. He rose, trimmed the wax candle, and three lanterns and arranged food and drink for both of us. In the late night, he lay down, I covered him up and went to sleep myself.

Next day morning, he said to me - "If at all I am saved from so called Azeeb, I will ask my father to reward heavily and I will send you to you home hale and hearty; and if I die, then my blessings to you." I answered - "May that day should never come to you. May Allaah make my last day before your last day." Then we ate food. I set up some perfume for fumigating the hall. I continued to serve him daily in this manner for days and nights. A root of affection grew in my heart for him, and I said to myself, "The astrologers lied." I told him all kinds of tales for 39 days.

On the 40th night, the boy rejoiced and said - "O My Brother, Praise to Alhamadullaah, who has preserved me from death, and I pray God that He should send you safely to your native land. But now my Brother, Please warm some water for my bath, give me bath and change my clothes." I did so. I spread a bed for him to lie down. He was feeling a little drowsy after taking bath. He then asked me to cut some watermelon and sweeten it with sugar.

I brought the watermelon and sugar, placed them in front of him, and asked him, "Don't you have a knife?" "Here it is, over my head, on the shelf." I got up in the haste and took the knife, but my foot slipped in stepping down and I fell heavily upon the youth. What had been written for that day, the knife buried in his heart. He died in an instant. When I saw him dead and knew that I had slain him, I abused myself, I cried a lot. He lived for 39 days and died on 40th day by my hands. What a misfortune?

I came out of that room and saw towards the sea, a ship was coming. I climbed up a tree and hid myself. The ship came, anchored, the people disembarked from the ship, went to that trap door, opened it and found the dead body of the boy, the knife deep inside his heart. They shrieked, wept bitterly, cursing the killer. The old man fell unconscious. They wrapped the body of the boy in a cloth, and took it to the ship. Meanwhile the old man came into his senses but seeing the boy dead, he again lost his consciousness.

I was looking all this from the top of the tree. I was also grieving and under stress, but still I was innocent. The old man also died. The slaves cried for him also. They took both bodies on the ship along with all the things of the room. Then they sailed and disappeared soon from my eyes. I came down from the tree. I went down the trap door, where it reminded me of youth. I came up again. I wandered around the island in the day and went down the trap door in the night. I lived here for a month, then at last I saw the dry land on western side of the island. I saw a burning light.

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