It is my
brother, Schaibar, who is so far from being like me, though we both
had the same father, that he is of so violent a nature that nothing
can prevent his giving gory marks of his resentment for a slight
offence; yet, on the other hand, he is so good as to oblige any one
in whatever they desire. He is made exactly as the sultan your
father has described him; and he has no other arms than a bar of
iron five hundred pounds in weight, without which he never stirs,
and which makes him respected. I will send for him, and you shall
judge of the truth of what I tell you; and prepare not to be
frightened when you see him.'
'What! my queen,' replied Prince Ahmed, 'do you say Schaibar is
your brother? Let him be ever so ugly or deformed, I shall love and
honour him, and consider him as my nearest relation.'
The fairy ordered a gold chafing-dish to be set with a fire in it
under the porch of her palace, with a box of the same metal. Taking
some incense out of this, and throwing it into the fire, there
arose a thick cloud of smoke.
Some moments after, the fairy said to Prince Ahmed, 'Prince, here
comes my brother; do you see him?'
The prince immediately perceived Schaibar, who was but a foot and a
half high, coming gravely with his heavy bar on his shoulder; his
beard, thirty feet long, supported itself before him, and a pair of
thick moustaches were tucked up to his ears, almost covering his
face: his eyes were very small, like a pig's, and sunk deep in his
head, which was of an enormous size, and on which he wore a pointed
cap: besides all this, he had a hump behind and before.
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