"Craig Shaw Gardner - Arabian 3 - The Last Arabian Night" - читать интересную книгу автора (Gardner Craig Shaw)

magnificent vista, for in this spot where he now found himself, the two
spaces were separated by a great ravine, so that all was green upon
one side, and all was barren rock upon the other.

"What better place, the merchant thought, to contemplate his life and
the nature of existence upon the new year than in this spot where life
and death dwelt side by side. So it was that he found a suitable spot to
rest where he could observe both these realms, and, having gained a
certain degree of comfort, he reached within his food bag and began to
chew reflectively upon a series of dates, eating one after another, as is
the manner of a lonely man and a bag of dried fruit. And, within the
midst of this chewing and great reflection upon life, the merchant did
further amuse himself by tossing the pits down within the ravine.

"This last action, alas, was not among the most fortuitous decisions
made by the merchant. For, after he had thrown three pits within the
ravine, he heard a great commotion from down below, followed by a
tremendous roaring that rapidly approached that point upon which the
merchant sat, until who should jump from the ravine but a powerful
djinni of fearsome appearance-''

Scheherazade interrupts her tale within a tale

It is here that I paused in my storytelling to mention:

"-although I do have it on good authority that this djinni was nowhere
near so powerful, and barely even half as fearsome, as our own Ozzie."

"WELL SAID," spoke the head of the great green djinni from that point
where it watched the three storytellers and their audience. "ARE YOU
THEREFORE AN EXPERT IN SUCH MATTERS?"

"I humbly submit that I am, O great djinni," was my measured reply. "A
storyteller, to be convincing in her art, must be an expert in a great
many things."

Ozzie nodded at this. "YOU HAVE INDEED HELD YOUR OWN
AGAINST THE STORIES TOLD BY SINBAD AND ALI BABA,
AT LEAST IN THE MATTER OF BEGINNINGS. I HAVE
DECIDED, THEREFORE, NOT TO KILL ALL OF YOU IN
SOME HORRIBLE, PERHAPS EVEN UNSPEAKABLE
FASHION, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING. PRAY
CONTINUE."

The Tale of the Merchant and the Djinni, continued

"You are most gracious," I allowed as I returned to my tale. "Now, this
fearful djinni pointed to the merchant and said,'Stand, so I may kill you
as you have killed my son!'