Near it a reservoir had been fashioned of four sorts of stone -- touchstone , pure stone , marble , and loadstone . In and out of it flowed water like attar . The prince felt sure this must be the place of the Simurgh . ' he dismounted , turned his horse loose to graze , ate some of the food Jamila had given him , drank of the stream and lay down to sleep . He was still dozing when he was aroused by the neighing and pawing of his horse . When he could see clearly he made out a mountain-like dragon whose heavy breast crushed the stones beneath it into putty . He remembered the Thousand Names of God and took the bow of Salih from its case and three arrows from their quiver . He bound the dagger of Timus firmly to his waist and hung the scorpion of Solomon round his neck . Then he set an arrow on the string and released it with such force that it went in at the monster 's eye right up to the notch . The dragon writhed on itself , and belched forth an evil vapour , and beat the ground with its head till the earth quaked . Then the prince took a second arrow and shot into its throat . It drew in its breath and would have sucked the prince into its maw , but when he was within striking distance he drew his sword and , having committed himself to God , struck a mighty blow which cut the creature 's neck down to the gullet . The foul vapour of the beast and horror at its strangeness now overcame the prince , and he fainted . When he came to himself he found that he was drenched in the gore of the dead monster . He rose and thanked God for his deliverance . The nest of the Simurgh was in the wonderful tree above him , and in it were young birds ; the parents were away searching for food . They always told the children , before they left them , not to put their heads out of the nest ; but , to-day , at the noise of the fight below , they looked down and so saw the whole affair . By the time the dragon had been killed they were very hungry and set up a clamour for food . The prince therefore cut up the dragon and fed them with it , bit by bit , till they had eaten the whole . He then washed himself and lay down to rest , and he was still asleep when the Simurgh came home .
As a rule , the young birds raised a clamour of welcome when their parents came near , but XXXXX this day they were so full of dragon-meat that they had no choice , they had to go to sleep .
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