If he wishes to
return to the human shape, let him bow three times towards the East,
and pronounce the same word. But let him take care, after he is
transformed, not to laugh, otherwise the word will disappear
entirely from his memory, and he will remain a beast."
When Selim the Learned had read this, the caliph was exceedingly
delighted. He made Selim swear never to reveal any thing of the
secret to any one; then he gave him a beautiful robe, and dismissed
him.
Then he said to his grand vizier, "That is what I call a good
bargain, Mansor! How impatient I am to become a beast! Come to me
easily to-morrow morning, and we will go out into the fields, snuff
up a little of the powder, and then listen to what is said in the
air and in the water, in the woods and in the fields!"
Scarcely had the caliph breakfasted and dressed, the next morning,
when the grand vizier appeared, according to his orders, to
accompany him in his excursion. The caliph stuck the box with the
magic powder into his girdle, and having commanded his retinue to
remain behind, he set off with only the grand vizier, on his way.
They went first through the spacious gardens of the caliph, but they
could not find any living animal to try their experiment upon. At
last, the vizier proposed to go out to a pond, where he had often
seen many animals, particularly storks, which had attracted his
attention by their grave demeanor and their chattering.
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