Still it was of no use. Hassan really did not know why he went, only
that somehow it seemed that he could not stay when the Magician looked
at him. So Hassan followed the Magician along the corridor, to the great
astonishment of everybody who saw him, for when he did not wish to go
anywhere, which was usually the case, he had to be dragged or carried.
But to-day Hassan followed the Magician as obediently as a dog follows
his master.
Outside the palace he saw a curious-looking carriage drawn by two
zebras. 'Step in,' said the Magician politely, and though Hassan would
have preferred to stay where he was, he stepped in as the Magician told
him.
'I want to walk,' he said, when the Magician was seated beside him and
the zebras had started.
'You will have plenty of walking to-morrow,' was the answer.
'You said I might have everything I asked for,' Hassan grumbled.
'When you get there,' said the Magician.
'Where?' asked Hassan.
'Where we are going to,' answered the Magician. 'I always keep my
promises. Anything you see you may ask for, and anything you ask for you
shall have.' They continued the journey many miles, and presently Hassan
wondered where they were to sleep.
'I never go to sleep,' said the Magician; 'time is too precious. But I
don't wish to hinder you from sleeping if you are used to it. You may
sleep here.'
'How can I sleep here?' grumbled Hassan, but a few minutes later his
eyes closed and his chin fell on his chest, and as the carriage was
driven swiftly along the road, Hassan's head waggled about very funnily.
Presently he was awakened, and opening his eyes he saw that the Magician
had been shaking him worse than the carriage.
'I want my breakfast!' he exclaimed.
'I never have breakfast,' answered the Magician; 'but if you like you
may breakfast to-morrow.'
'You said I might have anything I asked for,' said Hassan, beginning to
feel rather miserable.
'So I did,' the Magician admitted; 'anything you see you may ask for,
you know, but I don't think you can see any breakfast, besides,' the
Magician added, 'you must wait until we are there, and we have a long
way to go yet.'
He told Hassan to get out of the carriage, which was at once driven
away. 'Come along,' said the Magician, with a smiling face, and Hassan
felt compelled to follow, although he would far sooner have gone home
again. He could see nothing but grass all around and the great trees
that shaded it from the burning sun. As he trudged after the Magician,
Hassan continued to grumble about his breakfast until it was
dinner-time, and it seemed useless to grumble about breakfast any more.
He began to wonder where the Magician was taking him, because, though he
had walked for many hours, he had seen nothing but trees.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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