Hatim on a hot afternoon, in a desert, saw a man drawing water from a well. As he approached the man to ask for some water, he saw that a huge serpent came out of the well and swallowed the poor man. Hatim instantly dived into the well in order to save him but the well disappeared. He saw green mountains, a clear blue sky and a beautiful palace. He walked towards the palace and saw the serpent by the wall. Hatim caught it, opened its jaw and jumped in to save the man. He heard a cautious voice, “It’s all an enchantment. If you wish to come out of this alive you must cut it open.” Hatim did so and a huge flood of vapour and water followed with a loud noise and everything disappeared–the palace, hills and the serpent! And hundreds of people lay on the ground thanking Hatim for liberating them from the enchantment.
The Enchanted Well
