Hatim walked fearlessly towards mountain Kaf, the fairyland, the peaks of which seemed to pierce the skies. As soon as he reached the base, he was surrounded by fairies from all the sides. They wanted to know who he was and why he was on their land. They were sure he was there to steal Shahmuhra. Hatim said to himself, ‘If I speak the truth, I am doomed. If I lie, something that I have never done in my life, I will be unworthy in the eyes of my Creator, so it is better to be silent.’ Meanwhile, the fairies decided to burn him in a raging fire. They created a big fire and placed him in it. For three days and three nights, the fire kept burning. But, in the end, Hatim stepped out of the ashes unharmed. The fire did not even burn his garments; the magical pearl protected him.
The Raging Fires
