There was once a man of the people of Moroccocalled Abdurrehman the Moorand he was knownto bootas the Chinamanfor his long sojourn in Cathay. He had journeyed far and wide and traversed many seas and deserts and was wont to relate wondrous tales of his travels. He was once cast upon an islandwhere he abode a long while and returning thence to his native countrybrought with him the quill of the wing-feather of a young roewhilst yet unhatched and in the egg；and this quill was big enough to hold a skinful of waterfor it is said that the length of the young roe's wingwhen it comes forth of the eggis a thousand fathoms. The folk marvelled at this quillwhen they saw itand Abdurrehman related to them the following adventure.
He was on a voyage in the China seaswith a company of merchantswhen they sighted a great island so they steered for it and casting anchor before itsaw that it was large and spacious. The ship's people went ashore to get wood and water，taking with them skins and ropes and axesand presently espied a great white gleaming domea hundred cubits high. So they made towards it and drawing nearfound that it was a roe's egg and fell on it with axes and stones and stickstill they uncovered the young bird and found it as it were a firm-set mountain. They went about to pluck out one of its wing-feathers，but could not win to do sosave by helping one anotherfor all the feathers were not full grown；after which they took what they could carry of the young bird's flesh and cutting the quill away from the feather-partreturned to the ship.
Then they spread the canvas and putting out to seasailed with a fair wind all that nighttill the sun rosewhen they saw the old roc come flying after themas he were a vast cloudwith a rock in his talonslike a great mountainbigger than the ship. As soon as he came over the vesselhe let fall the rock upon it；but the shiphaving great way on her，forewent the rockwhich fell into the sea with a terrible crash. So God decreed them safety and delivered them from destruction；and they cooked the young bird's flesh and ate it.
Now there were amongst them old grey bearded men；and when they awoke on the morrowthey found that their beards had turned blacknor did any who had eaten of the young roc ever grow grey. Some held the cause of the return of youth to them and the ceasing of hoariness from them to be that they had heated the pot with arrow-woodwhilst others would have it that it came of eating the young roe's flesh；and this is indeed a wonder of wonders.
