In the middle of that nightthe people of the village heard the damsel give a great cryand she in her bed；so they flocked to her and questioned her of her case. Quoth she'As I sleptthe Muslim [who ye wot of] came in to me and taking me by the handcarried me to the gate of Paradise；but the keeper denied me entrancesaying'It is forbidden to unbelievers.'
So I embraced Islam at his hands and entering with himbeheld therein palaces and treessuch as I cannot describe to you.
Moreoverhe brought me to a pavilion of jewels and said to me，'This is my pavilion and thinenor will I enter it except with thee；butafter five nightsthou shalt be with me thereinif it be the will of God the Most High.'Thenputting his hand to a tree that grew at the door of the pavilionhe plucked therefrom two apples and gave them to mesaying'Eat this and keep the otherthat the monks may see it.'So I ate one of them and never tasted I aught sweeter than it. Then he took my hand and carried me back to my house；and when I awokeI found the taste of the apple in my mouth and the other in my hand.'
So sayingshe brought out the appleand it shone in the darkness of the nightas it were a sparkling star. So they carried her to the monasterywhere she repeated to us her vision and showed us the apple；never saw we its like among all the fruits of the world. Then I took a knife and cut the apple into as many pieces as we were folk in the company；and never knew we aught more delicious than its taste nor sweeter than its scent；but we said'Haply this was a devil that appeared to herto seduce her from her faith.'Then her people took her and went away；but she abstained from eating and drinking till the fifth nightwhen she rose from her bed and going forth the village to the grave of the young Muslimthrew herself upon it and died.
Her people knew not what was come of her；buton the morrow，there came to the village two Muslim eldersclad in hair-clothand with them two women in like garband said'O people of the villagewith you is a woman of the friends of Godwho died a Muslimand we will take charge of her，instead of you.'So the damsel's family sought her and found her dead on the young Muslim's grave；and they said'This our sister died in our faithand we will take charge of her.'Not so，'rejoined the two old men；'she died a Muslim and we claim her.'And the dispute waxed hot between themtill one of the Muslims said'Be this the test of her faith. Let the forty monks of the monastery come all and [essay to] lift her from the grave. If they succeedthen she died a Nazarene；if not，one of us shall come and lift her upand if she yield to him，she died a Muslim.'The villagers agreed to this and fetched the forty monkswho heartened each other and came to herto lift herbut could not. Then we tied a great rope about her middle and tugged at it with our might；but the rope broke in sunderand she stirred nor；and the villagers came and joined their endeavour to oursbut could not move her from her place.
At lastwhen all our devices failedwe said to one of the two old Muslims'Come thou and lift her.'So he went up to the grave and covering her with his mantlesaid'In the name of God the Compassionatethe Mercifuland of the Faith of the Apostle of Godon whom be peace and salvation！'Then he lifted her and taking her in his bosombetook himself with her to a cave hard bywhere they laid herand the two women came and washed her and shrouded her. Then the two elders bore her to the young Muslim's grave and prayed over her and buried her by his side and went their way.
Now we were witness of all this；and when we were alone with one anotherwe said'Of a veritythe Truth is most worthy to be followed；and indeed it hath been publicly manifested to usnor is it possible to have a clearer proof of the truth of Islam than that we have seen this day with our eyes.'So I and all the monks embraced Islam and on like wise did the people of the village；and we sent to the people of Mesopotamia for a doctor of the lawto instruct us in the ordinances of Islam and the canons of the Faith. They sent us a pious manwho taught us the rites of devotion and the tenets of the faith and the service of God；and we are now in great good case. To God be the praise and the thanks！'
