HAMMAM BAADGARD 2

Hatim further travelled and reached another city. The king of that city asked Hatim to stay in his palace for some days.

Hatim agreed, as months of travelling had made him physically tired. The king and he became good friends.

When Hatim told the king about the seventh puzzle, he told him the way to reach Hammam Baadgard. the king told Hatim that whoever goes there never returns,, but Hatim was undeterred by it.

The king gave him a letter for the gatekeeper of Hammam Baadgard.

When he gave the letter to the gatekeeper, he said, "Please don't go inside. No man has ever come out alive from here."

When Hatim insisted on going inside, the gatekeeper opened the gate.

On entering, Hatim saw another gate.

On it was written: This is a magic house. Whoever comes here never goes out alive. If the time of his death has not come, he will have to live as a serpent here. But he cannot leave this magic house.

Hatim went ahead. But when he turned back, he saw that there was no gate or gatekeeper. Then he saw a man coming towards him. The man said, "Come with me. I take newcomers for a bath."

He took Hatim to a big tank of water. When Hatim went into the tank, the man disappeared.

Suddenly, the water started rising. Hatim saw an iron chain above the water.

He caught it and tried to climb it. Then come a loud noise, and he fell down.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a lovely garden. The garden was very beautiful, but there was a deadly silence in it; an eerie quietness.

He saw a man, but when he went closer, he realized that it was not a man but a stone statue. He saw many such stone statues in the garden.

Then he saw a parrot in a cage that was hung from a branch of a tree.