Hear me, O Pilgrims and I will tell you a tale of the desert.
In days long ago, there was a man who needed to travel from Al Khobar in the east of the Arab lands to Salalah on the Arabian Sea in the south. This is a long journey of many leagues. The latter part of the route passes across the sweeping sand dunes and great gravel plains of the Rhûb al Khali, the Empty Quarter where no water exists. The man knew this and he knew too that he would die a terrible death in the arid wasteland if he was not wise and cunning in his plans.
So he took himself to the bazaar and there he enquired after camels. A man said to him:
“Hie ye, O Pilgrim, to the stockade of Abdul of the Camels for he is rich in camels and rich too in the lore of the desert. Abdul of the Camels will supply you with all your needs for this great journey to the tents of the Beni Dhofari at Salalah.”
So he went thence to the stockade of Abdul of the Camels and lo, there was an abundance of the noble beasts in many different sizes and hues. He greeted Abdul wishing him peace and they sat and drank tea together. And Abdul said:-
“For your journey you will need four camels. One will bear you and your weapon. Two will each bear water for three days and one, more mighty than the others, will bear food for ten days and water for four days.”
And the traveller said: “By my reckoning this means I will have water enough for ten days. Will this suffice?”
“Inshallah, it will suffice,” said Abdul. “Your journey will last for fifteen days. In the early part of your journey you will travel from one oasis to the next and water will be plentiful. Our brothers the Bedouin will provide your food. Only when you traverse the Empty Quarter will you need your food store and more water. Then the water you carry will sustain you. Ten days water will suffice, O Pilgrim.”
They paused and both drank tea. Then spake Abdul again.
“There is a peril in your journey, O Pilgrim. The peril lies within the minds of your camels. As you make your way from oasis to oasis in the early part of your journey they will have much water and they may not drink so deeply. The camels do not know the Empty Quarter. To cross the gravel plains they need to store many times more water than they know. Else they will die and you will die too in the Empty Quarter with no camel to bear you. Your camels need to drink deeply from the last well at Al Ain.”
“Then I will urge them to drink deeply.” said the traveller.
“It is good.” said Abdul. “And you must brick them.”
“Brick them? What means this?”
“When they have almost drunk their fill,” said Abdul of the Camels. “Take ye two bricks and stepping behind each camel, clap the bricks together about the scrotum. This will cause the camel to take in a great draught and the extra water will serve you and the camels well in your journey.”
The man wiped water from his eyes with the edge of his keffiyeh and he said: “This bricking, does it not hurt?”
“Only,” said Abdul of the Camels, “if you trap your thumbs between the bricks.”
