The ship's people went ashore to get wood and water,
taking with them skins and ropes and axes, and presently espied
a great white gleaming dome, a hundred cubits high. So they
made towards it and drawing near, found that it was a roe's
egg and fell on it with axes and stones and sticks, till 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 so, save by helping one another, for
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-part, returned to the ship.
Then they spread the canvas and putting out to sea, sailed
with a fair wind all that night, till the sun rose, when they
saw the old roc come flying after them, as he were a vast
cloud, with a rock in his talons, like a great mountain, bigger
than the ship. As soon as he came over the vessel, he let fall
the rock upon it; but the ship, having great way on her,
forewent the rock, which 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.
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