THE BOOK OF IMAGINARY BEINGS Jorge Luis Borges with Margacita Guerrero Translated by Andzew Hurley Mlastrated by Reter SieThe A Bao A Qu the world one mast go to the topmost story ofthe Tower of Victory in Chit: There one will find x irelarterrace fom hich one commands spiral sairase leads upto this terrace and yet the only persone who dare venture up the stirs are those who donot believe in ‘he fable which goes ke this [= Wishes to gaze upon the most marvelous landsape in view dar tothe horizon all around. A (On the states ofthe Tower of Vistory there has lived from the beginning of ie the A Bao A Qu, hich i sensitive t0 the ‘rts possessed by human soul Ie ives upon thes step ina state of ethargy, end comes to conscouslife ony when someone limbs the stairs. The vibration ofthe person ashe approaches in- fazer the creatare with lif, and an inward light begins to glove ‘within tt che same te ts Body and is veal translucent shin begin wo pple and siz When a person climbs the tain, the ‘ABaoA Qu fllowsalmost onthe prson'sheels liming up af teri, lining tothe edge ofthe curved treads worn down by the fot of generations of pilgrims. On each step the ereaare’® coor grows more intense its frm becomes more perfect, and the light chat emanates fom it shines ever brighter Prof ofthe -reture's sensitivity i he fae that i achieves ies perfet form ‘nly when it ache the topmost step, when the person who hae climbed the stairs has become fally evolved and realized spit In allother cases, the A Beo A Qu remains as though paralyzed midway up the staircase its body incomplete its olor still unde- fine eight anetendy When t cannot achieve te perfect form, the A Bao A Qu suffers great pun, and is moaning i a barelyperepible marmur similar tothe whisper of ill But when dhe rman or woman that revives the creature ifilled with pusity dhe ‘A Bao A Quisable to reach the topmost step, completely formed ‘and radiating clear Blo ight, Its eturn oie ibe, however, for when the pli descend the tir again, the A Bao A. Qu rolls down tothe rst step once more, where, now mated and re- sembling some faded picture with vague outlines i awaits the ext visitor tothe Tower The cesture cones ully vile only ‘when it reaches the midpoint of the staircase, where the exten- sions of its body (which, Ike lle arms help it to climb the stor) tke om lear definition. There ave those who say that it can see with ts ete body, and that shin feels Uke that of & peach, Down through all the centuries, the A Bao A Qu has reached perfection only once CCaprain Richard Francs Burton record the legend ofthe A. ‘ao A Quin one ofthe notes this version of The Thousand and One Nights.