descend." But he replied, "O my lord, I can do nothing, and thou
wilt never see him again till Resurrection-day, for he, of his
ignorance and pride, asked me not of the pin of descent and I
forgot to acquaint him therewith." When the King heard this, he
was enraged with sore rage; and bade bastinado the sorcerer and
clap him in jail, whilst he himself cast the crown from his head
and beat his face and smote his breast. Moreover, he shut the
doors of his palaces and gave himself up to weeping and keening,
he and his wife and daughters and all the folk of the city; and
thus their joy was turned to annoy and their gladness changed
into sore affliction and sadness. Thus far concerning them; but
as regards the Prince, the horse gave not over soaring with him
till he drew near the sun, whereat he gave himself up for lost
and saw death in the skies, and was confounded at his case,
repenting him of having mounted the horse and saying to himself,
"Verily, this was a device of the Sage to destroy me on account
of my youngest sister; but there is no Majesty and there is no
Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! I am lost without
recourse; but I wonder, did not he who made the ascent-pin make
also a descent-pin?" Now he was a man of wit and knowledge and
intelligence; so he fell to feeling all the parts of the horse,
but saw nothing save a screw, like a cock's head, on its right
shoulder and the like on the left, when quoth he to himself, "I
see no sign save these things like buttons." Presently he turned
the right-hand pin, whereupon the horse flew heavenwards with
increased speed. So he left it and looking at the sinister
shoulder and finding another pin, he wound it up and immediately
the steed's upwards motion slowed and ceased and it began to
descend, little by little, towards the face of the earth, while
the rider became yet more cautious and careful of his life.--And