Commander of the Faithful and Viceregent of the Lord of the three
Worlds." Abu al-Hasan laughed at himself and doubted of his
reason and was bewildered at what he beheld, and said, "In one
night do I become Caliph? Yesterday I was Abu al-Hasan the Wag,
and to-day I am Commander of the Faithful." then the Chief
Eunuch came up to him and said, "O Prince of True Believers (the
name of Allah encompass thee!), thou art indeed Commander of the
Faithful and Viceregent of the Lord of the three Worlds!" and
the slave-girls and eunuchs flocked round about him, till he
arose and abode wondering at his case. Hereupon the Eunuch
brought him a pair of sandals wrought with raw silk and green
silk and purfled with red gold, and he took them and after
examining them set them in his sleeve; whereat the Castrato cried
out and said, "Allah! Allah! O my lord, these are sandals for the
treading of thy feet, so thou mayst wend to the wardrobe." Abu
al-Hasan was confounded, and shaking the sandals from his sleeve,
put them on his feet, whilst the Caliph died[FN#29] of laughter
at him. The slave forewent him to the chapel of ease, where he
entered and doing his job,[FN#30] came out into the chamber,
whereupon the slave-girls brought him a basin of gold and a ewer
of silver and poured water on his hands[FN#31] and he made the
Wuzu-ablution. Then they spread him a prayer-carpet and he
prayed. Now he knew not how to pray[FN#32] and gave not over
bowing and prostrating for twenty inclinations,[FN#33] pondering
in himself the while and saying, "By Allah, I am none other than
the Commander of the Faithful in very truth! This is assuredly
no dream, for all these things happen not in a dream." And he
was convinced and determined in himself that he was Prince of
True Believers, so he pronounced the Salam[FN#34] and finished
his prayers; whereupon te Mamelukes and slave-girls came round