and wailing and wanting all hopes. But it is a light matter for
Allah (be He exalted and extolled !) whenas He designeth aught to
say, "Be" and it becometh; for that He createth joy in the midst
of annoy; and on this wise it was with Alaeddin. Whilst the
Maghrabi, the Magician, was sending him down into the souterrain
he set upon his finger by way of gift, a seal ring and said,
"Verily, this signet shall save thee from every strait an thou
fall into calamity and ill shifts of time; and it shall remove
from thee all hurt and harm, and aid thee with a strong arm
whereso thou mayest be set."[FN#100] Now this was by destiny of
God the Great, that it might be the means of Alaeddin's escape;
for whilst he sat wailing and weeping over his case and cast away
all hope of life, and utter misery overwhelmed him, he rubbed his
hands together for excess of sorrow, as is the wont of the
woeful; then, raising them in supplication to Allah, he cried, "I
testify that there is no God save Thou alone, The Most Great, the
Omnipotent, the All-Conquering, Quickener of the dead, Creator of
man's need and Granter thereof, Resolver of his difficulties and
duresse and Bringer of joy not of annoy. Thou art my sufficiency
and Thou art the Truest of Trustees. And I bear witness that
Mohammed is Thy servant and Thine Apostle and I supplicate Thee,
O my God, by his favour with Thee to free me from this my foul
plight." And whilst he implored the Lord and was chafing his
hands in the soreness of his sorrow for that had befallen him of
calamity, his fingers chanced to rub the Ring when, lo and
behold! forthright its Familiar rose upright before him and
cried, "Adsum; thy slave between thy hands is come! Ask whatso
thou wantest, for that I am the thrall of him on whose hand is
the Ring, the Signet of my lord and master." Hereat the lad
looked at him and saw standing before him a Marid like unto an