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[Footnote 19] i.e. a mattrass eighteen inches thick.

Presently Aboulhusn turned to a damsel and called to her; whereupon she came to him and he said to her, “By the protection of God, O damsel, am I Commander of the Faithful?” “Yes, indeed,” answered she; “by the protection of God thou in this time art Commander of the Faithful.” Quoth he, “By Allah, thou liest, O thousandfold strumpet!” Then he turned to the chief eunuch and called to him, whereupon he came to him and kissing the earth before him, said, “Yes, O Commander of the Faithful.” “Who is Commander of the Faithful?” asked Aboulhusn. “Thou,” replied the eunuch and Aboulhusn said, “Thou liest, thousandfold catamite that thou art!” Then he turned to another eunuch and said to him, “O my chief,[20] by the protection of God, am I Commander of the Faithful?” “Ay, by Allah, O my lord!” answered he. “Thou in this time art Commander of the Faithful and Vicar of the Lord of the Worlds.” Aboulhusn laughed at himself and misdoubted of his reason and was perplexed at what he saw and said, “In one night I am become Khalif! Yesterday I was Aboulhusn the Wag, and to-day I am Commander of the Faithful.” Then the chief eunuch came up to him and said, “O Commander of the Faithful, (the name of God encompass thee!) thou art indeed Commander of the Faithful and Vicar of the Lord of the Worlds!” And the slave-girls and eunuchs came round about him, till he arose and abode wondering at his case.

[Footnote 20] Complimentary form of address to eunuchs, generally used by inferiors only.

Presently, one of the slave-girls brought him a pair of sandals wrought with raw silk and green silk and embroidered with red gold, and he took them and put them in his sleeve, whereat the slave cried out and said, “Allah! Allah! O my lord, these are sandals for the treading of thy feet, so thou mayst enter the draught-house.” Aboulhusn was confounded and shaking the sandals from his sleeve, put them on his feet, whilst the Khalif [well-nigh] died of laughter at him. The slave forewent him to the house of easance, where he entered and doing his occasion, came out into the chamber, whereupon the slave- girls brought him a basin of gold and an ewer of silver and poured water on his hands and he made the ablution.

Then they spread him a prayer-carpet and he prayed. Now he knew not how to pray and gave not over bowing and prostrating himself, [till he had prayed the prayers] of twenty inclinations,[21] pondering in himself the while and saying, “By Allah, I am none other than the Commander of the Faithful in very sooth! 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 Commander of the Faithful; so he pronounced the Salutation[22] and made an end[ 23] of his prayers; whereupon the slaves and slave-girls came round about him with parcels of silk and stuffs[24] and clad him in the habit of the Khalifate and gave him the royal dagger in his hand. Then the chief eunuch went out before him and the little white slaves behind him, and they ceased not [going] till they raised the curtain and brought him into the hall of judgment and the throne-room of the Khalifate. There he saw the curtains and the forty doors and El Ijli and Er Recashi[25] and Ibdan and Jedim and Abou Ishac [26] the boon-companions and beheld swords drawn and lions [27] encompassing [the throne] and gilded glaives and death-dealing bows and Persians and Arabs and Turks and Medes and folk and peoples and Amirs and viziers and captains and grandees and officers of state and men of war, and indeed there appeared the puissance of the house of Abbas [28] and the majesty of the family of the Prophet.