Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/341

325 the sack into the water, and it was then that the ring slipped from his finger and fell into the sea, where the fish swallowed it, and God drove it to thee, so that thou tookest it, for this ring was thy lot; but knowest thou its property?’ ‘I knew not that it had any properties,’ answered Abousir, and the captain said, ‘Know, then, that the king’s troops obey him not save for fear of this ring, for it is enchanted, and when he was wroth with any one and had a mind to put him to death, he would sign at him therewith and his head would drop from his shoulders; for there issued a lightning from the ring and its ray smote the object of his wrath, who died forthright.’

At this, Abousir rejoiced with an exceeding joy and said to the captain, ‘Carry me back to the city.’ ‘That will I,’ answered he, ‘now that I no longer fear for thee from the king; for, wert thou to sign at him with thy hand, purposing to kill him, his head would fall down before thee; and if thou be minded to slay him and all his troops, thou mayst do so without hindrance.’ So saying, he embarked with him in the boat and rowed him back to the city, where Abousir landed and going up to the palace, entered the council-chamber, where he found the king seated in the midst of his officers, sore concerned by reason of the ring and daring not tell any of its loss.

When he saw Abousir, he said to him, ‘Did we not cast thee into the sea? How hast thou made shift to come forth therefrom?’ ‘O king of the age,’ answered Abousir, ‘whenas thou badst throw me into the sea, thy captain carried me to an island and questioned me of the cause of thy wrath against me, saying, “What hast thou done with the king, that he should decree thy death?” “By Allah,” answered I, “I know not that I have offended against him in aught!” Quoth he, “Thou wast in high favour with the king, and most like some one envied thee and slandered thee to him, so that he is become incensed