Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/194

168 us; secondly, he is the Vicar of God; and thirdly, he is constant in praying the two-bow prayer of the foredawn; wherefore, if all the tribes of the Jinn assembled together against him from the seven worlds, they could do him no hurt. But he, should he be wroth with us, he would pray the two-bow prayer of the foredawn and cry out upon us one cry, whereupon we should all present ourselves before him obediently and be before him as sheep before the butcher. If he would, he could command us to depart our abiding-places to a desert country wherein we might not sojourn; and if he desired to destroy us, he would bid us destroy ourselves, whereupon we should destroy one another. Wherefore we may not disobey his commandment, for, if we did this, he would consume us, nor could we flee from before him. Thus is it with every true believer who is diligent in praying the two-bow prayer of the foredawn; his commandment is effectual over us: so be not thou the means of our destruction, because of two mortals, but go forthright and release them, ere the anger of the Commander of the Faithful fall upon us.’

So she returned to Abdallah and acquainted him with her father’s words, saying, ‘Kiss me the hands of the Commander of the Faithful and seek his approof for us.’ Then she brought out the cup and filling it with water, conjured over it and spoke words that might not be understood; after which she sprinkled the dogs with the water, saying, ‘Quit the form of dogs and return to that of men!’ Whereupon they became men as before and the spell of the enchantment was dissolved from them. Quoth they, ‘I testify that there is no god but God and that Mohammed is the Apostle of God!’ And fell on their brother’s feet and hands, kissing them and beseeching his forgiveness: but he said, ‘Do ye forgive me.’ Then they both repented with a sincere repentance, saying, ‘Verily, Satan the