Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/249

Rh "Let us at present proceed no farther," said Mobarec, "or these genii will destroy us; and in order to prevent their coming to us, we must perform a magic ceremony."

Then Mobarec laid on the ground two large mats, on the edges whereof he scattered some precious stones, musk, and amber. Afterwards he sat down on one of the mats, and Zeyn on the other, and Mobarec said to the prince: "I shall now conjure the Sultan of the Genii, who lives in the palace that is before us. If our coming into this island is displeasing to him, he will appear in the shape of a dreadful monster; but if he approves of your design, he will show himself in the shape of a handsome man. As soon as he appears before us, you must rise and salute him, without going off your mat; for you would certainly perish should you stir from it. You must say to him, 'Lord of the Genii, I wish your majesty may protect me, as you always protected my father; and I most humbly beg you to give me the ninth statue.

Mobarec, having thus instructed Prince Zeyn, began his conjuration. Immediately