e lamp, did
not drive the magician to despair; but magicians are so much used
to misfortunes, and events contrary to their wishes, that they do
not lay them to heart, but still feed themselves, to the end of
life, with unsubstantial notions and chimeras.

The surprise of Alla ad Deen, who had never suspected this
treachery from his pretended uncle, after all his caresses and
what he had done for him, is more easily to be imagined than
expressed. When he found himself buried alive, he cried, and
called out to his uncle, to tell him he was ready to give him the
lamp; but in vain, since his cries could not be heard. He
descended to the bottom of the steps, with a design to get into
the garden, but the door, which was opened before by enchantment,
was now shut by the same means. He then redoubled his cries and
tears, sat down on the steps, without any hopes of ever seeing
light again, and in a melancholy certainty of passing from the
present darkness into that of a speedy death.

Alla ad Deen remained in this state two days, without eating or
drinking, and on the third looked upon death as inevitable.
Clasping his hands with an entire resignation to the will of God,
he said, "There is no strength or power but in the great and high
God." In this action of joining his hands he rubbed the ring
which the magician had put on his finger, and of which he knew
not yet the virtue. Immediately a genie of enormous size and
frightful aspect rose out of the earth, his head reaching the
roof of the vault, and said to him, "What wouldst thou have? I am
ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all who may
possess the ring on thy finger; I, and the other slaves of that
ring."

At another time, Alla ad Deen, who had not been used to such
appearances, would have been so frightened at the sight of so
extraordinary a figure that he would not have been able to speak;
but the danger he was in made him answer without hesitation,
"Whoever thou art, deliver me from this place, if thou art able."
He had no sooner spoken these words, than he found himself on the
very spot where the magician had caused the earth to open.

It was some time before his eyes could bear the light, after
being so long in total darkness: but after he had endeavoured by
degrees to support it, and began to look about him, he was much
surprised not to find the earth open, and could not comprehend
how he had got so soon out of its bowels. There was nothing to be