before my eyes; but having
no other alternative, I advanced slowly and in silence towards him,
repeating within myself my prayers to God. I then saw a building
with four rooms inside of that window, and in every room ten large
vases of gold were suspended by chains; on the mouth of each vase was
placed a brick of gold, on which was set the figure of a monkey inlaid
with precious stones. I counted thirty-nine vases of this kind in the
four rooms, and saw one vase filled with pieces of gold, on the mouth
of which there was neither the brick, nor the figure of the monkey,
and I also saw a vat filled to the brim with precious stones. I asked
_Mubarak,_ "O my father, what talisman is this? whose place is this,
and for what use are those figures?" He replied, "The following is
the story of those figures of monkeys which you see:--Your father
from his youth formed a friendship and kept up an intercourse with
_Maliki Sadik_, who is the king of the _jinns_.

"Accordingly, once every year, [his late majesty] used to visit _Maliki
Sadik_ and stay near a month with him, having carried thither with
him many kinds of essences, [386] and the rarities of this country,
[as a present]. When he took his leave, _Maliki Sadik_ used to give
him the figure of a monkey made of emerald, and our king used to
bring it and place it in these lower rooms; no one but myself knew
the circumstance. Once I observed to your father, O mighty king, you
carry with you thousands of rupees'-worth of rarities, and you bring
back from thence the figure of a lifeless monkey in stone; what is
the advantage of this [exchange] in the end? In answer to my question,
he smiling, said, 'Beware, and do not, in any way divulge this secret;
the information [you receive] is on this condition. Each one of these
lifeless monkeys which thou seest has a thousand powerful demons [387]
at his command, ready to obey his orders; but until I have the number
of forty monkeys complete, so long are all these of no use, and will
be of no service to me.' So one monkey was wanting [to complete the
efficient number] in that very year, when the king died.

"All this toil then has been of no avail, nor has the advantage of it
been displayed. O prince, I recollected this circumstance on seeing
your forlorn situation, and determined within myself to conduct you
by some means or other to _Maliki Sadik_, and mention to him your
uncle's tyranny. It is most likely that he, recollecting your fath