Allah!  O my lord, these are sandals for the treading of thy feet, so thou mayst wend to the wardrobe.”  Abu al-Hasan was confounded, and shaking the sandals from his sleeve, put them on his feet, whilst the Caliph died[FN#29] of laughter at him.  The slave forewent him to the chapel of ease, where he entered and doing his job,[FN#30] came out into the chamber, whereupon the slave-girls brought him a basin of gold and a ewer of silver and poured water on his hands[FN#31] and he made the Wuzu-ablution.  Then they spread him a prayer-carpet and he prayed.  Now he knew not how to pray[FN#32] and gave not over bowing and prostrating for twenty inclinations,[FN#33] pondering in himself the while and saying, “By Allah, I am none other than the Commander of the Faithful in very truth!  This is assuredly no dream, for all these things happen not in a dream.”  And he was convinced and determined in himself that he was Prince of True Believers, so he pronounced the Salam[FN#34] and finished his prayers; whereupon te Mamelukes and slave-girls came round about him with bundled suits of silken and linen stuffs and clad him in the costume of the Caliphate and gave the royal dagger in his hand.  Then the Chief Eunuch came in and said, “O Prince of True Believers, the Chamberlain is at the door craving permission to enter.”  Said he, “Let him enter!” whereupon he came in and after kissing ground offered the salutation, “Peace be upon thee, O Commander of the Faithful!” at this Abu al-Hasan rose and descended from the couch to the floor; whereupon the official exclaimed, “Allah!  Allah!  O Prince of True Believers, wottest thou not that all men are thy lieges and under thy rule and that it is not meet for the Caliph to rise to any man?” Presently the Eunuch went out before him and the little white slaves behind him, and they ceased not going till they raised the curtain and brought him into the hall of judgment and the throne-room of the Caliphate.  There he saw the curtains and the forty doors and Al-’Ijli and Al-Rakashi the poet, and ’Ibdan and Jadim and Abu Ishak[FN#35] the cup-companion and beheld swords drawn and the lions[FN#36] compassing the throne as the white of the eye encircleth the black, and gilded glaives and death-dealing bows and Ajams and Arabs and Turks and Daylamites and folk and peoples and Emirs and Wazirs and Captains and Grandees and Lords of the land and men of war in band, and in very sooth there appeared the might of the house of Abbas[FN#37] and the majesty of the Prophet’s family.  So he sat down upon the throne of the Caliphate and set the dagger[FN#38] on his lap, whereupon all present came up to kiss ground between his hands and called down on him length of life and continuance of weal.  Then came forward Ja’afar the Barmecide and kissing the ground, said, “Be the wide world of Allah the treading of thy feet and may Paradise be thy dwelling-place and the Fire the home of thy foes!  Never may neighbor defy thee nor the lights