who was of the city aforesaid, and that it was eath to take and unarduous:  so he tarried not, but equipped himself forthright for the voyage to China, as we have said, and did that which he did with Alaeddin, thinking to come by the lamp.  But his endeavour was baffled and his expectation baulked and his toil wasted in vain; whereupon he sought to kill Alaeddin and closed up the earth upon him by his sorcery, so he might die (and the live hath no slayer [FN#258]); moreover, he purposed by this that Alaeddin should not come forth and that the lamp should not be brought up from under the earth.  Then he went his ways and returned to his country Africa, woeful and despairing of his hope.

So much for the enchanter and as for what came of Alaeddin, after the earth closed over him, he fell to calling upon the Maugrabin, whom he thought his uncle, to give him his hand, so he might come forth the underground to the surface of the earth; but, when he found that none returned him an answer, he was ware of the cheat which the Maugrabin had put upon him and knew that he was none of his uncle, but a liar and a sorcerer.  Therewith he despaired of his life and knew, to his woe, that there was no more going forth for him upon the face of the earth; so he fell to weeping and lamenting over that which had befallen him.  Then, after a little, he arose and went down, that he might see if God the Most High had vouchsafed him a door whereby he might go forth; and he went seeking right and left, but saw nought save darkness and four walls shut upon him; for that the Maugrabin sorcerer had by his enchantments locked all the doors and had even shut up the garden, so he might leave him no door whereby he should come forth upon the face of the earth and so hasten his death upon him.  Alaeddin’s weeping redoubled and his lamentation waxed when he saw all the doors shut and eke the garden, for that he thought to solace himself with them [FN#259] a little; but he found them locked, so he fell to crying out and weeping, as he whose hope is cut off, and returning, sat down upon the steps of the stair whereby he had entered the vault, weeping [FN#260] and wailing; and indeed he had lost hope.

But it is a small matter for God (extolled be His perfection and exalted be He) whenas He willeth a thing, to say to it “Be,” and it is; for that He createth relief out of the midst of stress; by token that, when the Maugrabin enchanter sent Alaeddin down into the vault, he gave him a ring and put it on his finger, saying, “This ring will deliver thee from all stress, an thou be in calamities or vicissitudes, and will remove from thee troubles; yea, it will be thy helper whereassoever thou art;” and this was by the foreordinance of God the Most High, so it might be the means of Alaeddin’s deliverance.  So, as he sat weeping and bewailing his case and indeed his hope was cut off of life and despair was heavy upon him, he fell, of the excess of his anguish, to wringing [FN#261] his hands, after