Fate comes to him who flies from Fate, O Lord, ✿ And lot and daily bread by Thee are weighed.
And they also tell of
[482]. This commonest conjuring trick in the West becomes a miracle in the credulous East.
[483]. Arab. “Kánún”; the usual term is Mankal (pron. Mangal) a pan of copper or brass. Some of these “chafing-dishes” stand four feet high and are works of art. Lane (M. E. chapt. iv) gives an illustration of the simpler kind, together with the “Azikí,” a smaller pan for heating coffee. See Night dxxxviii.
THE DEVOTEE TO WHOM ALLAH GAVE A CLOUD FOR SERVICE AND THE DEVOUT KING.
There was once, among the children of Israel, a man of the devout, for piety acclaimed and for continence and asceticism en-famed, whose prayers were ever granted and who by supplication obtained whatso he wanted; and he was a wanderer in the mountains and was used to pass the night in worship. Now Almighty Allah had subjected to him a cloud which travelled with him wherever he went, and poured on him its water-treasures in abundance that he might make his ablutions and drink. After a long time when things were thus, his fervour somewhat abated, whereupon Allah took the cloud away from him and ceased to answer his prayers. On this account, great was his grief and long was his woe, and he ceased not to regret the time of grace and the miracle vouchsafed to him and to lament and bewail and bemoan himself, till he saw in a dream one who said to him, “An thou wouldest have Allah restore to thee thy cloud, seek out a certain King, in such a town, and beg him to pray for thee: so will Allah (be He extolled and exalted!) give thee back thy cloud and bespread it over thee by virtue of his pious prayers.” And he began repeating these couplets:—
Wend to that pious prayerful Emir, ✿ Who can with gladness thy condition cheer;
An he pray Allah, thou shalt win thy wish; ✿ And heavy rain shall drop from welkin clear.
He stands all Kings above in potent worth; ✿ Nor to compare with him doth aught appear: