And he ceased not to egg him on to the drink, naming to him such
of the virtues of wine as he thought well and reciting to him
what occurred to him of poetry and pleasantries on the subject,
till Ma'aruf addressed himself to sucking the cup-lips and cared
no longer for aught else. The Wazir ceased not to fill for him
and he to drink and enjoy himself and make merry, till his wits
wandered and he could not distinguish right from wrong. When the
Minister saw that drunkenness had attained in him to utterest and
the bounds transgressed, he said to him, "By Allah, O Merchant
Ma'aruf, I admire whence thou gottest these jewels whose like the
Kings of the Chosroes possess not! In all our lives never saw we
a merchant that had heaped up riches like unto thine or more
generous than thou, for thy doings are the doings of Kings and
not merchants' doings. Wherefore, Allah upon thee, do thou
acquaint me with this, that I may know thy rank and condition."
And he went on to test him with questions and cajole him, till
Ma'aruf, being reft of reason, said to him, "I'm neither merchant
nor King," and told him his whole story from first to last. Then
said the Wazir, "I conjure thee by Allah, O my lord Ma'aruf, show
us the ring, that we may see its make." So, in his drunkenness,
he pulled off the ring and said, "Take it and look upon it." The
Minister took it and turning it over, said, "If I rub it, will
its slave appear?" Replied Ma'aruf, "Yes. Rub it and he will
appear to thee, and do thou divert thyself with the sight of
him." Thereupon the Wazir rubbed the ring and behold forthright
appeared the Jinni and said, "Adsum, at thy service, O my lord!
Ask and it shall be given to thee. Wilt thou ruin a city or raise
a capital or kill a king? Whatso thou seekest, I will do for
thee, sans fail." The Wazir pointed to Ma'aruf and said, "Take up