Chapter XXXVIII: Introduction (5)

“And the youth reflected and said in his heart. ‘This Ghazanfer Agha must be the friend of this girl; anyhow we shall see; whatever God does he does well.’ In the morning he went and invited him, and then came to the girl and gave her word and said, ‘Tell me and let me hear of the matters of that night.’ The girl answered, ‘Now is not the time; go and get these things which are needful.’ The youth went and got them and brought them and gave her them and said, ‘Lo, I have brought them; tell me.’ The girl said, ‘Now is the guest coming, it cannot be; by and bye I will tell thee.’ When Ghazanfer Agha came the youth gave the girl word and she said, ‘Go and meet him, and lead him and bring him here.’ The youth said in his heart, ‘This is not without reason; but wait, we shall see.’ And he led him respectfully, and he entered and sat down with the girl. After that, came foods and they ate and drank and made merry till the evening. Then the girl sent word and the youth came in, and she said, ‘Take care, be it not that thou lettest Ghazanfer Agha leave this evening.’ And the youth said, ‘What is this of thee that thou dost not dismiss him?’ The girl answered, ‘I will tell thee afterward.’ The youth said in his heart, ‘I shall slay the two of you this night.’ And he went out. When it was night Ghazanfer Agha asked leave to go away, but the youth would not let him, and Ghazanfer Agha saw that it was not to be, so he remained; and they brought out a clean coverlet and mattress and made a bed for him. And Ghazanfer Agha lay down, and the youth lay down, but he slept not that he might watch the girl.

“When it was midnight the girl arose and the youth saw her, but he made no sound, and the girl went up close to Ghazanfer Agha. The youth, unable to endure it any longer, rose from his place and said fiercely to the girl, ‘What seekest thou there?’ The girl saw that the youth spake angrily and she took him by the hand and drew him to a place apart and said, ‘I am about to slay this Ghazanfer Agha.’ The youth said, ‘What is the reason of it?’ The girl replied, ‘The reason of it is this: I am the daughter of the king of this land, and this youth was a butcher’s apprentice. One day, when going to the bath, I met this youth selling meat upon the road; as soon as I saw him I fell in love with him, and the bird, my heart, was taken, so that I was without rest and could not remain quiet. I saw there was no help for it, so I got him by force of money, and sometimes I went to his house, and sometimes I had him brought in disguise to my palace. One night I went in disguise to his house, and I saw him sitting conversing with a gipsy, and I got angry and I cursed the two of them. This youth was wont to use the dagger, and he gave me many wounds, and thought me dead and put me in a coffin and sent me with two men who laid me in that tomb thou sawest. Praise be to God! my time was not yet; thou didst come to me like Khizr: now, do thou kill him.’

“The youth said, ‘I shall kill him. Wilt thou marry me according to the ordinance of God?’ She answered, ‘I will not marry thee; but the vezir has a daughter fairer than I, her will I get for thee.’ Then the youth smote him and killed him. The girl said, ‘In the morning go to my father and give him good news; and go to-night and bring here all the possessions of this youth.’ The youth said, ‘To-morrow thy father will bring them.’ When it was morning the youth went and gave the good news to the king. And the king sent slave-girls who brought the girl to the palace. And her mother was glad when she saw her safe and sound.[48] And they confiscated the property of Ghazanfer Agha and bestowed it on that youth.

“But what would the youth do with the wealth? his desire was the girl. The king’s vezirs said, ‘My king, it were right if thou give the girl to the youth.’ The king answered, ‘It is my desire too; for when my daughter disappeared and we sought but could not find her, I made a promise, saying, that to him who brought good news of my daughter I should give her; but the girl does not wish it.’ The vezirs said, ‘My king, our daughters are thine; make this youth thy client; whichever girl thou pleasest, give her to him.’ The king said, ‘I shall make a proposal;’ and he went and spake with her mother. And the girl’s mother went to her and with difficulty persuaded her; and then sent word to the king. That hour they performed the marriage ceremony, and the king made the youth a vezir; and they lived for a long time in joyance and delight.

“O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that thy son will not accept counsel, but purposes for thy life. Because that cobbler youth accepted the words of the saints he attained to fortune; and that butcher’s apprentice, for that he was a fool, wounded his benefactress, the king’s daughter; and if the girl had not killed him, he would have made her disgraced before the world. Do thou then, O king, take profit by the tale; beware, spare not this foolish youth, but kill him; else thou shalt be repentant.” When the king heard this story from the lady he said, “To-morrow will I kill him.”

When it was morning and the sun had appeared, like as appeared the kindness shown by the king’s daughter to the butcher’s apprentice, and the world was illumined with light, the king passed and sat upon his throne, and he caused the youth to be brought and commanded the executioner, “Smite off his head.” The nineteenth vezir came forward and said, “O king, beware, hurry not in this matter, look to the thought of the hereafter and the way of the Law. The Apostle (peace on him!) saith, ‘God most high maketh wise in the Truth him to whom he wisheth to do good.’ According to this sacred tradition, what is befitting the king is this, that he transgress not the bounds of God. The truth is this, that in this matter the prince is sinless. O king, when can one obtain a son? Slay not thy prince, or grief for thy son will be full hard, and in the end thou shalt be unable to endure it. There is a story suitable to this; if the king grant leave I will relate it.” The king said, “Relate it, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

HASAN OF BASRA

“Hasan of Basra[49] (the mercy of God on him!) was in his first estate a seller of jewels. One day he rose up to trade, and came before a king and transacted business, and then he transacted business with the vezir. The vezir said, ‘To-day we go to a pageant at a certain place; wilt thou come with us?’ Hasan answered, ‘Yea, I shall go.’ When the vezir and the king had mounted their steeds, they brought a horse for Hasan likewise, and they all went out of the gate and came to a plain. Hasan saw that in the middle of that plain was a white pavilion, the dome of which reared its head into the air. Then they went up close to that pavilion and all of them alighted. From another side came a procession of people; Hasan of Basra saw that it was a party of doctors and holy men who were carrying their lecterns and copies of the sacred volume. They came and entered that pavilion and recited the Koran with sweet voice; then they came and walked three times round that dome, and then stood at the door and said, ‘O prince, what can we? were there release to thy sweet soul by reading of the Koran, we would, all of us, cease not therefrom day or night; but it is the decree of that almighty King; there is no avail for his command save acquiescence and patience.’

“And they went away. After them came white-bearded elders and devotees reciting chants, and they walked three times round that dome, and then stood at the door and said, ‘O prince, what can we? were there release to thy sweet soul by chant and prayer, we would, all of us, devote ourselves to chant and prayer; but what profit? it is the decree of that almighty King; there is no avail therefor save resignation.’ And they went away. After them came many moon-faced damsels, in the hand of each of whom was a golden dish filled full of all manner of jewels, and they walked three times round that dome, and then stood at the door and said, ‘O prince, what can we? were there release to thy sweet soul by the giving of riches, we would give all these jewels, and we ourselves would become slaves; but what avail? it is the decree of that almighty King, and he hath no need of such things; there is no help for his decree save patience.’

“And they went away. After them came an innumerable army which surrounded that dome, rank on rank, and they said, ‘O prince, were there release to thy sweet soul by battle, night and day would we, all of us, do battle in thy cause; but what avail? it is the decree of that almighty King; there is no help therefor but patience and resignation.’ And they went away. After them came the king the father of that prince, and the vezirs and the nobles, and they walked three times round that dome, and then stood at the door, and the king said, ‘O light of my eyes, darling of my heart, were there release to thy sweet soul to be found by science, I had found it by means of the learned; or were it by gifts and bounties, I had assembled all my army and made war and attained it; but what avail? decree is God’s. He is in want of naught; there is no help save patience and acquiescence in his judgment.’

“And he wept full bitterly, and all the nobles and vezirs wept likewise. When Hasan of Basra saw these things he asked the vezir, ‘What plight is this plight?’ The vezir said, ‘O Hasan, our king had a son: he was in beauty a second Joseph; and in writing, reading, chivalry, and all accomplishments he had no rival; and as he was the king’s only child he loved him very much. One day death spared him not, and he passed to the abiding home. After the wailing and dismay, as there was no help save patience under the heavenly decree, they brought him and buried him in this dome. And once every year they come and thus visit the tomb.’ When Hasan of Basra heard these words from the vezir and saw these things with his eyes, wealth and riches went forth from his eye and heart; and he abandoned the whole of them and turned dervish and donned the khirqa;[50] and now, when his name is mentioned, they add, ‘The mercy of God on him!’

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that grief for children is full bitter. As yet thou hast not felt it, and may God most high not show it thee thus through him. O king, slay not the prince, else afterward thou shalt be repentant and shalt sigh and groan until thou die.” And he made intercession for the prince for that day. When the king heard this story from the vezir compassion came into his heart, and he sent the youth to the prison and went himself to the chase.

When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the palace, and again the lady rose to greet him, and she sat with the king. After the repast the lady asked for news of the youth. The king said, “To-day likewise such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him, and I have sent him again to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, why dost thou leave my counsel and act according to thine own understanding? Hast not thou heard these words they have said concerning the heedless: ‘Whoso is presumptuous through reason is abased.’ And the sages have said that eight things bring disgrace upon a man: the first is going to dine at a place without invitation, the second is interfering between another and his wife, the third is giving ear to everyone’s words, the fourth is slighting the king, the fifth is setting one’s self above a great man, the sixth is speaking to those who listen not to one’s words, the seventh is begging a favor of an avaricious and indifferent person, and the eighth is going to the enemies’ gate.

“Now, O king, those vezirs interfere between thee and me. Beware, act not according to their words. They have said that he who acts according to a stranger’s word will divorce his wife. Their words are many; and they are forty vezirs, and each one of them for this long time is planning wiles. Mayhap my king has not heard the story of the old gardener and his son.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

THE GARDENER AND HIS SON

“In the by-gone time an old gardener had mounted his son upon an ass and was proceeding to the garden, himself on foot. They met some men who said, ‘See this old pederast, how he has mounted the boy upon the ass; and is himself running alongside.’ Whenever the old man heard this he made the boy alight and mounted himself. Again they met some other folk, these likewise said, ‘Look at this heartless old man, he rides the ass himself and makes the poor child go on foot.’ Whenever the old man heard this he took his son up in front of him. Then some people saw them and said, ‘See this old pederast, how he has taken the boy up in front of him.’ The old man heard this, and he put his son up behind him. Again certain folks saw them and said, ‘See this old catamite, how he has taken the boy up behind him.’ The old man knew not what to do, so he put his son down and alighted himself and drove the ass before them. The garden was near, and both of them were on foot, and they reached the garden before meeting with any others.

“Now, O king, I have told this story that thou mayst know that no one in the world can escape the tongue of the folk. Each one says a different thing. It is even as when a boil came out on the foot of a certain king who showed it to someone and said, ‘Come, look at this boil; is it ripe or unripe?’ He looked and said, ‘It is ripe.’ Then he showed it to another person, and he said, ‘It is unripe.’ Then the king said, ‘We cannot get sure information concerning even one foot.’ Do thou too, O king, go by no one’s word, lose not the opportunity; no good will come to thee from this youth.” When the king heard this story from the lady he said, “To-morrow will I kill him.”

When it was morning the king came and sat upon his throne, and he caused the youth to be brought and ordered the executioner, “Smite off his head.” The twentieth vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world, I will speak a good word to thee: all these vezirs who have spoken these many words are well-wishers to thee. The holy Apostle of God hath said, ‘Whoso hath believed in God and the last day; when he witnesseth to aught, let him speak with good or let him be silent,’ Now, what is best for thee in this thy affair is this, as all thy vezirs say, ‘Slay not the prince,’ I too say, have patience, else the end of this will be care and sorrow. Mayhap the king has not heard the story of a certain king.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

THE DERVISH’S ADVICE

“Of old time there was a great king. One day, when returning from the chase, he saw a dervish sitting by the way, crying, ‘I have a piece of advice; to him who will give me 1,000 sequins I will tell it.’ When the king heard these words of the dervish he drew in his horse’s head and halted, and he said to the dervish, ‘What is thy counsel?’ The dervish replied, ‘Bring the sequins and give me them that I may tell my counsel.’ The king ordered that they count 1,000 sequins into the dervish’s lap. The dervish said, ‘O king, my advice to thee is this, whenever thou art about to do a deed, consider the end of that deed, and then act.’ The nobles who were present laughed together at these words and said, ‘Anyone knows that.’ But the king rewarded that poor man. He was greatly pleased with the words of the dervish and commanded that they wrote them on the palace gate and other places.

“Now that king had an enemy, a great king; and this hostile king was ever watching his opportunity; but he could find no way save this, he said in himself, ‘Let me go and promise the king’s barber some worldly good and give him a poisoned lancet; some day when the king is sick he can bleed him with that lancet.’ So he disguised himself, and went and gave the barber a poisoned lancet and 10,000 sequins. And the barber was covetous and undertook to bleed the king with that lancet what time it should be needful. One day the king was sick, and he sent word to the barber to come and bleed him. Thereupon the barber took that poisoned lancet with him and went. The attendants prepared the basin, and the barber saw written on the rim of the basin, ‘Whenever thou art about to perform a deed, think on the end thereof.’

“When the barber saw this he said in himself, ‘I am now about to bleed the king with this lancet and doubtless he will perish, then they will not leave me alive, but will inevitably kill me; after I am dead what use will these sequins be to me?’ And he took up that lancet and put it in its place and drew out another lancet that he might bleed the king. When he took his arm a second time, the king said, ‘Why didst thou not bleed me with the first lancet?’ The barber answered, ‘O king, there was some dust on its point.’ Then the king said, ‘I saw it, it is not the treasury lancet; there is some secret here, quick, tell it, else I will slay thee.’ When the barber saw this importunity, he related the story from beginning to end and how he had seen the writing on the basin and changed his intention. The king put a robe of honor on the barber and let him keep the sequins which his enemy had given him. And the king said, ‘The dervish’s counsel is worth not 1,000 sequins but 100,000 sequins.’

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that it is as when the dervish said, ‘Whatsoever deed thou doest, consider the end thereof, then act.’ If thou slay the prince, at last thou shalt be repentant. The rest the king knows.” And he made intercession for the prince. When the king heard these words from the vezir he sent the prince to the prison and himself mounted for the chase.

When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the repast the lady again asked for news of the youth. The king said, “To-day such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I sent him to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, it is related of the Caliph Ma’mūn[51] that he said, ‘Four things are hurtful to kings; the first is the nobles being negligent, the second is the ministers being envious, the third is the mean being bold, and the fourth is the vezirs being treacherous.’ And the Moorish sages say, ‘In nobles there is no friendship, in liars there is no fidelity, in the envious there is no peace, in the indifferent there is no generosity, and in the evil-natured there is no greatness.’ O king, these thy vezirs are, like thy traitor son, liars and evil-natured. Thou believest the words of these. The story of thee and this youth altogether resembles the story of those Turkman children.” The king said, “Tell that story, let us hear it.” Quoth the lady:

THE TURKMAN CHILDREN

“Certain Turkmans from an encampment went one day into a city. When they were returning from the city to the encampment they were an hungered, and when they were come near they ate some bread and onions at a spring-head. The juice of the onions went into the Turkmans’ eyes, and the tears came forth from their eyes. Now the children of the Turkmans had gone out to meet them, and they saw that the tears were streaming from their fathers’ eyes and they thought that some one of them had died in the city. So without asking and without knowing, they ran back and came to the encampment and said to their mothers, ‘One of ours is dead in the city, our fathers are coming weeping,’ All the women and children of that encampment came forth to meet them, weeping together. The Turkmans who were coming from the city thought that one of theirs had died in the encampment; so were they without knowledge one of the other, and they raised a weeping and crying together such that it cannot be described.

“At length the elders of the camp stood up in the midst and said, ‘May all ye remain whole; the command is God’s, there is none other help than patience.’ And they questioned them. The Turkmans who were coming from the city asked, ‘Who is dead in the encampment?’ The others said, ‘No one is dead in the encampment; who has died in the city?’ Those coming from the city answered, ‘No one has died in the city.’ They said, ‘Then for whom are we wailing and lamenting?’ At length they perceived that all this tumult arose from their thus trusting the words of children.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that confusion like to that is brought about by youths. What I know is this, if thou slay not the youth he will slay thee.” When the king heard these words from the lady he said, “To-morrow will I kill him.”

When it was morning the king came and sat upon his throne, and he caused the youth to be brought and ordered the executioner, “Smite off his head.” The twenty-first vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world, yesterday, when reading in a book, I saw that they had written that there was a great king in the land of Hindustan, and in his time there was a work on wisdom, and they laded three camels with it and brought it to him. One day the king said to the sages, ‘Abridge this book for me, that I may study it.’ Then all the sages of Hind came together and collected the necessary words from that work and made a book. When the king read it he was pleased. And the words that they wrote were these: ‘O king, be not presumptuous, being deceived by the world; for the world showeth itself like a fair woman and fondleth men in its bosom; and when they are asleep and heedless, of a sudden it woundeth and slayeth them. Knowing of a surety that it is thus, have care if it offer itself to thee, that thou keep thyself from it, so that thou be prosperous. And expend what thou gainest of wealth in the way of God most high, and guard against iniquity, and show forth thy name through generosity, and abandon avarice.

“‘O king, the light of the world is darkness, and its newness is oldness, and its being is non-being. O king, strive that thou save thyself from it; and incline not to the amassing of unlawful wealth, for it will pass from thy hand and be a woe to thee. Strive to collect wealth lawfully, and expend it on good works, and show thyself just among the folk to the utmost of thy power, that all the people of the world may love thee, and that thou be secured against the punishment of God most high. And guard thy faith for the hereafter. And love not women and tell not them thy secrets. O king, be not deceived by womankind; for in body are they weak, but in guile are they strong.’ Now, O king, these counsels are exceeding good counsels, and it behooves the king to keep them; and their saying is true that women are weak in body but strong in guile. Mayhap the king has not heard what befell a certain king with a woman.” The king said, “Relate it, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

A QUEEN’S DECEIT

“There was in the palace of the world a great king, and he had a beautiful wife, such that many a soul dangled in the tresses on her cheek. That lady had a secret affair with a youth, and she used to hide the youth in a chest in the palace. One day that youth said to the lady, ‘If the king were aware of this our work, he would slay the two of us.’ The lady said, ‘Leave that thought, I can do so that I shall hide thee in the chest and say to the king, “Lo, my lover is lying in this chest;” and then, when the king is about to kill thee, I shall make him repentant by one word.’ While the youth and the lady were saying these words, the king came, and the lady straightway put the youth into the chest and locked it. The king said, ‘Why lockest thou that chest thus hastily? What is in the chest?’ The lady answered, ‘By God, it is my lover; I saw thee coming and I put him into the chest and locked it.’ Then was the king wroth, and he bared his sword and thought to slay him who was in the chest, when the lady said, ‘O king, art thou mad, where is gone thine understanding? Am I mad that I should advance a strange man to thy couch and then say to thee, “Lo, he is in the chest?” In truth, I wondered if thou were sincere in thy trust of me, and I tried thee, and now I know that thou thinkest evil concerning me.’ And she ceased and sat in a corner.

“Then did the king repent him of what he had done; and he begged and besought of his wife, saying, ‘Forgive me,’ And he gave her many things, and craved pardon for his fault. When the king had gone out from the harem into the palace the lady took that youth forth of the chest and said, ‘Didst thou see what a trick I played the king?’ And they gave themselves up to mirth and merriment.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that guile and trickery such as this abound in women. O king, beware, slay not the prince on the woman’s word, else afterward thou shalt be repentant, and too late repentance profits not.” And he made intercession for the prince for that day. When the king heard this story from the vezir he sent the prince to the prison and himself mounted for the chase.

When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the repast the lady again began to speak about the youth. The king said, “To-day too such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I sent him to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, this youth is ignoble. It is even as when God most high told Noah (peace on him!) of the impurity of his son: said God most high, ‘He is not of thy family; verily, it is a work that is not right.’[52] Then it is known that if a person follow not the way of his father, and be not endowed with the nature of his father, he cannot be called a lawful son. Therefore, when the wise see a fault in others they hinder and cover it, and if they see that fault in themselves they strive to banish it far from them. There is no help for the ignoble that he should follow the path of the noble. Mayhap the king has not heard the story of a certain abdal and a king.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

THE ABDAL AND THE KING

“There was of old time a great king, and there was by him an abdal. One day the king mounted for the chase, and the abdal said, ‘O king, I am able for soldiering and hunting; give me too horse and gear and bird, that I may go forth with thee to ride about and hunt.’ So the king gave the abdal a horse and gear, and gave him a falcon on his wrist, and took him along with him to the chase, and they went off. While they were riding, the king saw a bird go into a bush, and he said to the abdal, ‘Go, cast the falcon at the bird.’ And the king stood to look on. The abdal went up close to the bush with the falcon, and a man stirred the bush, and the bird came out and flew off. The king said to the abdal, ‘The bird is away, throw off the falcon.’ And the abdal threw off the falcon from his wrist without slipping the leash, and he swung it round and round his head. The king shouted, ‘Out on thee! throw off the falcon!’ The abdal said, ‘O king, I have thrown it off, what am I to do?’ But he left not to swing the falcon round his head. The king shouted, ‘Out on thee! let the falcon go!’ And the abdal let go the leash; but the falcon’s eyes were darkened from its having been turned round, and it could not fly, and fell to the ground. And the king was angry and ill-pleased. Then the abdal said, ‘O king, wherefore art thou angry? thou saidest, “Throw off the falcon,” and I threw it off; then thou saidest, “Let it go,” and I let it go; this falcon knows not how to fly: what fault is mine?’ These words of the abdal were pleasant to the king and he fainted from laughing; and he perceived how no good comes from anything ignoble.[53]

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that no good comes from the ignoble man who follows not the path of his father and mother. Beware, O king, be not negligent in the affair of this youth, or in the end some hurt will befall thee from him; the rest thou knowest.” When the king heard this story from the lady he said, “On the morrow will I kill the youth.”

When it was morning the king came and sat upon his throne, and he caused the youth to be brought and commanded the executioner, “Smite off his head.”

Thus did the king, day after day, order the execution of his innocent son, being temporarily diverted from committing this crime by the stories and wise advice of the forty vezirs, only to be urged again at night to commit the crime by the false accusations of his baffled and revengeful wife.

The story of the fortieth vezir demonstrated how the crafty wife of a tailor played him false and then deceived him with a lying and plausible version of what had happened. After relating this story the fortieth vezir said:

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that tricks like to these and all manner of craftiness abound in women. Beware, slay not the prince on the woman’s word, or afterward thou shalt be repentant.” And he kissed the ground, and made intercession for the prince for that day. And the king granted it, and sent the youth to the prison, and went himself to the chase.

When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the repast the lady asked for news of the youth. The king said, “To-day, too, such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I sent him to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, be it known that not one of those vezirs is thy friend; God knows what pact they have with the youth. Mayhap the king has not heard what befel between the Sultan of Egypt and his vezirs.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

THE SULTAN AND HIS TRAITOROUS SON

“There was of old time in the city of Cairo a great sultan, and he had a youthful son. And that youth made a pact with the vezirs, saying, ‘If ye make me sultan, I will give you leave to do whatever ye may please.’ When they had agreed to this, he sowed enmity between the king and the vezirs and nobles; and each of them rose in revolt in a different quarter, and they took the youth for their chief, and waged war and did battle with the king. The king could not overcome them, and at length they made the youth king. They began to feast with the new king every day, and to accomplish their desires. And the king’s father saw that the purpose of the vezirs and the youth was evil, and he called a confidant, and one night they fled in disguise and entered a cave; and for seven days and seven nights the king went not forth from that cave. The new king heard of his father having fled, and he and the vezirs began to seek him and to send out criers, who proclaimed, ‘Whoso seizes my father and brings him to me, him will I honor.’ And the old king and his courtier went forth from the cave and came to a village, and were guests of an old woman in that village; and that old woman sowed seed. And she bestirred herself to entertain them, and brought them a mat, and they sat down. The king was hungry, and he pulled out a sequin and gave it to the old woman, and said, ‘Mother, go, fetch us food that we may eat.’ The woman said, ‘What will ye do with a sequin’s worth of food?’ The king replied, ‘No harm, fetch it.’ And the woman went and brought all manner of delicacies and set them before the king. And they sat down and ate. After the repast they began to talk with the woman; and the woman said, ‘What youths be ye?’ The king said, ‘We are of the servants of the fugitive king; we are seeking our master.’ The woman said, ‘I fear that ye too are followers of that unworthy youth, and would seize the king and take him.’ The king asked, ‘Does that unworthy youth seek his father?’ The woman replied, ‘Does he seek him? What means that? Those traitor vezirs and nobles every day cause criers to proclaim, “To him who seizes and brings that fugitive sultan we will give the lordship of whatever place he may wish; but of him who conceals him, or in whose house he is found, are the head and family gone.”’

“When the king heard these words from the woman his soul was troubled, and he said to her, ‘And are the nobles also submissive to the youth?’ The woman answered, ‘He has deposed many nobles, and appointed other nobles; these new nobles are all of them submissive to him.’ The king said, ‘Is there any of those old nobles whom thou knowest?’ The woman replied, ‘There is a vezir who was deposed by the fugitive sultan; I go about his house on business--I know him.’ As soon as the king heard this he turned and said to his confidant, ‘What sayest thou, shall I tell this woman that I am the sultan?’ The confidant replied, ‘Command is the king’s.’ The sultan turned and said to the woman, ‘O mother, I have a secret; if I tell it thee, canst thou keep it?’ The woman said, ‘I will give my head, but I will not give your secret,’ The king made the woman swear, and then said, ‘O mother, dost thou know me who I am?’ She answered, ‘Nay,’ Then the king said, ‘Lo, I am the fugitive sultan; be it not that this word escape thy mouth,’ When the woman heard this the blood went from her face, and she fell at the king’s feet. The king said, ‘Hast thou son or daughter?’ She replied, ‘I have a son,’ The king said, ‘If God most high seat me on my throne, I will give thy son whatever lordship he please,’ The woman bowed down and fell at the king’s feet. Then the king said to her, ‘Go now to the house of that vezir, and call him to a private place and salute him from me, and say, “The king is now seated in my house and wants thee, be it not that thou flinchest and comest not.”’

“When it was evening the woman went to the vezir’s house, and took the vezir to a private place, and gave him the king’s greeting, and told him all and how that he was sitting in her house. The vezir was glad, and he said, ‘Do thou now be off, I too will come now;’ and he sent her away. The woman came and told these things to the king. After a little he saw the vezir in the dress of an Arab, and he came and fell at the king’s feet and mourned and wept. The king said, ‘O vezir, I wronged thee and took thy wealth and deposed thee; ah! the past is past, the gone is gone. Befriend me as much as in thee lies, and if God most high raise me to my throne, I know the honor I will do thee.’ The vezir said, ‘O king, if thou tookest my wealth, it was thine own wealth; if thou didst depose me, I was thy slave and had done wrong; thou didst well. Now this is the way, that thou follow my words and lay aside kingship till our plan be accomplished; if afterward thou art wroth with me, then command; now let us work.’ The king said, ‘Do what thou wilt; now is not the time for words.’ The vezir said, ‘O king, arise and take my lamp in thine hand, and go on through the desert before thee till thou comest to my house; if anyone see thee he will think thee my man and recognize thee not.’ The king took the vezir’s lamp in his hand, and they went on and passed through the bazaars of Cairo, and came to the vezir’s house; and the vezir prepared a private room for the king.

“The king remained there some days, and the vezir secretly sent word to all the great nobles who had been deposed, and assembled them. And one night he brought them to the king and reconciled them, and said, ‘On the morrow be ye ready and show zeal each one of you for his estate.’ That night they gathered together all the disbanded soldiers who were there; and when it was morning they beat the kettledrums on every side, and ere those traitor nobles and vezirs had arisen they put many of them to the sword; and they seized the king’s son and all the rest of his vezirs, and brought them before the king. And the king executed the whole of them, slaying each of them with a different torment. Thenceforth he sat upon his throne with tranquillity of heart, and enjoyed happiness and delight.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that vezirs are not to be altogether trusted; and be thou ready, for these vezirs purpose evil against the king, and the like of this story shall befall thee. I have watched for my king and told him. And I know of a surety that they have made a pact if left till the morrow to seat the youth upon the throne, and to seize thee and to give thee into the youth’s hands. God knows what will happen to ill-fortuned me. Woe is me!” And she wept full bitterly. When the king heard this story from the lady, and beheld this plight, he believed the lady’s words, and held them to be true; and fear for his life fell upon the king. He said: “O lady, weep not; on the morrow will I seize the whole of the vezirs, and, after I have put the youth to death, I will give to each of them, one by one, his due.” When the lady heard these words from the king she was glad, and said, “O king, when thou hast slain the whole of them, appoint nobles vezirs in their stead, and then lean thy back against the wall of retirement, and give thyself up to mirth and merriment: till thou hast done thus thou shalt not be at ease.” And the king consented to this proposal, and they passed that night till the morning conversing.