HISTORY OF THE FORTY VEZIRS (continued 2)

“One day, after the vezir had been imprisoned for a certain time, his heart longed for a conserve of pomegranate pips, and he ordered the jailer, saying, ‘Make me ready a conserve and bring it, for my heart doth greatly desire it.’ Now the king had forbidden that dish, and the jailer was afraid and made it not. And the vezir’s desire increased and he begged it of all who came to him, but no one made it and brought it through fear of the king. Brief, the vezir lay for a year in prison and longed for that dish, but no one found means to bring him it. One day the jailer made shift to cook that dish and bring it to the vezir. As soon as the vezir saw it he was glad; and they put it before him, but ere he had stretched out his hand to it, two mice, that were struggling with each other above, fell into the dish, and the food became unclean.

“Thereupon the vezir said, ‘It is good;’ and he arose and commanded his servants, saying, ‘Go, furnish the mansion, put that wealth you hid back into its proper place; my king is about to take me from prison and make me vezir.’ Then his retainers went and did as he had commanded. Hereupon came a man from the king who took the vezir from the prison and brought him before the king. Then said the king to comfort the vezir’s heart, ‘I put thee in prison seemingly to afflict thee; but really that thou mightest know, from experiencing imprisonment, speedily to intercede for the men whom I cast into jail.’ Quoth the vezir, ‘Nearness to a sultan is a burning fire: whatsoever conduct be observed toward me by the king is pleasant teaching.’ The king was pleased and commanded that they bring a robe of honor, and he put it on him and made him again vezir.

“Then when the vezir was come to his mansion his retainers and others asked him, saying, ‘Whence knewest thou of the king’s being about to imprison thee and seize thy wealth, and whence knewest thou of his being about to take thee out and make thee vezir?’ The vezir replied, ‘While in the bath my ring fell into the water and sank not, so I knew that my fortune had reached its perfection, and that what follows every perfection is declension, therefore did I so command; and for a whole year, while I was in prison, I longed for a dish of pomegranate pips, at length I got it, and mice polluted it so that I could not eat it, so I knew that my misfortune was complete and that my former estate was returned. And I was glad.’

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may likewise know that every perfection has its declension. Until now the prince and the vezirs were safe and esteemed before the king. Now he knows not in what malefic sign our stars may be imprisoned. A woman has rendered us despicable before the king and has bound him about with craft and wiles, so that these many learned and sagacious vezirs are impotent against her incitements; even as it is clear that when a fool throws a stone down a well a wise man is powerless to get it up again. O king, haste not in this affair; too late repentance profits not; for the prince is like a young bird that can neither fly nor flee, grant him a few days’ respite, haply this difficulty may be solved; and there is a reason for his not speaking. He is ever as a prisoner in thy hand; afterward, if thou will, kill him; if thou will, free him.” And he kissed the ground and begged for the prince. When the king heard this story from the vezir the fire that was in his heart was increased ten-fold and the tears poured from his eyes; and he sent the prince to the prison and mounted for the chase with his own cares.

When the king returned he entered 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.” Quoth the lady, “O king, I have given thee this much counsel, and it has produced no effect upon thee. It is as though a physician treated a sick man, and the treatment was without result, and that physician was powerless and attempted no other treatment, but left off; for if he treated that sick man again, he would kill him. Now, I too am powerless to speak to thee. I should say, ‘I will speak no more nor waste my breath in vain;’ still my heart pities thee, for the king’s realm and life will be destroyed. My head, too, will fall; for that I am in the same peril with the king do I speak. It is even as once when they cut off a person’s hand and he uttered no sound; afterward he saw someone whose hand had been cut off, and he wailed aloud and wept. Those who were present wondered and asked, saying, ‘O man, when thy hand was cut off thou didst not weep; why weepest thou now?’ That person answered, ‘By God, then, when they cut off my hand, I saw that there was not among you one who had met the like, and I said in myself that if I wept each of you would speak ill of me, for ye knew not the pain of it; now that I have found a companion in my plight do I weep, for he knows the anguish I have suffered,’ Now, O king, thy head and my head are like to fall; if the king know not my plight, who should know it? Mayhap my king has not heard the story of the three princes and the cadi.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

The Three Princes and the Cadi

“In the palace of the world there was a king and he had three sons. One day this king laid his head on the pillow of death and called those sons to his side, and spake privately with them. He said, ‘In such and such a corner of the palace I have hidden a vase full of pearls and jewels and diverse gems; when I am dead do ye wash me well and bury me, then go and take that vase from its place and divide its contents.’ The king lay for three days, and on the fourth day he drained the wine of death and set forth for the abiding home. When the princes had buried their father according to his injunctions, they came together and went and beheld that in the place of those jewels the winds blew. Now the princes began to dispute, and they said, ‘Our father told this to us three in private, this trick has been played by one of us.’ And the three of them went to the cadi, and told their complaint. The cadi listened and then said to them, ‘Come, I will tell you a story, and after that I will settle your dispute.

“‘Once, in a certain city, a youth and a girl loved each other, and that girl was betrothed to another youth. When the lover was alone with that girl he said, “O my life, now thou comest to me and I am happy with thee; to-morrow when thou art the bride of thy betrothed, how will be my plight?” The girl said, “My master, do not grieve; that night when I am bride, until I have come to thee and seen thee, I will not give the bridegroom his desire.” And they made a pact to that end. Brief, when the bridal night arrived, the girl and the youth went apart; and when all the people were dispersed and the place was clear of others, the girl told the bridegroom of the pact between her and the stricken lover, and besought leave to fulfil it. Whenever the bridegroom heard these words from the bride he said, “Go, fulfil thy plight and come again in safety.” So the bride went forth, but while on the road she met a robber. The robber looked at her attentively, and saw that she was a beautiful girl like the moon of fourteen nights; never in his life had he seen such a girl, and upon her was endless gold, and she was covered with diverse jewels such as cannot be described. Thereupon the bridle of choice slipped from the robber’s hands; and as the hungry wolf springs upon the sheep, so did the robber spring upon that girl. Straightway the girl began to sigh, and the robber felt pity and questioned her.

“‘So the bride related to the robber her story from its beginning to its end, whereupon the robber exclaimed, “That is no common generosity! nor shall I do any hurt or evil thing to her.” Then said he to the girl, “Come, I will take thee to thy lover.” And he took her and led to her lover’s door and said, “Now go in and be with thy lover.” Then the girl knocked at the door, and that youth, who lay sighing, heard the knocking and went with haste and said, “Who is that?” The girl answered, “Open the door; lo, I have kept my plight, nor have I broken it, I am come to thee.” The youth opened the door and came to the girl and said, “O my life, my mistress, welcome, and fair welcome! how hast thou done it?” She replied, “The folk assembled and gave me to the bridegroom, then all dispersed and each went his way. And I explained my case to the bridegroom and he gave me leave. While on the road I met a robber, and that robber wished to stretch forth his hand to me, but I wept and told him of my plight with thee, and he had pity and brought me to the door and left me, and has gone away.”

“‘When the youth heard these things from the girl he said, “Since the bridegroom is thus generous, and has given thee leave to fulfil thy plight with me, and sent thee to me, there were no generosity in me did I stretch forth my hand to thee and deal treacherously; from this day be thou my sister; go, return to thy husband.” And he sent her off. When the girl went out she saw that robber standing by the door; and he walked in front of her, and conducted her to the bridegroom’s door. And the girl went in, and the robber departed to his own affairs. While the bridegroom was marvelling the bride entered, and the bridegroom leaped up and took the bride’s hands in his, and they sat upon the bed. And the bridegroom turned and asked her news of the bride; and she told all her adventures from their beginning to their end.’ Then quoth the cadi, ‘O my sons, which of those showed manliness and generosity in this matter?’ The eldest youth said, ‘The bridegroom, who, while she was his lawful bride, and when he had spent thus much upon her, gave the girl leave. What excellent generosity did he display!’ The middle youth said, ‘The generosity was that lover’s, who, while there was so much love between them, had patience and sent her back. What excellent generosity: can there be greater than this!’ Then asked he of the youngest boy, ‘O you, what say you!’ Quoth he, ‘O ye, what say ye? when one hunting in the night met thus fair a beauty, a torment of the world, a fresh rose; above all, laden with these many jewels, and yet coveted her not but took her to her place. What excellent patience, what excellent generosity!’ When the cadi heard these words of the youngest boy he said, ‘O prince, the jewels are with thee; for the lover praised the lover; and the trustful, the trustful; and the robber, the robber.’ The prince was unable to deny it, and he took the jewels from his breast and laid them before the cadi.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that in that I am true I would aid my king; and that the vezirs, in that they are traitors, would aid the traitor prince. And they are forty men, each one of them a wonder of the world, while as for me, I am but one and a woman, lacking in understanding: the rest the king knows.” When the king heard these enticing and beguiling words of the lady he said, “Grieve not, to-morrow will I kill him.”

When it was morning the king sat upon his throne and thus commanded the executioner, “Smite off the head of that traitor youth.” Whereupon the ninth vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world, beware, slay not thy son on the woman’s word, and be not heedless of the import of this verse which God most high hath spoken in his Word: ‘And the stiflers of wrath, and the pardoners of men; and God loveth the beneficent:’[25] that is they are his peculiar servants. And the holy Apostle (peace on him!) hath said, ‘Whoso bridleth his anger, he having power to avenge—God will call him on the resurrection day over the heads of the creatures that he may give him to choose from the houris which he pleaseth:’ that is he shall surely enter Paradise. Let one pardon him who has wronged him and forgive his servants their misdeeds, that God most high may pardon him and be beneficent to him; even as saith the Apostle (peace on him!) ‘The proclaimer shall proclaim on the resurrection day:—Where are they whose reward is (incumbent) upon God; none shall rise save him who hath forgiven.’ Mayhap the king has not heard the story of Hārūn-er-Reshīd[26] and the slave girl.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

The Caliph and the Slave Girl

“Once the Caliph Hārūn-er-Reshīd sat upon his throne of estate; and the people of the city of Bagdad were late in coming to salute him. Therefore was the caliph exceeding wroth, and he thus commanded the chamberlains, ‘Whoso comes now do ye turn off and cast into prison.’ And they seized and cast into prison all of the grandees of the city who came. For three days the caliph went not out, neither spake with anyone; but sat full of fury: who could have dared to address a word to him?

“While in this state he desired to eat, and he ordered one of the slave girls to bring food. She brought it before him, but while laying down the dish, she was careless and spilt some part of it over the caliph. Forthwith the caliph rose in wrath and was about to hew the girl in pieces, when she said, ‘O caliph, God most high saith in his glorious Word, “And the stiflers of wrath.”‘[27] Straightway the caliph’s wrath was calmed. Again saith the slave girl, ’“And the pardoners of men.”‘[27] Quoth the caliph, ‘I have forgiven the crimes of all the criminals who may be in prison.’ Again said the slave girl, ’“And God loveth the beneficent.”‘[27] Quoth the caliph, ‘God be witness that I have with my own wealth freed thee and as many unfreed male and female slaves as I have, and that this day I have for the love of God given the half of all my wealth to the poor in alms.’ After that he let bring into his presence all the prisoners who were in the jail and begged absolution of them; and as he had attained to the import of that noble verse, he put on each of them a robe of honor, and devoted himself to justice and equity. And now whoso mentions him doth add, ‘The mercy of God on him!’[28]

“O king, I have told this story for that I have seen this day that thy wrath was great. I would that thou pardon the prince and grant him his life and so do a meritorious deed; and in this matter, beyond doubt and beyond uncertainty, thou shalt become deserving of the mercy and paradise of God most high.” And he kissed the ground and begged for the prince. When the king heard this story from the vezir he sent the youth to the prison and mounted for the chase.

That day he found no game and returned in wrath to the palace. Again the lady rose to greet him and they sat down. After the repast the lady began to speak of the youth. The king said, “Look, my mistress, now all is over, and my prince is still upon thy tongue; to-day too one of my vezirs begged for him and I sent him to the prison.” The lady saw that the king was vexed and said, “My king, be kind, be not vexed with me; for I know that soon no good will befall thee from that youth, for he is very covetous of wealth and kingship, and the covetous is ever balked. I saw him without understanding and without discretion; he knows neither his words nor himself; he is even as the sons of that king who took the metaphorical words of their father as literal, and at length lost what wealth was in their hands. Mayhap my king has not heard that story.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

The Foolish Princes

“There was in the palace of the world a great king, and he had three sons. One day that king laid his head upon the pillow of death and called his sons before him and said, ‘O my sons, my life has reached its end; I have counsel to give you, which when I am dead do ye observe.’ His sons replied, ‘On our heads be it; speak, father.’ To his eldest son he said, ‘Build thou a house in every city.’ And to his middle son, ‘Marry thou every night.’ And to his youngest son, ‘Whenever thou eatest, eat honey and butter.’ The king lived not long after giving these injunctions, but died. The eldest son fell to building a house in every city; the middle son married a wife every night, and on the morrow gave her her dower and sent her to her father’s house; and the youngest son, whenever he ate, mixed honey and butter and ate it. A long time passed on this wise; we may say that though the middle and the youngest sons spent money, they at least had pleasure for it; but that bewildered and senseless eldest son spent this much money, and if the buildings he raised were fit for habitation, still they pointed to folly.

“One day a wise man asked them, ‘Why do ye thus?’ The princes answered, ‘By God, our father thus enjoined us.’ The wise man said, ‘Your father’s injunctions were not thus, but ye have not understood his riddles. And there is a tale suitable to this your plight, I will tell it you; afterward I will teach you your father’s riddles.’ The princes said, ‘Pray do so.’ Quoth the wise man, ‘Once there was a king who always exacted tribute from the infidels. One day those infidels assembled their monks and said, “Let us find some trick which the king will be unable to understand, that thereby we may escape from this tribute: now do ye each think of some plan.” Thereupon they dispersed and went away. After a time a monk came to the infidel who was their chief and said, “I shall go to them and put to them a question, and if they can answer it we will give them tribute.”

“‘So the unbelieving king gave that monk a little money and sent him. One day he entered the realms of Islam, and the event was reported to the king, who said, “Our learned men of the faith will surely answer an infidel without the faith; let him come.” They brought him into the presence of the king; and the king straightway assembled his doctors and pious men and grandees. Then the king said, “O monk, now what is thy question; speak, let us see?” The monk first opened the five fingers of his hand and held the palm opposite the folk, then he let the five fingers droop downward, and said, “What means that? know ye?” And all the doctors were silent and began to ponder, and they reflected, saying, “What riddles can these riddles be? There is no such thing in the Commentaries or the Traditions.”

“‘Now there was there a learned wanderer, and forthwith he came forward and asked leave of the king that he might answer. The king gladly gave leave; then that wanderer came forward and said to the monk, “What is thy question? what need for the doctors? poor I can answer.” Then the monk came forward and opened his hand and held it so before the dervish; straightway the dervish closed his fist and held it opposite the monk. Then the monk let his five fingers droop downward; the dervish opened his fist and held his five fingers upward.

“‘When the monk saw these signs of the dervish, he said, “That is the answer,” and gave up the money he had brought. But the king knew not what these riddles meant, and he took the dervish apart and asked him. The dervish replied, “When he opened his fingers and held his hand so to me, it meant ‘now I strike thee so on the face;’ so I showed him my fist, which meant, ‘I strike thy throat with my fist;’ he turned and let his fingers droop downward, which meant, ‘thou dost so, then I strike lower and seize thy throat with my hand;’ and my raising my fingers upward meant, ‘if thou seekest to seize my throat, I too shall grasp thy throat from underneath;’ so we fought with one another by signs.” Then the king called the monk and said, “Thou madest signs with the dervish, but what meant those signs?” The monk replied, “I held my five fingers opposite him, that meant, ‘the five times ye do worship, is it right?’ The dervish presented his fist, which meant, ‘it is right,’ Then I held my fingers downward, which meant, ‘why does the rain come down from heaven?’ The dervish held his fingers upward, which meant, ‘the rain falls down from heaven that the grass may spring up from the earth.’ Now such are the answers to those questions in our books.” Then he returned to his country.

“‘And the king knew that the dervish had not understood the monk’s riddles; but the king was well pleased for that he had done what was suitable; and he bestowed on the dervish a portion of the money which the monk had left. O princes, ye have not understood your father’s riddles and ye have wasted your wealth in vain.’ The princes said, ‘What meant our father’s riddles?’ He replied, ‘Firstly, when he said, “Build thou a house in every city,” he meant, “gain thou a friend in every city, so that when thou goest to a city the house of the friend thou hast gained may be thine.” Secondly, when he said, “Embrace thou a virgin whenever thou embracest,” he meant, “be moderate in thy pleasures that thou mayst enjoy them the more.” Thirdly, when he said, “Whenever thou eatest, eat honey and butter,” he meant, “never when thou eatest, eat to repletion; but eat so that if it be but dry bread thou eatest, it will be to thee as honey and butter.”’ When the princes heard the words of the wise dervish they knew that their father’s signs to them were so, and not that which they had done; and they left off doing those things.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that with youths is no discretion, but in them ignorance and heedlessness abound. Though thou through understanding have compassion on him, yet will he have none on thee; it will be even as when one day Saint Bāyezīid of Bestām[29] saw a mangy dog, and through pity took it and laid it in a place and tended it many days till it became well, whereon it bit his foot. Bāyezīd said, ‘O dog, this is the return for the kindness I did thee—that thou bitest me.’ God most high gave speech to that dog, and it said, ‘O Bāyezīd, is not the proverb well known, “A man acts as a man; a dog, as a dog”?’ Methinks, O king, that in that youth must be an evil vein: for if kindness be to kindness, never so long as he lived could that unworthy one have cast on me an envious glance; above all, never could he have sought to slay my king, his father, the source of his being. I, where am I? Take warning.” And she incited the king with very many evil words, so that he was afraid and said, “Grieve not, to-morrow will I slay him.” And that night was grievous to the king.

Scarce was it morning and had the sun shown forth the riddle of the whiteness of dawn, like as that dervish showed to the king’s sons the riddles of their father, and illumined the world with light, ere the king sat upon his throne and caused the youth to be brought and ordered the executioner, “Smite off his head.” Then the tenth vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world, every king desires that whithersoever he go he may triumph and conquer; and that the earth be subject to his hand; and that whoso comes to his gate hoping, may find that which he seeks; and that the heart of none be vexed. When in the country of a king despairing hearts are many, that host of despairing hearts gathers together and utterly destroys another gay host. Thus it becomes the greatness and glory of kings, that when they see a beast under a heavy load they have compassion on that beast; even as it was when an ass came, dragging itself along, to the chain of the justice of Nūshīrvān the Just.[30]

“Straightway the king caused it to be brought into his presence, and he saw it to be a lean and worn black ass, whose back was broken with bearing loads. When the king saw that animal in such plight his heart bled, and he laid his hand on the beast’s face and wept full bitterly and said, ‘See ye how this poor creature has been oppressed in my kingdom?’ And he called for a physician and said to him, ‘Go, tend the wounds of this beast, and give it abundance to eat, and wrap round it a good horse-cloth that it be at ease.’ Now, it is incumbent on kings that they have compassion on the unhappy and the weak, and pity them, and believe not plotters and liars, nor trust their evil wicked words; and such folk are very many. Mayhap my king has not heard the story of the king’s son of Egypt and the crafty woman.” The king said, “Relate it, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

Story of the Egyptian Prince

“In the city of Cairo there was a king and he had two sons. One day he reflected on the doings of the cruel sphere and saw how the world was without constancy and remained not to king nor yet to beggar, but trod all under foot. At length he bethought him how it would not endure for himself either; and he took his younger son and made him apprentice to a master tailor, and said, ‘After all, a trade is needful for a man; and they have said that the least knowledge of a trade is better than a hundred thousand sequins.’ So in a short while the prince became a tailor such that there was not in the city of Cairo one who could ply his scissors and needle. One day the king passed to the abiding home, and his elder son became king. His brother the tailor, fearing for his head, fled and went to the Ka’ba.[31]

“While making the circumambulation,[32] his foot struck against something hard, he looked and saw a girdle and took it up and bound it round his loins, and continued the circumambulation. After a while he saw a khoja who had a stone in either hand and who was beating his breast with these stones and crying, ‘Ah woe! alas! I had hidden in that girdle all the wealth I have gained from my youth; whatever Moslem has found it, let him give it me for the love of God and the honor of the Ka’ba, and the half of it shall be lawful for him as his mother’s milk.’

“When the prince saw and heard him he knew that that girdle was his, and he said in his heart, ‘What has this much wealth and the kingdom of my father done for me? and what should this do for me? I shall not let this poor man weep; I shall give it him.’ And he went round and came before the khoja and said, ‘O khoja, I have found that girdle of thine; lo, it is round my loins.’ The khoja clung fast to the prince, and the prince said, ‘What reward wilt thou give me? lo, the girdle is round my loins.’ Then the khoja took the prince and brought him to his own tent; and the prince loosed the girdle from his loins and laid it before the khoja, and the khoja took it and clasped it to his heart. Then he brake the seal and poured out what was in it; and the prince saw it to be full of precious stones.

“The khoja divided these stones into three heaps and said, ‘O youth, wilt thou take one heap with my good-will, or two without it?’ The prince replied, ‘Give me one heap with thy good-will.’ Then the khoja divided one of those heaps into two and said, ‘Which of them wilt thou take with my good-will?’ Again the prince made choice of a heap. At length the khoja said, ‘Youth, wouldest thou have these remaining jewels, or wouldest thou that we go and that I pray for thee under the Golden Spout?’[33] The prince answered, ‘Wealth perishes, but prayers endure; do thou bless me, I have relinquished all these riches.’ And they went, and he held up his hands and said to the prince, ‘Say thou, “Amen.”’ So the youth raised up his hands and the khoja began to pray. He repeated many prayers in himself, and the prince said, ‘Amen.’ The khoja drew his hands down his face and said, ‘O youth, I have prayed much for thee; now go, and may thy end be good.’

“The prince went away; but after a little he thought in himself, ‘If I go now to Cairo my brother will kill me, let me go along with this khoja to Bagdad.’ So he went back to the khoja and said, ‘O khoja, I would go with thee to Bagdad; take me that I may serve thee on the road.’ So the khoja took him; and the prince was in the khoja’s service, and they entered Bagdad and lighted at the khoja’s dwelling. For some days the prince abode there, then he said to the khoja, ‘I may not stay here thus idling; I have a trade, I am a master tailor, if thou hast any tailor friend, pray take me to him that he may give me some work to do.’

“Now the khoja had a tailor friend, and he straightway took the prince and brought him to the shop of that tailor and commended him to him, and the tailor consented. Then the prince sat down and his master cut out cloth for a robe and gave it him; now the prince had checkmated the Cairo tailors, where then were those of Bagdad? The prince sewed that robe and returned it, and the master took it and looked at it and saw that it was a beautiful robe, made so that in all his life he had not seen the like of it, and he said, ‘A thousand times well-done, youth.’ This news spread among the masters, and they all came to that shop and saw it and admired; and this prince became very famous in that country. The work in that master’s shop was now increased tenfold, and customers in like measure. One day that khoja had a quarrel with his wife, and in the greatness of his heat the words of the triple divorce passed his lips.

“Then he repented and would have got back his wife, and his wife also was willing. They sought a legal decision, but the muftī said, ‘It may not be without an intermediary.’[34] The khoja bethought him whom he could get for intermediary when the prince came into his mind, and he said in himself, ‘That stranger youth is he; I shall make him intermediary.’ So he married the woman to the prince. When it was evening he took him and put him into a dark house with the lady; but the lady made shift to light a candle, and as soon as she saw the prince she fell in love with him with all her heart. And the prince as soon as he saw her fell in love with her with all his heart. Then these two moons came together, and, after making merry, the lady showed the prince sumptuous stuffs, and countless gold, and precious stones, such as the tale and number of them cannot be written, and she said, ‘O my life, all this wealth is mine, it is my inheritance from my mother and my father, and all the wealth too that that khoja has is mine; if thou will not dismiss me to-morrow, but accept me as thy legal wife, all this wealth is thine.’

“The prince consented to this proposal, and the woman said, ‘O youth, when the khoja comes to-morrow he will say, “Come, let us go to the cadi;” say thou, “Why should we go to the cadi?” If he say, “Divorce the woman,” do thou reply, “By God, it were shame in us to take a wife and then divorce her.” And he will be unable to find any answer thereto.’ The prince was glad and accepted the lady’s advice. When it was morning the khoja came and knocked at the door, and the prince went forth and kissed the khoja’s hand. The khoja said, ‘Come, let us go to the cadi;’ the prince answered, ‘Why should we go to the cadi?’ Quoth the khoja, ‘Divorce the woman.’ The prince replied, ‘By God, it were mighty shame in us to divorce the woman; I will not divorce her.’ The khoja exclaimed, ‘Ah youth, what word is that? I trusted thee, thinking thee an upright youth, why speakest thou thus?’

“The prince answered, ‘Is not this which I have said the commandment of God and the word of the Apostle?’ The khoja looked and saw that there was no help; he wished to go to the cadi, but the folk said to him, ‘Khoja, now that woman is his, she is pleased with him and he is pleased with her, they cannot be divorced by force.’ The khoja was filled with grief and said, ‘He shall not be questioned concerning what he doth;’[35] and he ceased from trying.

“He fell ill from his rage and became bedridden; then he called the prince and said to him, ‘Hast thou any knowledge of what I prayed for thee under the Golden Spout?’ The prince replied, ‘I know naught of it.’ The khoja said, ‘Although I would have prayed otherwise, this came upon my tongue: “My God, apportion to this youth my wealth, my sustenance, and my wife.” O youth, would I had not taken from thee yon girdle! O youth, my wife was my existence, now that too is become thine. Now let these sitting here be witnesses that when I am dead all that I possess belongs to thee.’ Three days afterward he died; he perished through grief for that scheming woman; and the prince became possessor of his wealth.

“O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that fidelity comes not from women, and that their love is not to be trusted. When they cannot help it, they are obedient to their husbands, and, fearing the rod of the law, they wrap their feet in their skirts and sit quiet, otherwise they would ruin the world with craft and trickery. Now, O king, act not on the woman’s word.” From seven places he performed the salutation due to kings, and begged for the prince’s life. The king heard this story from the vezir, and that day, too, he sent his son 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 brought about an opportunity, and began upon the youth. The king said, “To-day such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him, and I have sent him to the prison.” Quoth the lady, “These vezirs are all of them traitors to thee, and they are schemers and plotters. Each of them says words concerning me which if he heard, no true man would bear; a man’s wife is equal with his life. All the people marvel at thee, and say thou hast no sense of honor. But these vezirs have bewitched thee. Thy lies, too, are many; every night thou sayest, ‘I will kill this youth;’ then thou killest him not, and falsifiest thy words. O king, through truth is one acceptable both to God and man. O king, no good will come from a youth like this; it were better such a son did not remain after thee than that he did remain. Mayhap my king has not heard the story of a certain merchant.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

The Merchant’s Bequest

“There was of old time a great merchant, and he had two sons. One day the merchant laid his head on the pillow of death, and he called his sons before him, and brought together some wise persons, and said, ‘Moslems, if it please God most high, these boys will live for many years; reckon at the rate of a hundred years from to-day, and allow to each of them a daily grant of a thousand aspres, and whatever the sum may amount to, that sum will I give them, that after me they may stand in need of no one till they die, but pass their lives in ease in this transient world.’ Then they reckoned up, and he gave them much money; and a few days afterward he passed to the abiding home.

“The sons buried their father, and then began to waste that money. Their father’s friends gave them much advice, but they would not accept it. One of them would enter the shop of a confectioner and buy up all the sweetmeats that were therein, and load porters with them, and take them to the square of the city, and cry out, ‘This is spoil!’ and the folk would scramble for them, and he would laugh. And his business was ever thus. The other youth would buy wine and meat, and enter a ship with some flattering buffoons, and eat and drink and make merry; and when he was drunk he would mix up gold and silver coins before him, and throw them by handfuls into the sea, and their flashing into the water pleased him, and he would laugh. And his business likewise was ever thus. By reason of these follies, the wealth of both of them came to an end in little time, in such wise that they were penniless, so that they sat by the way and begged.

“At length the merchants, their father’s friends, came together, and went to the king and said, ‘The sons of such and such a merchant are fallen a prey to a plight like this; if they be not disgraced now, to-morrow will our sons also act like them. Do thou now put them to death, for the love of God, that they may be an example, and that others may not act as they.’ Then the king commanded that they bring them both into his presence, and the king said to them, ‘O unhappy ones, what plight is this plight in which ye are? Where is the headsman?’ And he ordered them to be killed. They said, ‘O king, be not wroth at our having fallen into this plight, and kill us not; our father is the cause of our being thus, for he commended us not to God most high, but commended us to money; and the end of the child who is commended to money is thus.’ Their words seemed good to the king, and he said, ‘By God, had ye not answered thus, I had cleft ye in twain.’ And then he bestowed on each of them a village.

“Now, O king, I have related this story for that among youths there is nor shame nor honor, neither is there zeal for friend or foe. Beware and beware, be not negligent, ere the youth kill thee do thou kill him, else thou shalt perish.” When the king heard this story from the lady he said, “On the morrow will I kill him.”

When it was morning, and the darkness of night, like the wealth of that merchant, was scattered, the king sat upon his throne and commanded the executioner, saying, “Smite off the youth’s head.” Then the eleventh vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world, hurry not in this affair, and whatsoever thou doest, do according to the command of God and the word of the Apostle; and the holy Apostle hath said that when the resurrection is near, knowledge will vanish and ignorance will increase and the spilling of blood will be oft. O king, leave not the Law, and spill not blood unjustly on thine own account, and pity the innocent; for they have said that whoso taketh a fallen one by the hand to raise him shall be happy; but whoso, having the power, raiseth him not shall himself burn in the fire of regret. Mayhap the king has not heard the story of a certain king and a vezir’s son.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

The King and the Vezir’s Son

“Of old time there was a king, and that king had a sage vezir. God most high had given that vezir a son; and the people of the world were bewildered at the beauty of that boy. And the king loved him so that he could not endure to be a moment without seeing him, and he never parted from him. So his parents yearned for the boy, but what avail? they had needs have patience through fear of the king. One day, the king while drunk entered the palace and saw this boy playing with another page, and thereupon was he wroth and he commanded the executioner, ‘Smite off the head of this degenerate boy.’ And they dragged the boy out. Thereupon word was sent to the vezir, and he came straightway, and crying, ‘My life! my son!’ went up to the headsman and said, ‘O headsman, now is the king drunk and senseless and he knows not the words he says; if thou kill the boy to-night, to-morrow the king will not spare thee; but will kill thee likewise.’ The headsman said, ‘How should we do? he said to me, “Quick, smite off his head and bring it.”’

“The vezir answered, ‘Go to the prison and smite off the head of some man meriting death, and bring it; at this time the king has not his senses and will believe it.’ And he gave the headsman much gold. The headsman took the sequins and was glad, and went forthwith to the prison and smote off the head of a robber and brought it to the king. The king was pleased and gave the headsman a robe of honor. And the vezir took the boy and brought him to his own house and hid him there. When it was morning and the king’s senses returned, he asked for the boy, and they said, ‘This night thou didst command the executioner that he smote off the boy’s head.’ As soon as the king heard this he fell senseless and his understanding forsook him. After a while his understanding returned and he sat beating his knees and he fell a-weeping. Then the vezir, feigning not to know, came before the king and said, ‘O king, what plight is this?’ Quoth the king, ‘O vezir, where is that source of my life? where is that spring of my soul?’ The vezir said, ‘O king, whom meanest thou?’ The king replied, ‘Thy son, who was the joy of my heart.’ And he cried and wept beyond control, and the vezir rent his collar and wailed and lamented.

“For two months the one business of the king was sighing and crying; during the nights he would not sleep till dawn for weeping, and he would say, ‘My God, shall I never behold his face? mayhap I shall behold it at the resurrection. To me henceforth life is not beseeming.’ Mad words like these would he utter. And he ceased from eating and drinking, and retired from the throne and sought a private house and wept ever, and it wanted little but he died. When the vezir saw this, he one day decked out the boy like a flower and took him and went to the private place where the king dwelt. He left the boy at the door and went in himself and saw that the king had bowed his head in adoration and was praying to God and weeping and thus saying, ‘My God, henceforth is life unlawful for me, do thou in thy mercy take my soul;’ and he was lamenting, recalling the darling fashions of the boy.

“The vezir heard this wail of the king and said, ‘O king, how thou weepest! thou hast forsaken manhood, and art become a by-word in the world.’ The king replied, ‘Henceforth advice profits me not; lo, begone.’ Quoth the vezir, ‘O king, if God most high took pity on thee and brought the boy to life, wouldst thou forgive his fault? and what wouldst thou give to him who brought thee news thereof?’ The king said, ‘O would that it could be so! all the wealth that I have in my treasury would I give to him who brought me news thereof, and my kingdom would I give to the boy; and I should be content to look from time to time on the boy’s face.’ Then the vezir beckoned to the boy and he came in, and went and kissed the king’s hand. As soon as the king saw the boy his senses forsook him, and the vezir sprinkled rose-water on the king’s face and withdrew. When the king’s senses returned he saw the boy beside him and he thought that his soul had gone and returned.

“When it was morning the vezir came before the king, and the king said, ‘As thou hast brought the boy to me whole, go, all that is in my treasury is thine.’ The vezir answered, ‘O king of the world, rather is the wealth which is in my treasury thine; we are both of us the meanest of the king’s slaves. May God (glorified and exalted be he!) grant fortune to our king and long life! We too shall live in thy felicity.’ The king was glad at the words of the vezir, and bestowed many towns and villages on the son of the vezir, and offered up many sacrifices, and gave away much alms.

“O king, I have told this story for that the king may take profit and not do a deed without reflection, that he be not afterward repentant, like that king, and suffer not bitter regret and remorse. That king suffered so great regret and remorse for a vezir’s son, yet this one is the darling of thine own heart. The rest the king knows. Beware, O king, slay not the prince on the woman’s word.” And he kissed the ground and made intercession for the prince for that day. So the king 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 commenced 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, three things are the signs of folly; the first is to put off to-day’s business till to-morrow, the second is to speak words foolishly, and the third is to act upon senseless words. O king, whatsoever thy vezirs say, that thou believest straightway and actest upon. Satan is of a surety entered into these thy vezirs and into thy boy; in whose heart soever he plants the love of office or of wealth, him in the end does he leave without the faith. Mayhap the king has not heard the story of the King and the Weaver.” The king said, “Relate it, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

The King and the Weaver

“Of old time there was a great king. One day a man came before him and said, ‘My king, I shall weave a turban such that one born in wedlock will see it, while the bastard will see it not.’ The king marvelled and ordered that that weaver should weave that turban; and the weaver received an allowance from the king and tarried a long while. One day he folded up this side and that side of a paper and brought it and laid it before the king and said, ‘O king, I have woven that turban.’ So the king opened the paper and saw that there was nothing; and all the vezirs and nobles who stood there looked on the paper and saw nothing. Then the king said in his heart, ‘Dost thou see? I am then a bastard;’ and he was sad. And he thought, ‘Now, the remedy is this, that I say it is a goodly turban and admire it, else will I be put to shame before the folk.’ And he said ‘Blessed be God! O master, it is a goodly turban, I like it much.’

“Then that weaver youth said, ‘O king, let them bring a cap that I may wind the turban for the king.’ They brought a cap, and the weaver youth laid that paper before him and moved his hands as though he wound the turban, and he put it on the king’s head. All the nobles who were standing there said, ‘Blessed be it! O king, how fair, how beautiful a turban!’ and they applauded it much. Then the king rose and went with two vezirs into a private room and said, “O vezirs, I am then a bastard; I see not the turban.’ Quoth the vezirs, ‘O king, we too see it not,’ At length they knew of a surety that the turban had no existence, and that that weaver had thus played a trick for the sake of money.

“O king, thou too sayest, ‘On the morrow will I kill him; I will do this and I will do that;’ and yet there is nothing. O king, I had that dream this night, there is no doubt that it is as I have interpreted. O king, if the king’s life and throne go, who knows what they will do to hapless me?” And she began to weep. When the king saw the lady thus weeping his heart was pained and he said, “On the morrow I will indeed refuse the words of whichsoever of my vezirs makes intercession for him, and I will indeed kill the youth; for, according to the dream thou hast had, this is no light affair.”

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.” Whereupon the thirteenth vezir came forward and sought to make intercession, but the king was wroth and said, “Be silent, speak not.” Thereupon the vezir drew a paper from his breast and said, “For God’s sake read this paper, then thou wilt know.” Then the king looked at the paper and saw that there was written thereon, “O king, yesterday I looked at the astrolabe; for forty days is the prince’s ruling star in very evil aspect, such that the prince may even lose his head.” Then all the forty vezirs came forward at once and said, “O king, for the love of God and the honor of Muhammed Mustafa, for the forty days have patience and slay not the prince; thereafter it is certain that this affair will be made clear, and when its origin is known must each one receive his due.” Then said the vezir, “There is a story suitable to this; if the king grant leave I will tell it.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

The Vicissitudes of Life

“There was in the palace of the world a great king and he ruled over the Seven Climes. But he had neither son nor daughter, and he was ever offering sacrifices in the way of God. One day God most high accepted his sacrifice and bestowed on him from his bounty a fair son who was in his time a second Joseph. So the king was glad, and that day he held a high feast, and at that feast he gave robes of honor and money to many men. After that he assembled the astrologers and made them cast the prince’s horoscope; and the astrologers looked the one at the other and were bewildered and confounded. Then the king said, ‘What see ye that ye stand looking the one at the other?’ The astrologers replied, ‘O king of the world, we have cast the prince’s horoscope; and in the astrolabe and the Jāmesb-Nāma they thus rule, that from his thirtieth year to his sixtieth the prince’s ruling star is afflicted so that he shall wander in strange lands, with tribulation and pain for his companions: “None ... knoweth the unseen save God.”‘[36] After the king had heard these things from the astrologers, at times his heart would be sad and at times he would plunge into the ocean of deliberation. Saying, ‘God knows the end of the boy,’ he began to train up the prince. When the latter entered his seventh year he appointed him a teacher, and he passed some years in acquiring reading and writing. When he was become a young man his father got for him a king’s daughter; and after a time the prince had two sons. These children, too, in a little time acquired knowledge; and from time to time they would go out a-pleasuring with their father.

“One day the prince’s heart desired a sea-voyage, and he commanded that they prepare a ship, and with his children and forty slaves and attendants he entered the ship. For many days they sailed the sea full pleasantly. But there was there a Frankish corsair filled with infidels, and they encountered the prince’s ship and straightway flung their grappling-irons, and took captive the prince and his two sons and forty servants, and went off. They took the prince and the forty men and sold them to the cannibal negroes; but the two boys they sold not, but kept by them. The negroes fed up the prince and the men with delicate and delicious foods, and every day they took one of them to their king’s kitchen and cut his throat, and cooked him at the fire and ate him. When they had eaten the forty men, the prince’s turn came, him too they took and brought to the kitchen that they might cut his throat. The prince perceived that plight, and he entreated God in his heart to give him strength, and he burst the fetters that were round his wrists and, striking about with the chains that were in his hands, he slipped through them and rushed out.

“While he was running on, a vast forest appeared before him, he entered it, and although the negroes searched for him they could not find him. Then he came out thence and fared on many stages till one day he came to a great city. The people crying, ‘He is an enemy,’ rushed upon him. And the prince exclaimed, ‘O Lord, what tribulation is this!’ and fought with them. Word was brought to their king, and he came and saw that the prince was fighting like a dragon. When the king saw the prince’s valor he admired it, and said to his soldiers who were there, ‘Let no one attack the stranger.’ Then the soldiers dispersed, and the king took the prince and went to the palace. He prepared a suit of clothes, and sent him to the bath, and caused his head to be shaven and made him put on those clothes, and brought him back to the palace. The king said, ‘Come, remain by me, I have a daughter, I will give her thee.’ The prince consented; so they gave him the king’s daughter; and he remained there two years and his lot was right pleasant. One day the prince’s wife died; now this was their custom, they had a great deep pit, and if a man died they put his wife with him alive into that pit, and if a woman died they did the same with her husband; and they let down along with them a loaf of bread and a pitcher of water, and covered over the pit with a great stone.

“So they brought the prince and his wife with a loaf of bread and a pitcher of water to that pit, and, saying, ‘It is our custom,’ lowered both of them into the pit and placed that great stone over them. When the prince saw himself in such case he was bewildered and said, ‘My God! what plight is this!’ and he prayed to God. And he searched the inside of the pit carefully and saw a fair girl seated there, and he asked her, ‘What manner of girl art thou?’ She replied, ‘I am a young bride; they have put me into this pit with my husband.’ And the prince examined the pit, and saw it to be all full of the bodies of men, some of which were decayed and some of which were writhing in the agonies of death; and dread overcame the prince. Of a sudden, while he was seated, a rustling sound came from one part of the pit; the prince knew that it was some beast, and he arose and went with the girl straight to that place, and he found the passage through which that beast had come in. They went for a time through that passage, and at length came out on the skirt of a mountain on the bank of a great river. And they were glad thereat, and thanked God much.

“And there they found a boat, and they gathered fruit from that mountain and filled the boat, and they both entered the boat and went along with the current of the river. That river grew wider day by day; but it passed underneath a great mountain. When they came near to the tunnel under that mountain they could not govern the boat, and the water took the boat and bore it under the mountain. When the prince saw this he exclaimed, ‘My God! O Lord! what tribulation is this too! how shall we escape from this!’ Helpless they sat in the boat; now the water dashed the boat against the rocks, now it made it fly down precipices, and now the mountain became low and pushed the boat under the water; and they, never ceasing, emptied the water out of the boat. They knew not at all whither the boat was going, neither did they know whether it was night or day. For a long time they were a prey to that anguish; and scarce a spark of life remained in their bodies when, at length, after a hundred thousand perils, their boat came out from under the mountain on to the surface of the earth.

“They were glad, and they drew their boat to the shore and got out of it, and took fruits from the trees that were there, and ate them. While standing there they saw a great white vaulted building, the dome whereof was of crystal. The prince and the girl went up to it, and they saw that it was a great castle, and that the domed building was within the castle, and on the door of the castle was written, ‘O thou who wouldst open this door, O thou who desirest to overcome this talisman, bring a five-footed animal and kill it before here, that the bolts of this talisman may be opened thereby,’ The prince marvelled and said, ‘Is there in the world a five-footed animal?’ and he wondered. And they sat by the gate of the castle and lice tormented them, and they began to louse themselves. The prince killed a louse, and straightway the bolts of the castle fell, and they knew that the said five-footed animal was the louse. Then they both entered by a door, and they saw a garden, such that of every tree which is in the world there was therein; and ripe fruits were hanging there and running streams were flowing.

“And the prince felt a longing for those fruits and he went to pluck one of them that he might eat it, when he saw that those trees were of gold and their fruits of silver and jewels, and that precious stones were lying at the foot of the trees, scattered like pebbles in a brook. They passed through and came to that dome, it was fashioned of crystal, they entered by a silver door and saw that within that dome was another dome all of pure gold. It too they entered and saw yet another dome, all the walls and the top of which were of ruby, built after the fashion of paradise. They entered it and saw a throne upon which was a coffin made of jewels, and at the head of the coffin was a tablet whereon was written: ‘O son of Adam, who comest hither and seest me, know thou that I was a king, and that all the world was in my hands, and my wealth was beyond bounds or computation. Men and demons and fairies and jinn were my warriors; and I lived in the world for a thousand years, and I never said, “I shall die;” and I made not any preparation against death. One day, of a sudden, I fell sick, and I knew of a surety that I was about to die, and I commanded that this dome was built in three days, and I made it a sepulchre for myself. And by my head are two fountains; drink, and pray for me.’

“And the prince saw those two fountains and drank; and from one of them flowed sugared sherbet and from the other milk. And they drank of both of them and remained a long while by that grave, and they nourished themselves on the milk and drank of the sherbet. At length they found some vases, and they took of the milk and the sherbet and the jewels and the gold, and filled their boat with them, and again set forth on their voyage. After they had gone for a time the wind drove their boat upon an island, and they went forth from the boat to look for fruit on the mountain that they might eat. Of a sudden a body of men came and seized them; and the prince saw these that they had no heads, their mouths were in their breasts and their eyes in their shoulders, and their speech, when they spake together, was as the chirping of birds. And they took the two and brought them to their king; and they remained there prisoners a long time.

“At length one day they found an opportunity and escaped, and again they entered their boat and sailed for a long time upon the sea. Brief, the prince wandered for thirty years upon the seas, sometimes happening among nine-headed men, and sometimes among bird-headed, and sometimes falling among elephant-headed folk, and sometimes among ox-headed, and then escaping; and each of them inflicted different torments on the prince. Still God most high opened a way and he escaped. And he saw these strange and wondrous creatures, and he marvelled. At length, through the grace of God (glorified and exalted be he!), the wind drove the prince’s ship before a city, and he saw that the inhabitants of that country were all men, and he came out. When these saw the prince they cried, ‘He is a spy,’ and seized him and bound his arms behind his back, and tied a rope round his neck, and took him alongside a horse, and said, ‘Our lord has put down: when ships come from the sea and touch at our country, seize their spies and take them to our king.’ And the prince exclaimed, ‘What tribulation is this too! how to go alongside a horse!’ And while he was praying in his heart they reached the city. And they took the prince in this plight to their king.

“When the king saw the prince he asked, ‘What manner of man art thou?’ The prince said, ‘Many marvellous things have befallen me;’ and he related his adventures from their beginning to their end. When the king heard his story he loosed the prince’s bands and took him to his side and clad him in sumptuous robes of honor. The prince asked for the jewels that were in his ship. The king bade bring them and said, ‘O prince, I know thy kingdom, and I heard that the Franks had taken thee; and I know thy father too. Come, go not away, stay; I have a daughter, I will give her thee, and we shall live pleasantly together.’ The prince replied, ‘O king, when I was born of my mother, my father caused my horoscope to be cast, and the astrologers thus ruled, that my life was afflicted for thirty years; mayhap if I took the king’s daughter, some evil might befall the king’s daughter by reason of my affliction; I may not consent.’ Then the king brought the astrologers and made them cast the prince’s horoscope. The astrologers gave good news, saying, ‘Glad tidings be to thee, those thirty afflicted years are passed, now his ruling star has entered the sign of good fortune.’ The prince was exceeding glad and joyful.

“Thereupon the king commanded that they made ready a festival, and he gave his daughter to the prince, and he greatly honored and reverenced him. After some time the king died, and the prince became king in his stead. One day when he was seated on his throne they said, ‘O king, a Frank has come with much merchandise; if the king grant leave, he will bring his merchandise.’ The king replied, ‘There is leave, let him bring it.’ And the Frank brought his merchandise before the king. The king saw his two sons at the Frank’s side, then the blood of love boiled, and the affection of paternity yearned for them; and he asked that Frank, ‘Are these youths thine?’ The Frank answered, ‘They are my slaves.’ The king said, ‘I will buy them.’ And he took the youths to a place apart and said, ‘Where did this Frank get you?’ Then they related their adventures from their beginning to their end; and the king knew of a certainty that they were his own sons, and he pressed them to his heart and kissed each of them on the eyes, and said, ‘I am your father.’ Then the king arose; and they killed the Frank with a thousand torments.

“O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that haps such as this often befall princes. Their happy fortune passes into the sign of inauspiciousness, and they become a prey to a thousand tribulations and distresses, so that even gold turns into black earth in their hands, and all their friends become enemies to them. Afterward the malefic aspect gives place to prosperity and auspiciousness, then everyone is their friend. O king, this youth’s ruling star is likewise afflicted for a few days. Beware, O king, until the days of the malefic aspect be fulfilled, slay not the youth, else afterward thou wilt be repentant, and too late repentance profits not. The rest the king knows.” When the king heard this story from the vezir he asked for the youth’s governor, but he could not be found. So again 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 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 also such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I sent him to the prison.” And he related to the lady that story which the vezir had told. Then said the lady, “O king, the reason of these vezirs stirring up trouble is that they wish to sow enmity between thee and me. Beware, O king, go not by the words of these, but follow well my words, that thy present state and thy hereafter may be happy. When God most high decrees good between husband and wife he gives mildness and accord. And, moreover, O king, be it good news to thee, a week ago did I conceive by thee; till now I have not told thee, but now I have told thee and do thou believe it true.” And the king believed it. Then she continued, “O king, lo, these vezirs say that this youth’s star has fallen into a malefic aspect. His star became afflicted what time he made for thy life and thy kingdom and for me. God most high aided us and afflicted his star and brought down his head.” And the lady was glad and said, “Thy true son is he that is in my womb; that youth is without doubt base-born. Mayhap the king has not heard the story of him who had no sons.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

The King and the Sheykh

“There was in the palace of the world a great king, and he had neither son nor daughter. And there was in his country a sheykh whose prayers were answered. One day the king, while conversing with the sheykh, said, ‘O sheykh, God most high has given me no son; do thou strive in prayer that God most high give me a son.’ The sheykh replied, ‘Send an offering to the convent that the dervishes may eat, and we shall pray for thee; God most high is a gracious king, he will give thee a son.’ Now the king had a golden-ankleted fat ram that was valiant in fight; and he sent that ram to the sheykh’s convent with some loads of rice and honey and oil. That night the dervishes ate and were pleased; and the sheykh sent of that meat in an earthen bowl to the king, saying, ‘Let him desire a son and eat of the dervishes’ portion.’ Then the dervishes danced, after which they prayed and besought of God a son for the king. By the divine decree the king’s wife conceived that night, and in a short time she brought forth a moon-faced boy.

“The king was delighted, and called the people of the country to the feast; and he took the prince and laid him on the sheykh’s skirt, and he bestowed many gifts on the sheykh’s convent. One day, some time after that, when the king was conversing with the sheykh, he said, ‘O sheykh, what if thou were to pray and beseech of God another son for me?’ The sheykh replied, ‘The favors of God are many; to pray is ours, to give is his; send then an offering to the dervishes.’ Now the king had a favorite plump horse, that sent he forthwith to the convent. The devotees cut its throat and roasted it, and again sent an earthen bowl of it to the king. They ate the rest themselves, and prayed and besought of God a son for the king. By the divine decree the lady again conceived, and in a short time she brought forth a moon-faced boy. And the king was delighted and sent many gifts to the dervishes. Some time afterward the king requested the sheykh to beg of God yet another son. The sheykh said, ‘To pray is ours, to give is God’s; send again an offering to the devotees.’ Now the king had a good mule, that sent he to the convent. The devotees sold that mule and took its price and therewith prepared a confection. And they sent a bowl of that too to the king. After the dance they prayed and besought of God a son for the king.

“Again the king’s wife conceived and gave birth to a moon-faced boy. And the king was glad and sent many gifts to the dervishes. When the king’s sons grew up, the eldest turned out very valiant; the second proved swift of foot and accomplished and possessed of understanding and sagacity; but the youngest was ill-omened and ill-natured, and oppressed men, and wounded and wasted the hearts of many poor creatures with the sword of his tongue. And the king was sore grieved because of him. One day while conversing with the sheykh he complained of his youngest son and said, ‘O sheykh, would that we had not besought of God that youngest boy.’ The sheykh replied, ‘O king, why art thou grieved? thou art thyself the cause of that youth being thus.’ The king asked, ‘How am I the cause?’ The sheykh answered, ‘First thou gavest in the cause of God a ram[37] among beasts, and God most high hath given thee a son of courage among men; then thou gavest in the cause of God a courser of the plain of earth among beasts, and God most high hath given thee a courser of the plain of glory and fortune and understanding and accomplishments among men; and after that thou gavest in the cause of God an ill-omened and base-born brute among beasts, and God hath given thee such an one among men. O king, he who sows barley reaps not wheat.’ In the end the king got no rest until he had killed the youth.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that from this ill-omened, base-born one no good will come. They have said that the base-born are of two classes; the one the fruit of adultery, the other the fruit of illicit union. This thy son is without doubt of one of these two sets; lo, thy true-born offspring is about to come into existence.” When the king heard these beguiling words of the lady he said, “On the morrow will I kill the youth, be not sad.”

When it was morning the king came and sat upon his throne and ordered the executioner that he bring the youth, and he said, “Smite off his head.” The fifteenth vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world, it is not seemly to kill the prince in compliance with the woman’s word, for the angels that are in heaven are not safe against woman’s wiles. Hast thou heard the story of the King’s Remorse?” The king said,

“Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

The King’s Remorse

“There was in the palace of the world a famous king and God most high had given him a son. After some time the son became afflicted with a heartburn, and he would ever complain of his heart. The king brought together all the physicians that were to be got, and they treated the boy’s ailment; but it was in vain, the physicians were powerless. As often as the boy said, ‘Father, my heart,’ the king would say, ‘Son, my heart aches more than thy heart;’ and the king was afflicted at his pain. At length the boy died. After the dismay, the king came up by the boy and said, ‘Cut him open that I may see what pain was in his heart.’ When they had cut open the boy the king saw that a bone had grown on the top of his heart. The king ordered that they took out that bone and then buried the boy; and the king caused that bone to be made into the handle of a knife.

“One day they placed a water-melon before the king; the king cut the melon with that knife and ate some of it, and he stuck the knife into the remains of the melon and left it. Then the king caused the chess things to be brought and he began to play; afterward he went to take up the knife when he saw that the part of the handle which had penetrated into the melon was melted and had vanished. As soon as the king saw this he exclaimed, ‘Dost thou see? the cure for my son’s sickness was water-melon; and I knew it not.’ And his heart was grieved thereat, and he began to weep, and said, ‘Son, it has gone from thy heart and come into my heart; would that thou hadst not come to earth!’ And at length that king died of anguish of soul.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst beware and slay not thy child on the woman’s word, lest thou too die of anguish of soul.” And he kissed the ground and made intercession for the prince. When the king heard this story from the vezir 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 the lady rose to greet him, and they passed on and sat down. After the repast the lady began to speak about the youth. The king said, “This day also 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 a dragon, until he be killed thou shalt not be safe from his malice; it is even as it was with a certain king who until he had killed his son could not escape from his pain; mayhap the king has not heard that story.” Then the king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:

Luqmān’s Device

“They have related that a great king was wroth with Luqmān,[38] and commanded that they lowered him into a pit and closed up the mouth of the pit with a great stone. By Luqmān the sage was a pill, of the bigness of a walnut, which he had made by his science. He ever smelled it, and his hunger was satisfied and his thirst was quenched; and for a long time he remained in that pit. The king who imprisoned him died, and his son became king in his stead. And sickness seized upon this king; and the physicians treated him, but he grew no better, and his trouble increased upon him. They were helpless and said, ‘O king, had Luqmān been alive he could have cured thy pain.’ Then said the king, ‘What manner of man was Luqmān?’ They replied, ‘Thy father was wroth with him and put him into the pit; by now his bones are rotten. But Luqmān was a man such that God most high hath mentioned him in the noble Koran; such a sage has never come to earth.’ The king said, ‘If it be so, open the pit, belike he has in some way saved himself.’

“They went and opened that pit and went down and saw him sitting there, and they came and told the king. The king said, ‘Quick, go bring him.’ They went to pull him out of the pit, when Luqmān said, ‘If the king wish me, wrap me in cotton and draw me out; and bring to me a leech every night.’ They did so, and after forty days he arose and came before the king, and he saw the king lying without strength. After praising and lauding him, he asked of the king’s trouble and felt his pulse, and said, ‘O king, thou hast a hard sickness.’ Then he asked, ‘Has the king a son?’ They replied, ‘He has.’ Luqmān said, ‘O king, until the throat of thy son be cut and his blood rubbed on thy body, this thy pain will not leave thee.’ The king answered, ‘O Luqmān, thou art thyself a great man; I will consent to my own death, but I will not consent to my son’s.’ Quoth Luqmān, ‘O king, I have told thee the cure; the rest thou knowest.’ And he arose and went away.

“After some days the king’s trouble increased, and he called Luqmān to his side and said, ‘O Luqmān, is there no other remedy?’ Luqmān answered, ‘O king, there is no cure save the cutting of thy son’s throat.’ The king’s soul came up to his throat through that trouble. Quoth Luqmān, ‘O king, when thou art well, sons will not be lacking thee.’ Then said the king, ‘Now get the boy and cut his throat in a distant place that mine eyes see it not.’ Luqmān said, ‘There is no good if it be done in another place, it is needful that it be done before thine eyes.’ Then they gave the boy into Luqmān’s hands. And Luqmān bound the boy’s hands and feet, and cunningly tied a bladder filled with blood round the boy’s throat, and laid him down before the king. Then he took a diamond knife in his hand and said, ‘O king, now look, see how I cut the prince’s throat.’

“When the king’s two eyes were fixed on the boy, he struck against the boy’s throat with the knife and the blood gushed out. When the king saw the blood on the boy’s throat he sighed; and when Luqmān saw him he thanked God. And straightway he raised the boy from the ground and kissed his two eyes; and Luqmān said, ‘O king, I could find no other way to turn off thy sickness than this trick.’ Then the king greatly applauded Luqmān and bestowed upon him much wealth.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that until the king have killed his son, he too will have no security from trouble.” When the king heard this story from the lady he was wroth and said, “To-morrow will I kill him.”

When it was morning the king went and sat upon his throne and he caused the youth to be brought and ordered the executioner, “Smite off his head.” The sixteenth vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world, it is not beseeming thy glory that thou castest to the waters the words of the vezirs; for men are either good or bad concerning the king, whatsoever they say, the king is informed thereof, and the king is given word of evil or hurt about to be, and all that goes on without is known to the king, that he may make preparation accordingly. It is even as in the tradition, ‘Speak to men according to their understanding.’ Mayhap my king has not heard the story of the dervish and the king.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:

The King and the Dervish

“There was in a palace of the world a king and his name was Aydin (light). One day a dervish came before him and spake pleasantly with fair discretion; and whatsoever they asked, he answered the whole of it, and his every word seemed good to the king. The king said, ‘O dervish, go not away, let us spend this evening together.’ The dervish blessed him and said, ‘On head and eye.’ Now it was then very cold. So the king took the dervish, and they went to the palace and sat down. The king ordered that they laid wood upon the fireplace and set light to it, whereupon the dervish repeated these verses—

“As these verses seemed right good to the king, he wrote them in his album; and he said to the dervish, ‘Tell some merry story.’ Quoth the dervish, ‘O king, once there was a king, and by him there was a devotee. One day they said to the king, “Yon devotee is a Rāfizī.”[39] The king, to try him, one day asked that devotee, “O devotee, lovest thou Saint Abu Bekr the True?” The devotee replied, “Nay.” He said, “Lovest thou Saint ‘Omar?” He answered, “Nay.” “Then lovest thou Saint ‘Othmān?” He answered, “Nay, nay.” “Then lovest thou Saint ‘Alī the Approved?” He answered, “Nay.” Thereupon the king’s difficulties from being one became two, and he thought and said in himself, “If this devotee were a Rāfizī, he would love Saint ‘Alī, though he loved not the other Noble Companions our Lords; if he were a Sunnī, he would love all of the Four Chosen Friends our Lords.” And he turned and said to the devotee, “Thou lovest none of the Glorious Companions, whom then lovest thou?”

“‘The devotee replied, “There is at the gate of the bazaar a loveling of the age; lo, that is whom I love.” The king was pleased with this jest of the devotee and gave him many gifts.’ And that dervish told stories such as this to the king, and he amused the king with many jests. That night they ate and drank, and when their converse was finished, drowsiness came upon the king, and he would have lain down, but the devotee was at ease and would not rise and go. The slaves thought to say to the devotee, ‘Arise and go,’ but they feared the king and were silent. The king too wished that the devotee might perceive by his discretion that he should arise; but where was that discretion? The king looked, but it was not.

“Then he called to his servants, ‘Strike the fagot that the glow (ishiq) may go out.’ The servants understood not and remained still. Thereupon the devotee said, ‘Why wait ye? Strike the log that the light (aydin) may spring up.’ Now the king’s name was Aydin (light) and the devotee’s name was Ishiq (glow).[40] The king said, ‘I sent thee off with a fagot, that is struck thee with a fagot, but thou didst strike me with a log.’ The devotee said, ‘My king, thou didst not strike me with a fagot, neither did I strike my king with a log; so do thou rest on the one side of the hearth and I shall rest on the other.’ And the king was pleased with these words of the devotee; and they lay down and rested.

“Now, O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that a certain freedom is usual with the accomplished. Now there are no learned men equal to these forty vezirs of my king, each one of whom utters these many good sayings and fair words; and indeed the good or bad of these has many a time been tried. And what is incumbent upon my king is this, that he listen not to the words of these inattentively nor cast them to the winds.” The king said, “This demand leaves me in bewilderment. Our Lord the Apostle of God hath said concerning women, that they are enemies to you, but that one of them is needful to each of you. And God most high hath said in his glorious Word, ‘Your wealth and your children are but a trial.’[41] Now I ask these affairs of this youth and he answers not at all; and so long as he will not speak, will my difficulty remain unsolved. Thus it seems to me that this youth has done this wantonness, and therefore cannot speak.”

When the vezir saw this much consideration on the part of the king he said, “My king, in everything the mysterious workings of God most high are many; let not my king regard the not speaking of the youth. One day will he speak indeed; yea, there is also in that noble verse concerning children, ‘And God: with him is great reward.’” And he kissed the ground and made intercession for the prince. And the king sent the youth to the prison and went himself to the chase. That day, when they were hunting, a deer rose, and the hounds pursued it, and all the attendants pushed their horses after that deer, and the king too pushed on. Each one went in a different direction, and the king was left alone. When it was evening there was with him no attendant nor anyone; the king looked and there was none, and he said, “There is in this some divine working.” And straightway he disguised himself and pushed on and came to a village and was guest in a shepherd’s house.

On the morrow he rose betimes, and while he was watching the sheep and lambs, he looked and saw a lamb that had lost its mother. Seeking about, it went up to a sheep, and that sheep butted at the lamb, and the lamb fell. It rose again and went to another sheep; and that sheep likewise butted at the lamb. The king asked this from the shepherd, “Why do these sheep butt at that lamb?” The shepherd said, “To-day this lamb’s mother died; these, being not its mother, receive it not.” Then the king sighed in his soul and said in his heart, “May God most high leave not a servant of his an orphan.”

Let us to our story: The attendants returned to the city, and each one turned his horse’s head straight to the palace. They arrived at the castle, and one of them called out and learned the circumstance (of the king’s absence) from the watchmen; so they went to look for news of the king. On the other hand the watchmen informed the grand vezir of the matter; and straightway the grand vezir commanded that all of those watchmen were secured in prison,[42] and he himself walked about the city till morning. He sent a vezir to the king’s attendants, saying, “Go tell the attendants that they publish not this affair, and do thou go with the whole of them to seek the king.” On her part, the lady looked and the time passed and the king came not, and she caused the grand vezir to be questioned; the vezir sent word to her, “This night there is a great council; our king will not go in.”

The vezir questioned the king’s attendants; and while they were going to the place where they had left the king, the king himself set out from the village where he was and came to the place where the attendants had dispersed. The attendants saw the king, and brought word to the vezir; so the vezir pushed on his horse and came up to the king. The king said in his heart, “These will have enthroned the prince and sent this vezir to me; now is he coming to give me the sherbet; O how the lady’s words were true!” The vezir saw from the king’s countenance that he was thinking thus, and he came up quickly to him, and kissed the ground before the king, and said, “My king, what plight is this plight? Is it beseeming to remain without at such a time? Above all, as the prince has been these many days imprisoned, everyone says that the king’s senses have well nigh left him.”

Thereupon the king said, “Have ye taken the prince from prison?” The vezir replied, “Nay, my king; the grand vezir secured in prison the watchmen who had learned of my king’s remaining out in the evening from the attendants who came to the gate; and he sent me and the attendants to seek my king.” The king’s mind was somewhat comforted, but his heart would not believe. Then the vezir perceived that the king’s heart was not at ease and he said to the king, “My king, thy grand vezir sent me hither in the evening; to learn the events of to-day are my eyes now on the road.” And he kissed the ground and was silent. The king said, “If we went on now it were too quick; but let an attendant go and inform the vezir of the affair.” They sent on an attendant; and that day, when it was evening, the king came to the palace and found everything in its proper place, and his heart was again at rest concerning his vezir.

After the repast he entered the harem. The lady had rubbed a dye upon her eyes and made them red, and she rose to greet the king as if weeping; and the king passed on and sat in his place. When coffee and sherbets had been drunk she asked of the haps of the night, and the king related the events to her. She said, “O king, the thing thou hast done might be in two ways; the one, of purpose, to distinguish between friend and foe; the other, by chance. In this instance thou hast passed the evening outside by chance, and thy heart is at ease for that thy vezirs have done no unseemly deed. But, my king, beware, trust not these vezirs; for they would make the youth king. Praise be to God! thou art well, but they still watch their opportunity; and this youth has no dread of thee, thou hast brought him up full insolent; that is not good. And they have said that if a person treat thee as a brother, do thou treat him as a master and deem him great. Kings are like fire; if thou be a lion, thou must be on thy guard against the fire, even as lions are on their guard against fire.