Now when it was the ninth day, the Wazirs met and said one to other,
“Verily, this youth baffleth us, for as often as the king is minded to
kill him, he beguileth him and bewitcheth him with a story; so what be
your rede we should do, that we may slay him and be at rest from him?”
Then they advised together and agreed that they should go to the king’s
wife.[220] So they betook themselves to her and said to her, “Thou art
careless of this affair wherein thou art and this uncare shall not
profit thee; whilst the king, occupied with eating and drinking and
diversion, forgetteth that the folk beat upon tambourines and sing of
thee and say, The wife of king loveth the youth; and as long as he
abideth alive the talk will increase and not diminish.” Quoth she, “By
Allah, ’twas ye egged me on against him, and what shall I do now?” and
quoth they, “Go thou in to the king and weep and say to him,—Verily, the
women come to me and inform me that I am dishonoured throughout the
city, and what is thine advantage in the sparing of this youth? An thou
wilt not slay him, slay me to the end that this talk may be cut off from
us.” So the woman arose and rending her raiment, went in to the king, in
the presence of the Wazirs, and cast herself upon him, saying, “O king,
is my shame not upon thee or fearest thou not shame? Indeed, this is not
of the fashion of kings that their jealousy over their women should be
such as this.[221] Thou art heedless and all the folk of the realm prate
of thee, men and women. Either slay him, that the talk may be cut off,
or slay me, if thy soul will not consent to his slaughter.” Thereupon
the king’s wrath waxed hot and he said to her, “I have no pleasure in
his continuance and needs must I slay him this very day. So return to
thy palace and solace thy heart.” Then he bade fetch the youth;
whereupon they brought him before him and the Wazirs said, “O base of
base, fie upon thee! Thy life-term is at hand and earth hungereth for
thy flesh, so it may make a meal of it.” But he said to them, “Death is
not in your word or in your envy; nay, it is a destiny written upon the
forehead: wherefore, if aught be writ upon my front, there is no help
but it come to pass, and neither striving nor thought-taking nor
precaution-seeking shall deliver me therefrom; even as happened to King
Ibrahim and his son.” Quoth the king, “Who was King Ibrahim and who was
his son?” and quoth the youth “Hear, O king,
_THE STORY OF KING IBRAHIM AND HIS SON_.”[222]
There was once a king of the kings, Sultan Ibrahim hight, to whom the
sovrans abased themselves and did obedience; but he had no son and was
straitened of breast because of that, fearing lest the kingship go forth
of his hand. He ceased not to long for a son and to buy slave-girls and
lie with them, till one of them conceived, whereat he rejoiced with
passing joy and gave great gifts and the largest largesse. When the
girl’s months were complete and the time of her lying-in drew near, the
king summoned the astrologers and they watched for the hour of
child-bearing and raised their astrolabes and carefully noted the time.
The hand-maid gave birth to a man-child, whereat the king rejoiced
exceedingly, and the people congratulated one another with this glad
news. Then the astrophils made their calculations and looked into his
nativity and his ascendant, whereupon their colour changed and they were
confounded. Quoth the king to them, “Acquaint me with his horoscope and
ye shall have assurance of pardon and have naught to fear.”[223] They
replied, “O king, this princely child’s nativity denoteth that, in the
seventh year of his age, there is fearful danger for him from a lion,
which shall attempt to rend him: and if he be saved from the lion, there
will betide a matter yet sorer and more grievous even than that.” Asked
the king, “What is it?” and they answered, “We will not speak, except
the king command us and give us assurance from fear.” Quoth the king,
“Allah assure you!” and quoth they, “An he be saved from the lion, the
king’s destruction shall be at his hand.” When the king heard this, his
complexion changed and his breast was straitened; but he said to
himself, “I will be watchful and do my endeavour and suffer not the lion
to eat him. It cannot be that he will kill me, and indeed ‘The
astrologers lied.’”[224] Then he caused rear him among the wet-nurses
and the noble matrons;[225] but withal he ceased not to ponder the
prediction of the astrophils and verily his life was troubled. So he
betook himself to the top of a high mountain and hollowed there a deep
excavation[226] and made in it many dwelling-places and rooms and filled
it with all that was needful of rations and raiment and what not else
and laid in it pipe-conduits of water from the mountain and lodged the
boy therein, with a nurse who should rear him. Moreover, at the first of
each month he used to go to the mountain and stand at the mouth of the
hollow and let down a rope he had with him and draw up the boy to him
and strain him to his bosom and kiss him and play with him awhile, after
which he would let him down again to his place and return; and he was
wont to count the days till the seven years should pass by. Now when
arrived the time of the Fate foreordered and the Fortune graven on the
forehead and there remained for the boy but ten days till the seven
years should be complete, there came to that mountain hunters chasing
wild beasts and, seeing a lion, they attacked him. He fled from them and
seeking refuge in the mountain, fell into the hollow in its midst. The
nurse saw him forthwith and escaped from him into one of the chambers;
upon which the lion made for the lad and seizing upon him, tare his
shoulder, after which he sought the room wherein was the nurse and
falling upon her, devoured her, whilst the boy lay in a swoon.
Meanwhile, when the huntsmen saw that the lion had fallen into the pit,
they came to the mouth and heard the shrieking of the boy and the woman;
and after awhile the cries died away, whereby they knew that the lion
had slain them. Presently, as they stood by the mouth of the excavation
behold, the lion came scrambling up the sides and would have issued
forth: but, as often as he showed his head, they pelted him with stones,
till they beat him down and he fell; whereupon one of the hunters
descended into the pit and despatched him and saw the boy wounded; after
which he went to the chamber, where he found the woman dead, and indeed
the lion had eaten his fill of her. Then he noted that which was therein
of clothes and what not else, and notifying his mates, fell to passing
the stuff up to them: lastly, he took up the boy and bringing him forth
of the pit, carried him to their dwelling-place, where they dressed his
wounds. He grew up with them, but acquainted them not with his affair;
and indeed, when they questioned him, he knew not what he should say,
because they let him down into the pit when he was a little one. The
hunters marvelled at his speech and loved him with exceeding love and
one of them took him to son and abode rearing him by his side and
training him in hunting and horse-riding, till he reached the age of
twelve and became a brave, going forth with the folk to the chase and to
the cutting of the way. Now it chanced one day that they sallied forth
to stop the road and fell in with a caravan during the night: but its
stout fellows were on their guard; so they joined battle with the
robbers and overcame them and slew them and the boy fell wounded and
tarried cast down in that place till the morrow, when he opened his eyes
and finding his comrades slain, lifted himself up and arose to walk the
road. Presently, there met him a man, a treasure-seeker, and asked him,
“Whither away, O lad?” So he told him what had betided him and the other
said, “Be of good heart, for that the tide of thy good fortune is come
and Allah bringeth thee joy and gladness. I am one who am in quest of a
hidden treasure, wherein is a mighty mickle of wealth. So come with me
that thou mayst help me, and I will give thee monies with which thou
shalt provide thyself all thy life long.” Then he carried the youth to
his dwelling and dressed his wounds, and he tarried with him some days
till he was rested; when the treasure-seeker took him and two beasts and
all that he needed, and they fared on till they came to a towering
highland. Here the man brought out a book and reading therein, dug in
the crest of the mountain five cubits deep, whereupon there appeared to
him a stone. He pulled it up and behold it was a trap-door covering the
mouth of a pit. So he waited till the foul air[227] was come forth from
the midst of the pit, when he bound a rope about the lad’s middle and
let him down bucket-wise to the bottom, and with him a lighted waxen
taper. The boy looked and beheld, at the upper end of the pit, wealth
abundant; so the treasure-seeker let down a rope and a basket and the
boy fell to filling and the man to drawing up, till the fellow had got
his sufficiency, when he loaded his beasts and ceased working, whilst
the boy looked for him to let down the rope and draw him up; but he
rolled a great stone to the mouth of the pit and went his ways. When the
boy saw what the treasure-seeker had done with him, he relied upon Allah
(extolled and exalted be He!) and abode perplexed concerning his case
and said, “How bitter be this death?” for indeed the world was darkened
on him and the pit was blinded to him. So he fell a-weeping and saying,
“I escaped the lion and the robbers and now is my death to be in this
pit, where I shall die by slow degrees.” And he abode perplexed and
looked for nothing but death. But as he stood pondering, behold, he
heard a sound of water rushing with a thunderous noise; so he arose and
walked in the pit, following the sound, till he came to a corner and
heard the mighty coursing of water. Then he laid his ear to the sound of
the current and hearing it rushing in great strength, said to himself,
“This is the flowing of a mighty watercourse and needs must I depart
life in this place, be it to-day or to-morrow; so I will throw myself
into the stream and not die a slow death in this pit.” Thereupon he
called up his courage and gathering up his skirts, cast himself into the
water, and it bore him along with force exceeding and carrying him under
the earth, stayed not till it brought him out into a deep Wady, adown
which ran a great river, that welled up from under the ground. When he
found himself on the face of earth, he abode dazed and aswoon all that
day; after which he came to himself and rising, fared on along that
valley; and he ceased not his wayfare, praising Almighty Allah the
while, till he came to an inhabited land and a great village in the
reign of the king his sire. So he entered and foregathered with the
villagers, who questioned him of his case; whereupon he told them his
tale, and they admired how Allah had delivered him from all those
dangers. Then he took up his abode with them and they loved him much. On
this wise happened it to him; but as regards the king, his father, when
he went to the pit, as was his wont, and called the nurse, she returned
him no answer, whereat his breast was straitened and he let down a man
who found the woman dead and the boy gone and acquainted therewith the
king, who when he heard this, buffeted his head and wept with sore
weeping and descended into the midst of the pit that he might see how
the case stood. There he espied the nurse slain and the lion dead, but
beheld not the boy; so he returned and acquainted the astrologers with
the soothfastness of their saying, and they replied, “O King, the lion
hath eaten him; destiny hath been wroughten upon him and thou art
delivered from his hand; for, had he been saved from the lion, we
indeed, by Allah, had feared for thee from him, because the king’s
destruction would have been at his hand.” So the king ceased to sorrow
for this and the days passed by and the affair was forgotten. Meanwhile
the boy grew up and abode with the people of the village, and when Allah
willed the accomplishing of His commandment, which no endeavour availeth
to avert, he went forth with a party of the villagers to cut the way.
The folk complained to King Ibrahim his father, who sallied out with a
company of his men and surrounded the highwaymen. Now that boy was with
them, and he drew forth an arrow and launched it at them, and it smote
the king and wounded him in a mortal place. So they carried him to his
palace, after they had laid hands upon the youth and his comrades and
brought them before the sovran, saying, “What biddest us to do with
them?” Quoth he, “I am presently in trouble for myself, so bring me the
astrologers.” Accordingly, they brought them before him and he said to
them, “Ye said to me Thy death shall be by slaying at the hand of thy
son: how, then, befalleth it that I have got my death-hurt by yonder
thieves?” The astrologers marvelled and said to him. “O king, ’tis not
beyond the lore of the stars, together with the doom of Allah, that he
who hath smitten thee should be thy son.” When King Ibrahim heard this,
he bade fetch the thieves and said to them, “Tell me truly, which of you
shot the shaft that wounded me.” Said they, “’Twas this youth that is
with us.” Whereupon the king fell to considering him and said, “O youth,
acquaint me with thy case and tell me who was thy father and thou shalt
have assurance of safety from Allah.” The youth replied, “O my lord, I
know no father; as for me, my father lodged me in a pit, with a nurse to
rear me, and one day, there fell in upon us a lion, which tare my
shoulder, then left me and occupied himself with the nurse and rent her
in pieces; and Allah vouchsafed me one who brought me forth the pit.”
Then he related to him all that had befallen him, first and last; which
when King Ibrahim heard, he cried out and said, “By Allah, this is my
son!” presently adding, “Bare thy shoulder.” So he uncovered it, and
behold, it was scarred. Then the king assembled his lords and lieges and
the astrologers and said to them, “Know that what Allah hath writ upon
the forehead, be it fair fortune or misfortune, none may efface, and all
that is decreed to a man must perforce befal him. Indeed, this my
care-taking and my endeavour profited me naught, for what weird Allah
decreed for my son, he hath dreed and whatso He decreed to me I have
endured. Nevertheless, I praise Allah and thank Him because this was at
my son’s hand, and not at the hand of another, and Alhamdolillah—laud to
the Lord—for that the kingship is come to my son!” And he strained the
youth to his bosom and embraced him and kissed him, saying “O my son,
this matter was after such fashion, and of my watchfulness over thee
from Fate, I lodged thee in that pit; but care-taking availed not.” Then
he took the crown of the kingship and set it on his son’s head and
caused the lieges and the people do homage to him and commended the
subjects to his care and enjoined to him justice and equity. And he
farewelled him that night and died and his son reigned in his
stead.[228] “On like wise, O king” (continued the young treasurer),
“’tis with thee. If Allah have written aught on my forehead, needs must
it befal me and my speech to the king shall not avail me; no, nor my
illustrating it to him with instances, against the doom of Allah. And so
it is with these Wazirs, for all their eagerness and endeavour for my
destruction, this shall not profit them; because, if Allah determine to
save me, He will give me the victory over them.” When the king heard
these words he became perplexed and said, “Return him to the prison till
the morrow, so we may look into his affair, for the day draweth to an
end and I mean to do him dead in foulest sort, and to-morrow we will
visit him with that which he meriteth.”
The Tenth Day.
OF THE APPOINTED TERM,[229] WHICH, IF IT BE ADVANCED, MAY NOT BE
DEFERRED, AND IF IT BE DEFERRED, MAY NOT BE ADVANCED.
When it was the tenth day (now this day was called Al-Mihrján[230] and
it was the day of the coming in of the folk, gentle and simple, to the
king, so they might give him joy and salute him and go forth), the
council of the Wazirs agreed that they should speak with a company of
the city notables. So they said to them, “When ye go in to-day to the
king and salute him, do ye say to him:—O king, (to the Lord be the
laud!) thou art praiseworthy of policy and procedure and just to all thy
subjects; but respecting this youth whom thou hast favoured and who
nevertheless hath reverted to his base origin and done this foul deed,
what is thy purpose in his continuance? Indeed, thou hast prisoned him
in thy palace, and every day thou hearest his palaver and thou knowest
not what the folk say.” And they answered, “Hearing is obeying.”
Accordingly, when they entered with the folk and had prostrated
themselves before the king and congratulated his majesty, he raised
their several degrees. Now it was the custom of the folk to salute and
go forth; but they took seat, and the king knew that they had a word
they would fain address to him: so he turned to them (the Wazirs being
also present) and said, “Ask your need.” Therefore they repeated to him
all that the Ministers had taught them and the Wazirs also spoke with
them; and Azadbakht said to them, “O folk, I would have it known to you
that there is no doubt with me concerning this your speech proceeding
from love and loyal counsel to me, and ye ken that, were I inclined to
kill half these folk, I could do them die and this would not be hard to
me; so how shall I not slay this youth and he in my power and in the
hending of my hand? Indeed, his crime is manifest and he hath incurred
death penalty; and I have deferred it only by reason of the greatness of
the offence; for, an I do this with him and my proof against him be
strengthened, my heart is healed and the heart of my whole folk; and if
I slay him not to-day, his slaying shall not escape me to-morrow.” Then
he bade fetch the youth who, when present between his hands, prostrated
to him and blessed him; whereupon quoth the king, “Woe to thee! How long
shall the folk upbraid me on thine account and blame me for delaying thy
death? Even the people of my city reproach me because of thee, so that I
am grown a prating-stock amongst them, and indeed they come in to me and
reproach me for not putting thee to death. How long shall I delay this?
Verily, this very day I mean to shed thy blood and rid the folk of thy
prattling.” The youth replied, “O king, an there have betided thee talk
because of me, by Allah, and again by Allah the Great, those who have
brought on thee this talk from the folk are none but these wicked
Wazirs, who chatter with the crowd and tell them foul tales and ill
things of the king’s house, but I hope in the Most High that He will
cause their malice to recoil upon their own heads. As for the king’s
menace of slaying me, I am in the grip of his hand; so let not the king
occupy his mind with my slaughter, because I am like the sparrow in the
grasp of the fowler; if he will, he cutteth his throat, and if he will,
he letteth him go. As for the delaying of my death, ’tis not from the
king, but from Him in whose hand is my life; for, by Allah, O king, an
the Almighty willed my slaughter, thou couldst not postpone it; no, not
for a single hour. And, indeed, man availeth not to fend off evil from
himself, even as it was with the son of King Sulayman Shah, whose
anxiety and carefulness for the winning of his wish in the matter of the
new-born child availed him naught, for his last hour was deferred how
many a time! and Allah saved him until he had accomplished his period
and had fulfilled his life-term.” Cried the king, “Fie upon thee, how
great is thy craft and thy talk! Tell me, what was their tale.” And the
youth said, “Hear, O king,
_THE STORY OF KING SULAYMAN SHAH AND HIS NIECE_.[231]”
There was once a king named Sulayman Sháh, who was goodly of policy
and rede, and he had a brother who died and left a daughter; so
Sulayman Shah reared her with the best of rearing and the girl
became a model of reason and perfection, nor was there in her time a
more beautiful than she. Now the king had two sons, one of whom he
had appointed in his mind to wed her, while the other purposed to
take her. The elder son’s name was Bahluwán[232] and that of the
younger Malik Sháh,[233] and the girl was called Sháh Khátún. Now
one day, King Sulayman Shah went in to his brother’s daughter and
kissing her head, said to her, “Thou art my daughter and dearer to
me than a child, for the love of thy late father who hath found
mercy; wherefore I purpose espousing thee to one of my sons and
appointing him my heir apparent, so he may be king after me. Look,
then, which thou wilt have of my sons,[234] for that thou hast been
reared with them and knowest them.” The maiden arose and kissing his
hand, said to him, “O my lord, I am thine hand-maid and thou art the
ruler over me; so whatever liketh thee do that same, inasmuch as thy
wish is higher and honourabler and holier than mine and if thou
wouldst have me serve thee as a hand-maid for the rest of my life,
’twere fairer to me than any mate.” The king commended her speech
and conferred on her a robe of honour and gave her magnificent
gifts; after which, his choice having fallen upon his younger son,
Malik Shah, he wedded her with him and made him his heir apparent
and bade the folk swear fealty to him. When this reached his brother
Bahluwan and he was ware that his younger brother had by favour been
preferred over him, his breast was straitened and the affair was
sore to him and envy entered into him and hate; but he hid this in
his heart, whilst fire raged therein because of the damsel and the
dominion. Meanwhile Shah Khatun went in bridal splendour to the
king’s son and conceived by him and bare a son, as he were the
illuming moon. When Bahluwan saw this betide his brother, envy and
jealousy overcame him; so he went in one night to his father’s
palace and coming to his brother’s chamber, saw the nurse sleeping
at the door, with the cradle before her and therein his brother’s
child asleep. Bahluwan stood by him and fell to looking upon his
face, whose radiance was as that of the moon, and Satan insinuated
himself into his heart, so that he bethought himself and said, “Why
be not this babe mine? Verily, I am worthier of him than my brother;
yea, and of the damsel and the dominion.” Then the idea got the
mastery of him and anger drave him, so that he took out a knife and
setting it to the child’s gullet, cut his throat and would have
severed his windpipe. So he left him for dead and entering his
brother’s chamber, saw him asleep, with the Princess by his side,
and thought to slay her, but said to himself, “I will leave the
girl-wife for myself.” Then he went up to his brother and cutting
his throat, parted head from body, after which he left him and went
away. But now the world was straitened upon him and his life was a
light matter to him and he sought the lodging of his sire Sulayman
Shah, that he might slay him also, but could not get admission to
him. So he went forth from the palace and hid himself in the city
till the morrow, when he repaired to one of his father’s fortalices
and therein fortified himself. On this wise it was with him; but as
regards the nurse, she presently awoke that she might give the child
suck, and seeing the cradle running with blood, cried out; whereupon
the sleepers started up and the king was aroused and making for the
place, found the child with his throat cut and the bed running over
with blood and his father dead with a slit weasand in his sleeping
chamber. They examined the child and found life in him and his
windpipe whole and they sewed up the place of the wound: then the
king sought his son Bahluwan, but found him not and saw that he had
fled; so he knew that it was he who had done this deed, and this was
grievous to the king and to the people of his realm and to the lady
Shah Khatun. Thereupon the king laid out his son Malik Shah and
buried him and made him a mighty funeral and they mourned with
passing sore mourning; after which he applied himself to rearing the
infant. As for Bahluwan, when he fled and fortified himself, his
power waxed amain and there remained for him but to make war upon
his father, who had cast his fondness upon the child and used to
rear him on his knees and supplicate Almighty Allah that he might
live, so he might commit the command to him. When he came to five
years of age, the king mounted him on horseback and the people of
the city rejoiced in him and prayed for him length of life, that he
might take vengeance for his father[235] and heal his grandsire’s
heart. Meanwhile, Bahluwan the rebel[236] addressed himself to pay
court to Cæsar, king of the Roum[237] and crave aid of him in
debelling his father, and he inclined unto him and gave him a
numerous army. His sire the king hearing of this sent to Cæsar,
saying, “O glorious king of might illustrious, succour not an evil
doer. This is my son and he hath done so and so and cut his
brother’s throat and that of his brother’s son in the cradle.” But
he told not the king of the Roum that the child had recovered and
was alive. When Cæsar heard the truth of the matter, it was grievous
to him as grievous could be, and he sent back to Sulayman Shah,
saying, “An it be thy wish, O king, I will cut off his head and send
it to thee.” But he made answer, saying, “I care naught for him:
soon and surely the reward of his deed and his crimes shall overtake
him, if not to-day, then to-morrow.” And from that date he continued
to exchange letters and presents with Cæsar. Now the king of the
Roum heard tell of the widowed Princess[238] and of the beauty and
loveliness wherewith she was endowed, wherefore his heart clave to
her and he sent to seek her in wedlock of Sulayman Shah, who could
not refuse him. So he arose and going in to Shah Khatun, said to
her, “O my daughter, the king of the Roum hath sent to me to seek
thee in marriage. What sayst thou?” She wept and replied, “O king,
how canst thou find it in thy heart to address me thus? As for me,
abideth there husband for me, after the son of my uncle?” Rejoined
the king, “O my daughter, ’tis indeed as thou sayest; but here let
us look to the issues of affairs. I must now take compt of death,
for that I am a man shot in years and fear not save for thee and for
thy little son; and indeed I have written to the king of the Roum
and others of the kings and said, His uncle slew him, and said not
that he hath recovered and is living, but concealed his affair. Now
the king of the Roum hath sent to demand thee in marriage, and this
is no thing to be refused and fain would we have our back
strengthened with him.”[239] And she was silent and spake not. So
King Sulayman Shah made answer to Cæsar with “Hearing and obeying.”
Then he arose and despatched her to him, and Cæsar went in to her
and found her passing the description wherewith they had described
her; wherefore he loved her every day more and more and preferred
her over all his women and his affection for Sulayman Shah was
increased; but Shah Khatun’s heart still clave to her child and she
could say naught. As for Sulayman Shah’s son, the rebel Bahluwan,
when he saw that Shah Khatun had married the king of the Roum, this
was grievous to him and he despaired of her. Meanwhile, his father
Sulayman Shah watched over the child and cherished him and named him
Malik Shah, after the name of his sire. When he reached the age of
ten, he made the folk do homage to him and appointed him his heir
apparent, and after some days, the old king’s time for paying the
debt of nature drew near and he died. Now a party of the troops had
banded themselves together for Bahluwan; so they sent to him, and
bringing him privily, went in to the little Malik Shah and seized
him and seated his uncle Bahluwan on the throne of kingship. Then
they proclaimed him king and did homage to him all, saying, “Verily,
we desire thee and deliver to thee the throne of kingship; but we
wish of thee that thou slay not thy brother’s son, because we are
still bounden by the oaths we sware to his sire and his grandsire
and the covenants we made with them.” So Bahluwan granted this to
them and imprisoned the boy in an underground dungeon and straitened
him. Presently, the grievous news reached his mother and this was to
her a fresh grief; but she could not speak and committed her affair
to Allah Almighty, for that she durst not name this to King Cæsar
her spouse, lest she should make her uncle King Sulayman Shah a
liar. But as regards Bahluwan the Rebel, he abode king in his
father’s place and his affairs prospered, while young Malik Shah lay
in the souterrain four full-told years, till his favour faded and
his charms changed. When He (extolled and exalted be He!) willed to
relieve him and to bring him forth of the prison, Bahluwan sat one
day with his chief Officers and the Lords of his land and discoursed
with them of the story of his sire, King Sulayman Shah and what was
in his heart. Now there were present certain Wazirs, men of worth,
and they said to him, “O king, verily Allah hath been bountiful to
thee and hath brought thee to thy wish, so that thou art become king
in thy father’s place and hast won whatso thou wishedst. But, as for
this youth, there is no guilt in him, because he, from the day of
his coming into the world, hath seen neither ease nor pleasure, and
indeed his favour is faded and his charms changed. What is his crime
that he should merit such pains and penalties? Indeed, others than
he were to blame, and hereto Allah hath given thee the victory over
them, and there is no fault in this poor lad.” Quoth Bahluwan,
“Verily, ’tis as ye say; but I fear his machinations and am not safe
from his mischief; haply the most part of the folk will incline unto
him.” They replied, “O king, what is this boy and what power hath
he? An thou fear him, send him to one of the frontiers.” And
Bahluwan said, “Ye speak sooth; so we will send him as captain of
war to reduce one of the outlying stations.” Now over against the
place in question was a host of enemies, hard of heart, and in this
he designed the slaughter of the youth: so he bade bring him forth
of the underground dungeon and caused him draw near to him and saw
his case. Then he robed him, whereat the folk rejoiced, and bound
for him the banners[240] and, giving him a mighty many, despatched
him to the quarter aforesaid, whither all who went or were slain or
were taken. Accordingly Malik Shah fared thither with his force and
when it was one of the days, behold, the enemy attacked them in the
night; whereupon some of his men fled and the rest the enemy
captured; and they seized Malik Shah also and cast him into a pit
with a company of his men. His fellows mourned over his beauty and
loveliness and there he abode a whole twelvemonth in evillest
plight. Now at the beginning of every year it was the enemy’s wont
to bring forth their prisoners and cast them down from the top of
the citadel to the bottom; so at the customed time they brought them
forth and cast them down, and Malik Shah with them. However, he fell
upon the other men and the ground touched him not, for his term was
God-guarded. But those who were cast down there were slain upon the
spot and their bodies ceased not to lie there till the wild beasts
ate them and the winds scattered their bones. Malik Shah abode
strown in his place and aswoon, all that day and that night, and
when he revived and found himself safe and sound, he thanked Allah
the Most High for his safety and rising, left the place. He gave not
over walking, unknowing whither he went and dieting upon the leaves
of the trees; and by day he hid himself where he might and fared on
at hazard all his night; and thus he did for some days, till he came
to a populous part and seeing folk there, accosted them. He
acquainted them with his case, giving them to know that he had been
prisoned in the fortress and that they had thrown him down, but
Almighty Allah had saved him and brought him off alive. The people
had ruth on him and gave him to eat and drink and he abode with them
several days; then he questioned them of the way that led to the
kingdom of his uncle Bahluwan, but told them not that he was his
father’s brother. So they showed him the road and he ceased not to
go barefoot, till he drew near his uncle’s capital, naked,
anhungered, and indeed his limbs were lean and his colour changed.
He sat down at the city gate, when behold, up came a company of King
Bahluwan’s chief officers, who were out a-hunting and wished to
water their horses. They lighted down to rest and the youth accosted
them, saying, “I would ask you of somewhat that ye may acquaint me
therewith.” Quoth they, “Ask what thou wilt;” and quoth he, “Is King
Bahluwan well?” They derided him and replied, “What a fool art thou,
O youth! Thou art a stranger and a beggar, and whence art thou that
thou should’st question concerning the king?”[241] Cried he, “In
very sooth, he is my uncle;” whereat they marvelled and said, “’Twas
one catch-question[242] and now ’tis become two.” Then said they to
him, “O youth, it is as if thou wert Jinn-mad. Whence comest thou to
claim kinship with the king? Indeed, we know not that he hath any
kith and kin save a nephew, a brother’s son, who was prisoned with
him, and he despatched him to wage war upon the infidels, so that
they slew him.” Said Malik Shah, “I am he and they slew me not, but
there befel me this and that.” They knew him forthwith and rising to
him, kissed his hands and rejoiced in him and said to him, “O our
lord, thou art indeed a king and the son of a king, and we desire
thee naught but good and we pray for thy continuance. Look how Allah
hath rescued thee from this wicked uncle, who sent thee to a place
whence none ever came off safe and sound, purposing not in this but
thy destruction; and indeed thou fellest upon death from which Allah
delivered thee. How, then, wilt thou return and cast thyself again
into thine foeman’s hand? By Allah, save thyself and return not to
him this second time. Haply thou shalt abide upon the face of the
earth till it please Almighty Allah to receive thee; but, an thou
fall again into his hand, he will not suffer thee to live a single
hour.” The Prince thanked them and said to them, “Allah reward you
with all weal, for indeed ye give me loyal counsel; but whither
would ye have me wend?” Quoth they, “To the land of the Roum, the
abiding-place of thy mother.” “But,” quoth he, “My grandfather
Sulayman Shah, when the king of the Roum wrote to him demanding my
mother in marriage, hid my affair and secreted my secret; and she
hath done the same, and I cannot make her a liar.” Rejoined they,
“Thou sayst sooth, but we desire thine advantage, and even wert thou
to take service with the folk, ’twere a means of thy continuance.”
Then each and every of them brought out to him money and gave him a
modicum and clad him and fed him and fared on with him the length of
a parasang, till they brought him far from the city, and letting him
know that he was safe, departed from him, whilst he journeyed till
he came forth of his uncle’s reign and entered the dominion of the
Roum. Then he made a village and taking up his abode therein,
applied himself to serving one there in caring and seeding and the
like. As for his mother, Shah Khatun, great was her longing for her
child and she thought of him ever and news of him was cut off from
her, so her life was troubled and she foresware sleep and could not
make mention of him before King Cæsar her spouse. Now she had a
Castrato who had come with her from the court of her uncle King
Sulayman Shah, and he was intelligent, quick-witted, right-reded. So
she took him apart one day and said to him, shedding tears the
while, “Thou hast been my Eunuch from my childhood to this day;
canst thou not therefore get me tidings of my son, seeing that I
cannot speak of his matter?” He replied, “O my lady, this is an
affair which thou hast concealed from the commencement, and were thy
son here, ’twould not be possible for thee to entertain him,
lest[243] thine honour be smirched with the king; for they would
never credit thee, since the news hath been bruited abroad that thy
son was slain by his uncle.” Quoth she, “The case is even as thou
sayst and thou speakest sooth; but, provided I know that my son is
alive, let him be in these parts pasturing sheep and let me not
sight him nor he sight me.” He asked, “How shall we manage in this
matter?” and she answered, “Here be my treasures and my wealth: take
all thou wilt and bring me my son or else tidings of him.” Then they
devised a device between them, which was that they should feign some
business in their own country, to wit that she had wealth there
buried from the time of her husband, Malik Shah, and that none knew
of it but this Eunuch who was with her, so it behoved him to go
fetch it. Accordingly she acquainted the king her husband with that
and sought his permit for the Eunuch to fare: and the king granted
him leave of absence for the journey and charged him devise a
device, lest he come to grief. The Castrato, therefore, disguised
himself in merchant’s habit and repairing to Bahluwan’s city, began
to make espial concerning the youth’s case; whereupon they told him
that he had been prisoned in a souterrain and that his uncle had
released him and despatched him to such a place, where they had
slain him. When the Eunuch heard this, the mishap was grievous to
him and his breast was straitened and he knew not what to do. It
chanced one day of the days that a certain of the horsemen, who had
fallen in with the young Malik Shah by the water and clad him and
given him spending-money, saw the Eunuch in the city, habited as a
merchant, and recognising him, questioned him of his case and of the
cause of his coming. Quoth he, “I came to sell merchandise;” and
quoth the horseman, “I will tell thee somewhat, an thou canst keep
it secret.” Answered the Neutral, “That I can! What is it?” and the
other said, “We met the king’s son Malik Shah, I and sundry of the
Arabs who were with me, and saw him by such a water and gave him
spending-money and sent him towards the land of the Roum, near his
mother, for that we feared for him lest his uncle Bahluwan slay
him.” Then he told him all that had passed between them, whereat the
Eunuch’s countenance changed and he said to the cavalier “Thou art
safe!” The knight replied, “Thou also art safe though thou come in
quest of him.” And the Eunuch rejoined, saying, “Truly, that is my
errand: there is no rest for his mother, lying down or rising up,
and she hath sent me to seek news of him.” Quoth the cavalier, “Go
in safety, for he is in a quarter of the land of the Roum, even as I
said to thee.” The Castrato thanked him and blessed him and
mounting, returned upon his road, following the trail, whilst the
knight rode with him to a certain highway, when he said to him,
“This is where we left him.” Then he took leave of him and returned
to his own city, whilst the Eunuch fared on along the road,
enquiring in every village he entered of the youth, by the
description which the rider had given him, and he ceased not thus to
do till he came to the village wherein was young Malik Shah. So he
entered, and dismounting, made enquiry after the Prince, but none
gave him news of him; whereat he abode perplexed concerning his
affair and made ready to depart. Accordingly he mounted his horse;
but, as he passed through the village, he saw a cow bound with a
rope and a youth asleep by her side, hending the halter in hand; so
he looked at him and passed on and heeded him not in his heart; but
presently he halted and said to himself, “An the youth whom I am
questing have become the like of this sleeping youth whom I passed
but now, how shall I know him? Alas, the length of my travail and
travel! How shall I go about in search of a somebody I know not, one
whom, if I saw him face to face I should not know?” So saying he
turned back, musing anent that sleeping youth, and coming to him, he
still sleeping, dismounted from his mare and sat down by his side.
He fixed his eyes upon his face and considered him awhile and said
in himself, “For aught I wot, this youth may be Malik Shah;” then he
began hemming and saying, “Harkye, O youth!” Whereupon the sleeper
awoke and sat up; and the Eunuch asked him, “Who be thy father in
this village and where be thy dwelling?” The youth sighed and
replied, “I am a stranger;” and quoth the Castrato, “From what land
art thou and who is thy sire?” Quoth the other, “I am from such a
land,” and the Eunuch ceased not to question him and he to answer
his queries, till he was certified of him and knew him. So he rose
and embraced him and kissed him and wept over his case: he also told
him that he was wandering about in search of him and informed him
that he was come privily from the king, his mother’s husband, and
that his mother would be satisfied to weet that he was alive and
well, though she saw him not. Then he re-entered the village and
buying the Prince a horse, mounted him and they ceased not going
till they came to the frontier of their own country, where there
fell robbers upon them by the way and took all that was with them
and pinioned them; after which they threw them into a pit hard by
the road and went their ways and left them to die there; and indeed
they had cast many folk into that pit and they had perished. The
Eunuch fell a weeping in the pit and the youth said to him, “What is
this weeping and what shall it profit here?” Quoth the Castrato, “I
weep not for fear of death, but of ruth for thee and the cursedness
of thy case and because of thy mother’s heart and for that which
thou hast suffered of horrors and that thy death should be this
ignoble death, after the endurance of all manner dire distresses.”
But the youth said, “That which hath betided me was writ to me and
that which is written none hath power to efface; and if my life-term
be advanced, none may defer it.”[244] Then the twain passed that
night and the following day and the next night and the next day in
the hollow, till they were weak with hunger and came nigh upon death
and could but groan feebly. Now it fortuned by the decree of
Almighty Allah and His destiny, that Cæsar, king of the Greeks, the
spouse of Malik Shah’s mother Shah Khatun, went forth a-hunting that
morning. He flushed a head of game, he and his company, and chased
it, till they came up with it by that pit, whereupon one of them
lighted down from his horse, to slaughter it, hard by the mouth of
the hollow. He heard a sound of low moaning from the sole of the
pit; whereat he arose and mounting his horse, waited till the troops
were assembled. Then he acquainted the king with this and he bade
one of his servants descend into the hollow: so the man climbed down
and brought out the youth and the Eunuch in fainting condition. They
cut their pinion-bonds and poured wine down their throats, till they
came to themselves, when the king looked at the Eunuch and
recognizing him, said, “Harkye, Such-an-one!” The Castrato replied,
“Yes, O my lord the king,” and prostrated himself to him; whereat
the king wondered with exceeding wonder and asked him, “How camest
thou to this place and what hath befallen thee?” The Eunuch
answered, “I went and took out the treasure and brought it thus far;
but the evil eye was behind me and I unknowing. So the thieves took
us alone here and seized the money and cast us into this pit that we
might die the slow death of hunger, even as they had done with
others; but Allah the Most High sent thee, in pity to us.” The king
marvelled, he and his, and praised the Lord for that he had come
thither; after which he turned to the Castrato and said to him,
“What is this youth thou hast with thee?” He replied, “O king, this
is the son of a nurse who belonged to us and we left him when he was
a little one. I saw him to-day and his mother said to me, ‘Take him
with thee:’ so this morning I brought him that he might be a servant
to the king, for that he is an adroit youth and a clever.” Then the
king fared on, he and his company, and with them the Eunuch and the
youth, who questioned his companion of Bahluwan and his dealing with
his subjects, and he replied, saying, “As thy head liveth, O my lord
the king, the folk are in sore annoy with him and not one of them
wisheth a sight of him, be they high or low.” When the king returned
to his palace, he went in to his wife Shah Khatun and said to her,
“I give thee the glad tidings of thine Eunuch’s return;” and he told
her what had betided and of the youth whom he had brought with him.
When she heard this, her wits fled and she would have screamed, but
her reason restrained her, and the king said to her, “What is this?
Art thou overcome with grief for the loss of the monies or for that
which hath befallen the Eunuch?” Said she, “Nay, as thy head liveth,
O king! but women are weaklings.” Then came the Castrato and going
in to her, told her all that had happened to him and also acquainted
her with her son’s case and with that which he had suffered of
distresses and how his uncle had exposed him to slaughter, and he
had been taken prisoner and they had cast him into the pit and
hurled him from the highmost of the citadel and how Allah had
delivered him from these perils, all of them; and whilst he
recounted to her all this, she wept. Then she asked him, “When the
king saw him and questioned thee of him, what was it thou saidst
him?” and he answered, “I said to him:—This is the son of a nurse
who belonged to us. We left him a little one and he grew up; so I
brought him, that he might be servant to the king.” Cried she, “Thou
didst well;” and she charged him to serve the Prince with faithful
service. As for the king, he redoubled in kindness to the Castrato
and appointed the youth a liberal allowance and he abode going in to
and coming out of the king’s house and standing in his service, and
every day he waxed better with him. As for Shah Khatun, she used to
station herself at watch for him at the windows and in the balconies
and gaze upon him, and she frying on coals of fire on his account;
yet could she not speak. In such condition she abode a long while
and indeed yearning for him was killing her; so she stood and
watched for him one day at the door of her chamber and straining him
to her bosom, bussed him on the breast and kissed him on either
cheek. At this moment, behold, out came the major-domo of the king’s
household and seeing her embracing the youth, started in amazement.
Then he asked to whom that chamber belonged and was answered, “To
Shah Khatun, wife of the king,” whereupon he turned back, quaking as
one smitten by a leven-bolt. The king saw him in a tremor and said
to him, “Out on thee! what is the matter?” Said he, “O King, what
matter can be more grievous than that which I see?” Asked the king,
“What seest thou?” and the officer answered, “I see that the youth,
who came with the Eunuch, was not brought with him save on account
of Shah Khatun; for I passed but now by her chamber door, and she
was standing, watching; and when the youth came up, she rose to him
and clipped him and kissed him on his cheek.” When the king heard
this, he bowed his head amazed, perplexed, and sinking into a seat,
clutched at his beard and shook it till he came nigh upon plucking
it out. Then he arose forthright and laid hands on the youth and
clapped him in jail he also took the Eunuch and cast them both into
a souterrain under his palace. After this he went in to Shah Khatun
and said to her, “Brava, by Allah, O daughter of nobles. O thou whom
kings sought to wed, for the purity of thy repute and the fairness
of the fame of thee! How seemly is thy semblance! Now may Allah
curse her whose inward contrarieth her outward, after the likeness
of thy base favour, whose exterior is handsome and its interior
fulsome, face fair and deeds foul! Verily, I mean to make of thee
and of yonder ne’er-do-well an example among the lieges, for that
thou sentest not thine Eunuch but of intent on his account, so that
he took him and brought him into my palace and thou hast
trampled[245] my head with him; and this is none other than
exceeding boldness; but thou shalt see what I will do with you all.”
So saying, he spat in her face and went out from her; whilst Shah
Khatun said nothing, well knowing that, an she spoke at that time,
he would not credit her speech: Then she humbled herself in
supplication to Allah Almighty and said, “O God the Great, Thou
knowest the things by secrecy ensealed and their outwards revealed
and their inwards concealed! If an advanced life-term be appointed
to me, let it not be deferred, and if a deferred one, let it not be
advanced!” On this wise she passed some days, whilst the king fell
into bewilderment and forsware meat and drink and sleep, and abode,
knowing not what he should do and saying to himself, “An I slay the
Eunuch and the youth, my soul will not be solaced, for they are not
to blame, seeing that she sent to fetch him, and my heart careth not
to kill them all three. But I will not be hasty in doing them die,
for that I fear repentance.” Then he left them, so he might look
into the affair. Now he had a nurse, a foster-mother, on whose knees
he had been reared, and she was a woman of understanding and
suspected him, yet dared not question him. So she went in to Shah
Khatun and finding her in yet sadder plight than he, asked her what
was to do; but she refused to answer. However, the nurse gave not
over coaxing and questioning her, till she swore her to concealment.
Accordingly, the old woman made oath that she would keep secret all
that she should say to her, whereupon the Queen to her related her
history, first and last, and told her that the youth was her son.
With this the old woman prostrated herself before her and said to
her, “This is a right easy matter.” But the Queen replied, “By
Allah, O my mother, I prefer my destruction and that of my son to
defending myself by a plea which they will not believe; for they
will say:—She pleadeth this only that she may fend off shame from
herself. And naught will profit me save long-suffering.” The old
woman was moved by her speech and her wisdom and said to her,
“Indeed, O my daughter, ’tis as thou sayest, and I hope in Allah
that He will show forth the truth. Have patience and I will
presently go in to the king and hear his words and machinate
somewhat in this matter, Inshallah!” Thereupon the ancient dame
arose and going into the king, found him with his head between his
knees in sore pain of sorrow. She sat down by him awhile and bespake
him with soft words and said to him,[246] “Indeed, O my son, thou
consumest my vitals, for that these many days thou hast not mounted
horse, and thou grievest and I know not what aileth thee.” He
replied, “O my mother, all is due to yonder accursed, of whom I
deemed so well and who hath done this and that.” Then he related to
her the whole story from beginning to end, and she cried to him,
“This thy chagrin is on account of a no-better-than-she-should-be!”
Quoth he, “I was but considering by what death I should slay them,
so the folk may take warning and repent.” And quoth she, “O my son,
’ware precipitance, for it gendereth repentance and the slaying of
them shall not escape thee. When thou art assured of this affair, do
whatso thou willest.” He rejoined, “O my mother, there needeth no
assurance anent him for whom she despatched her Eunuch and he
fetched him.” But she retorted, “There is a thing wherewith we will
make her confess,[247] and all that is in her heart shall be
discovered to thee.” Asked the king, “What is that?” and she
answered, “I will bring thee the heart of a hoopoe,[248] which, when
she sleepeth, do thou lay upon her bosom and question her of
everything thou wouldest know, and she will discover the same unto
thee and show forth the truth to thee.” The king rejoiced in this
and said to his nurse, “Hasten thou and let none know of thee.” So
she arose and going in to the Queen, said to her, “I have done thy
business and ’tis as follows. This night the king will come in to
thee and do thou seem asleep; and if he ask thee of aught, do thou
answer him, as if in thy sleep.” The Queen thanked her and the old
dame went away and fetching the bird’s heart, gave it to the king.
Hardly was the night come, when he went in to his wife and found her
lying back, a-slumbering; so he sat down by her side and laying the
hoopoe’s heart on her breast, waited awhile, so he might be assured
that she slept. Then said he to her, “Shah Khatun,[249] Shah Khatun,
is this my reward from thee?” Quoth she, “What offence have I
committed?” and quoth he, “What offence can be greater than this?
Thou sentest after yonder youth and broughtest him hither, on
account of the lust of thy heart, so thou mightest do with him that
for which thou lustedst.” Said she, “I know not carnal desire.
Verily, among thy pages are those who are comelier and seemlier than
he; yet have I never desired one of them.” He asked “Why, then,
didst thou lay hold of him and kiss him?” And she answered, “This
youth is my son and a piece of my liver; and of my longing and
affection for him, I could not contain myself, but sprang upon him
and kissed him.” When the king heard this, he was dazed and amazed
and said to her, “Hast thou a proof that this youth is thy son?
Indeed, I have a letter from thine uncle King Sulayman Shah,
informing me that his uncle Bahluwan cut his throat.” Said she “Yes,
he did indeed cut his throat, but severed not the windpipe; so my
uncle sewed up the wound and reared him, for that his life-term was
not come.” When the king heard this, he said, “This proof sufficeth
me,” and rising forthright in the night, bade bring the youth and
the Eunuch. Then he examined his stepson’s throat with a candle and
saw the scar where it had been cut from ear to ear, and indeed the
place had healed up and it was like a thread stretched out.
Thereupon the king fell down prostrate before Allah, who had
delivered the Prince from all these perils and from the distresses
he had suffered, and rejoiced with joy exceeding because he had
delayed and had not made haste to slay him, in which case mighty
sore repentance had betided him.[250] “As for the youth” continued
the young treasurer, “he was not saved but because his life-term was
deferred, and in like manner, O king, ’tis with me: I too have a
deferred term, which I shall attain, and a period which I shall
accomplish, and I trust in Almighty Allah that He will give me the
victory over these villain Wazirs.” When the youth had made an end
of his speech, the king said, “Restore him to the prison;” and when
they had done this, he turned to the Ministers and said to them,
“Yonder youth lengtheneth his tongue upon you, but I know your
tenderness for the weal of mine empire and your loyal counsel to me;
so be of good heart, for all that ye advise me I will do.” They
rejoiced when they heard these words, and each of them said his say.
Then quoth the king, “I have not deferred his slaughter but to the
intent that the talk might be prolonged and that words might abound,
yet shall he now be slain without let or stay, and I desire that
forthright ye set up for him a gibbet without the town and that the
crier cry among the folk bidding them assemble and take him and
carry him in procession to the gibbet, with the crier crying before
him and saying:—This is the reward of him whom the king delighted to
favour and who hath betrayed him!” The Wazirs rejoiced when they
heard this, and for their joy slept not that night; and they made
proclamation in the city and set up the gallows.
The Eleventh Day.