They relate that a certain king sat one day on the terrace-roof of his
palace, solacing himself with the view, and presently, his wandering
glances espied, on a house-top over against his palace, a woman seer
never saw her like. So he turned to those present and asked them, “To
whom belongeth yonder house?” when they answered, “To thy servant Fírúz,
and that is his spouse.” So he went down (and indeed passion had made
him drunken as with wine, and he was deeply in love of her), and calling
Firuz, said to him, “Take this letter and go with it to such a city and
bring me the reply.” Firuz took the letter and going to his house, laid
it under his head and passed that night; and when the morning morrowed,
he farewelled his wife and fared for that city, unknowing what his
sovran purposed against him. As for the king, he arose in haste after
the husband had set out and repairing to the house of Firuz in disguise,
knocked at the entrance. Quoth Firuz’s wife, “Who’s at the door?” and
quoth he, saying, “I am the king, thy husband’s master.” So she opened
and he entered and sat down, saying, “We are come to visit thee.” She
cried, “I seek refuge[294] from this visitation, for indeed I deem not
well of it;” but the king said, “O desire of hearts, I am thy husband’s
master and methinks thou knowest me not.” She replied, “Nay, I know
thee, O my lord and master, and I wot thy purpose and whatso thou
wantest and that thou art my husband’s lord. I understand what thou
wishest, and indeed the poet hath forestalled thee in his saying of the
verses referring to thy case:—
Now will I leave your water-way untrod; ✿ For many treading that same
way I see:
When fall the clustering flies upon the food, ✿ I raise my hand whate’er
my hunger be:
And lions eke avoid the water-way ✿ When dogs to lap at fountain-side
are free.
Then said she, “O king, comest thou to a watering-place whereat thy dog
hath drunk and wilt thou drink thereof?” The king was abashed at her and
at her words and fared forth from her but forgot his sandal in the
house. Such was his case; but as regards Firuz, when he went forth from
his house, he sought the letter, but found it not in pouch; so he
returned home. Now his return fell in with the king’s going forth and he
came upon the sandal in his house, whereat his wit was wildered and he
knew that the king had not sent him away save for a device of his own.
However, he kept silence and spake not a word, but, taking the letter,
went on his mission and accomplished it and returned to the king, who
gave him an hundred dinars. So Firuz betook himself to the bazar and
bought what beseemeth women of goodly gifts and returning to his wife,
saluted her and gave her all he had purchased, and said to her, “Arise
and hie thee to thy father’s home.” Asked she, “Wherefore?” and he
answered, “Verily, the king hath been bountiful to me and I would have
thee make this public, so thy father may joy in that which he seeth upon
thee.” She rejoined “With love and gladness,” and arising forthwith,
betook herself to the house of her father, who rejoiced in her coming
and in that which he saw upon her; and she abode with him a month’s
space, and her husband made no mention of her. Then came her brother to
him and said, “O Firuz, an thou wilt not acquaint me with the reason of
thine anger against thy wife, come and plead with us before the king.”
Quoth he, “If ye will have me plead with you, I will e’en plead.” So
they went to the king and found the Kazi sitting with him; whereupon the
damsel’s brother began, “Allah assist our lord the Kazi! I let this man
on hire a flower-garden, high-walled, with a well well-conditioned and
trees fruit-laden; but he beat down its walls and ruined its well and
ate its fruits, and now he desireth to return it to me.” The Kazi turned
to Firuz and asked him, “What sayest thou, O youth?” when he answered,
“Indeed, I delivered him the garden in better case than it was before.”
So the Kazi said to the brother, “Hath he delivered to thee the garden,
as he avoucheth?” And the pleader replied, “No; but I desire to question
him of the reason of his returning it.” Quoth the Kazi, “What sayest
thou, O youth?” And quoth Firuz, “I returned it willy nilly, because I
entered it one day and saw the trail of the lion; so I feared lest an I
entered it again, the lion should devour me. Wherefore that which I did,
I did of reverence to him and for fear of him.” Now the king was leaning
back upon the cushion, and when he heard the young man’s words, he
comprehended the purport thereof; so he sat up and said, “Return to thy
flower-garden in all ease of heart; for, by Allah, never saw I the like
of thy garth nor stronger of guard than its walls over its trees!” So
Firuz returned to his wife, and the Kazi knew not the truth of the
affair, no, nor any of those who were in that assembly, save the king
and the husband and the wife’s brother.