They proceeded until they came to a certain place. When hunger pressed them
anew the bad one abandoned his companion.
A bird came passing by, and said to him: "Take a leaf of this tree and
apply it to your eyes." He took a leaf of the tree, applied it to his eyes,
and was healed. He arose, continued on his way, and arrived at a city where
he found the one who had plucked out his eyes.
"Who cured you?"
"A bird passed near me," said the good man. "He said to me, 'Take a leaf of
this tree.' I took it, applied it to my eyes, and was cured."
The good man found the King of the city blind.
"Give me back my sight and I will give you my daughter."
He restored his sight to him, and the King gave him his daughter. The good
man took his wife to his house. Every morning he went to present his
respects to the King, and kissed his head. One day he fell ill. He met the
bad one, who said to him:
"Eat an onion and you will be cured; but when you kiss the King's head,
turn your head aside or the King will notice your breath and will kill
you."
After these words he ran to the King and said: "O King, your son-in-law
disdains you."
"O my dear," answered the King, "my son-in-law does not disdain me."
"Watch him," answered the bad one; "when he comes to kiss your head he will
turn away from you."
The King remarked that his son-in-law did turn away on kissing his head.
"Wait a moment," he said to him. Immediately he wrote a letter to the
Sultan, and gave it to his son-in-law, commanding him to carry it to the
Sultan. Going out of the house he met the bad one, who wanted to carry the
letter himself. The good man gave it to him. The Sultan read the letter,
and had the bad one's head cut off. The good man returned to the King.
"What did he say?" asked the King.
"Ah, Sidi, I met a man who wanted to carry the letter. I intrusted it to
him and he took it to the Sultan, who condemned him to death in the city."
* * * * *