In the meantime, it had come to pass that one of Ardschi-Bordschi's
subjects had gone out over the sea to search for precious stones. Being
detained on his journey beyond the allotted time, he was desirous of
making provision for his wife and children whom he had left behind,
and, finding that a friend of his company purposed to return home,
he trusted to him one of the jewels of which he had become possessed,
saying, "When thou comest to the place, deliver this jewel into the
hands of my wife, that she may be provided withal until the time of
my return. The man, however, sold the jewel and spent the proceeds
on his own purposes. When, therefore, the jewel-merchant came home,
he inquired of his wife, saying, "By a man named Dsük I sent unto
you a jewel so-and-so;" and when he learnt of his wife that the man
had brought no jewel, he took the matter before the King. The King
commanded the man called Dsük to be brought before him. But the man
having got wind that he would have to appear before the King to be
judged for the matter, he gave presents to two chief men of the court,
and agreed with them, saying, "You will stand witness for me that in
presence of you two I delivered the jewel to the man's wife (2)."
When, therefore, they were all before the King, the King spoke to the
man named Dsük, saying, "Did you, or did you not, give the jewel to
the man's wife?" And he boldly made answer, "In presence of these two
witnesses I delivered the jewel to her;" while the two great men of
the court stood forward and deposed, they also, "Yea, O King! even
in our presence he delivered over the jewel."
As the King could not gainsay the word of the witnesses, he decided the
case according to their testimony, and the man named Dsük was released
and went away to his home rejoicing at having been so successful in
his stratagem to deceive the King, and the two great men of the court
and the jewel-merchant went down every one to his home.
It so happened, however, that their way home lay past the hill where
the Boy-king sat enthroned. Now as they passed by, the four together,
the Boy-king sent and called them into his presence, nor could they
fail of compliance with his word.
When they had paid him their obeisance, bowing themselves many times
before him, the Boy-king, rising in his majesty, thus spoke,--
"The decision of your King is hasty, and can never stand. I will
judge your cause. Do you promise to abide by my decision?"
But the majesty of the Boy-king was upon him, and they could not
choose but accept.
The Boy-king therefore set the four men apart in four several places,
and to each one of them he gave a lump of clay, saying, "Fashion this
lump of clay like to the form of the jewel which was sent."
When they had all finished the task, it was found that the model of
the man who sent the jewel and that of the man who was the bearer
of it were alike; but the two great men of the court, who had never
seen the jewel, were thrown into great embarrassment by this means,
and their models were neither like those of the sender and bearer,
nor were they like each other's.