A certain king sat one day on the roof of his palace, diverting
himself with looking about him, and presently, chancing to look
aside, he espied, on [the roof of] a house over against his
palace, a woman, never saw his eyes her like. So he turned to
those who were present and said to them, "To whom belongeth
yonder house?" "To thy servant Firouz," answered they, "and that
is his wife." So he went down, (and indeed love had made him
drunken and he was passionately enamoured of her), and calling
Firouz, said to him, "Take this letter and go with it to such a
city and bring me the answer." Firouz took the letter and going
to his house, laid it under his head and passed that night. When
the morning morrowed, he took leave of his wife and set out for
the city in question, unknowing what the king purposed against
him.
As for the king, he arose in haste and disguising himself,
repaired to the house of Firouz and knocked at the door. Quoth
Firouz's wife, "Who is at the door?" And he answered, saying, "I
am the king, thy husband's master." So she opened the door and he
entered and sat down, saying, "We are come to visit thee." Quoth
she, "I seek refuge [with God] from this visitation, for indeed I
deem not well thereof." And the king said, "O desire of hearts, I
am thy husband's master and methinks thou knowest me not." "Nay,"
answered she, "I know thee, O my lord and master, and I know thy
purpose and that which thou seekest 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 following verses,
in reference to thy case:
Your water I'll leave without drinking, for there Too many
already have drunken whilere.
When the flies light on food, from the platter my hand I raise,
though my spirit should long for the fare;
And whenas the dogs at a fountain have lapped, The lions to drink
of the water forbear."
Then said she, "O king, comest thou to a [watering-]place whereat
thy dog hath drunken and wilt thou drink thereof?" The king was
abashed at her and at her words and went out from her, but forgot
his sandal in the house.
As for Firouz, when he went forth from his house, he sought the
letter, but found it not; so he returned home. Now his return
fell in with the king's going forth and he found the latter's
sandal in his house, whereat his wit was dazed and he knew that
the king had not sent him away but for a purpose of his own.
However, he held his peace and spoke not a word, but, taking the
letter, went on his errand and accomplished it and returned to
the king, who gave him a hundred dinars. So Firouz betook himself
to the market and bought what beseemeth women of goodly gifts and
returning to his wife, saluted her and gave her all that he had
brought and said to her, "Arise [go] to thy father's house."
"Wherefore?" asked she, and he said, "Verily, the king hath been
bountiful to me and I would have thee show forth this, so thy
father may rejoice in that which he seeth upon thee." "With all
my heart," answered she and arising forthright, 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 Firouz, 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 do so." So they went to the king
and found the cadi sitting with him; whereupon quoth the damsel's
brother, "God assist our lord the cadi! I let this man on hire a
high-walled garden, with a well in good case and trees laden with
fruit; but he beat down its walls and ruined its well and ate its
fruits, and now he desireth to return it to me." The cadi turned
to Firouz and said to him, "What sayst thou, O youth?" And he
answered, "Indeed, I delivered him the garden in the goodliest of
case." So the cadi said to the brother, "Hath he delivered thee
the garden, as he saith?" And the other replied, "No; but I
desire to question him of the reason of his returning it." Quoth
the cadi, "What sayst thou, O youth?" And Firouz answered, "I
returned it in my own despite, for that I entered it one day and
saw the track of the lion; wherefore I feared lest, if I entered
it again, the lion should devour me. So that which I did, I did
of reverence to him and for fear of him."
Now the king was leaning back upon the cushion, when he heard the
man's words, he knew the purport thereof; so he sat up and said,
"Return to thy garden in all assurance and ease of heart; for, by
Allah, never saw I the like of thy garden nor stouter of ward
than its walls over its trees!" So Firouz returned to his wife,
and the cadi 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 damsel's brother.[FN#176]
KING SHAH BEKHT AND HIS VIZIER ER
REHWAN.[FN#177]
There was once, of old days and in bygone ages and times, a king
of the kings of the time, by name Shah Bekht, who had troops and
servants and guards galore and a vizier called Er Rehwan, who was
wise, understanding, a man of good counsel and a cheerful
acceptor of the commandments of God the Most High, to whom belong
might and majesty. The king committed to him the affairs of his
kingdom and his subjects and said according to his word, and on
this wise he abode a long space of time.
Now this vizier had many enemies, who envied him his high place
and still sought to do him hurt, but found no way thereunto, and
God, in His fore-knowledge and His fore-ordinance from time
immemorial, decreed that the king dreamt that the Vizier Er
Rehwan gave him a fruit from off a tree and he ate it and died.
So he awoke, affrighted and troubled, and when the vizier had
presented himself before him [and withdrawn] and the king was
alone with those in whom he trusted, he related to them his dream
and they counselled him to send for the astrologers and
interpreters [of dreams] and commended to him a sage, for whose
skill and wisdom they vouched. So the king sent for him and
entreated him with honour and made him draw near to himself. Now
there had been private with the sage in question a company of the
vizier's enemies, who besought him to slander the vizier to the
king and counsel him to put him to death, in consideration of
that which they promised him of wealth galore; and he agreed with
them of this and told the king that the vizier would slay him in
the course of the [ensuing] month and bade him hasten to put him
to death, else would he surely slay him.
Presently, the vizier entered and the king signed to him to cause
avoid the place. So he signed to those who were present to
withdraw, and they departed; whereupon quoth the king to him,
"How deemest thou, O excellent vizier, O loyal counsellor in all
manner of governance, of a vision I have seen in my sleep?" "What
is it, O king?" asked the vizier, and Shah Bekht related to him
his dream, adding, "And indeed the sage interpreted it to me and
said to me, 'An thou put not the vizier to death within a month,
he will slay thee.' Now I am exceeding both to put the like of
thee to death, yet do I fear to leave thee on life. What then
dost thou counsel me that I should do in this matter?" The vizier
bowed his head awhile, then raised it and said, "God prosper the
king! Verily, it skills not to continue him on life of whom the
king is afraid, and my counsel is that thou make haste to put me
to death."
When the king heard his speech, he turned to him and said, "It is
grievous to me, O vizier of good counsel." And he told him that
the [other] sages testified [to the correctness of their fellow's
interpretation of the dream]; whereupon Er Rehwan sighed and knew
that the king went in fear of him; but he showed him fortitude
and said to him, "God assain the king! My counsel is that the
king accomplish his commandment and execute his ordinance, for
that needs must death be and it is liefer to me that I die,
oppressed, than that I die, an oppressor. But, if the king see
fit to defer the putting of me to death till the morrow and will
pass this night with me and take leave of me, when the morrow
cometh, the king shall do what he will."
Then he wept till he wet his gray hairs and the king was moved to
compassion for him and granted him that which he sought and
vouchsafed him that night's respite.