There was once in the land of Hind a king of illustrious station,
endowed with understanding and good sense, and his name was Shah
Bekht. He had a vizier, a man of worth and intelligence, prudent
in counsel, conformable to him in his governance and just in his
judgment; wherefore his enviers were many and many were the
hypocrites, who sought in him faults and set snares for him, so
that they insinuated into King Shah Bekht's eye hatred and
rancour against him and sowed despite against him in his heart;
and plot followed after plot, till [at last] the king was brought
to arrest him and lay him in prison and confiscate his good and
avoid his estate.[FN#77]
When they knew that there was left him no estate that the king
might covet, they feared lest he be brought to release him, by
the incidence of the vizier's [good] counsel upon the king's
heart, and he return to his former case, so should their plots be
marred and their ranks degraded, for that they knew that the king
would have need of that which he had known from that man nor
would forget that wherewith he was familiar in him. Now it befell
that a certain man of corrupt purpose[FN#78] found a way to the
perversion of the truth and a means of glozing over falsehood and
adorning it with a semblance of fair-seeming and there proceeded
from him that wherewith the hearts of the folk were occupied, and
their minds were corrupted by his lying tales; for that he made
use of Indian subtleties and forged them into a proof for the
denial of the Maker, the Creator, extolled be His might and
exalted be He! Indeed, God is exalted and magnified above the
speech of the deniers. He avouched that it is the planets[FN#79]
that order the affairs of all creatures and he set down twelve
mansions to twelve signs [of the Zodiac] and made each sign
thirty degrees, after the number of the days of the month, so
that in twelve mansions there are three hundred and threescore
[degrees], after the number of the days of the year; and he
wrought a scheme, wherein he lied and was an infidel and denied
[God]. Then he got possession of the king's mind and the enviers
and haters aided him against the vizier and insinuated themselves
into his favour and corrupted his counsel against the vizier, so
that he suffered of him that which he suffered and he banished
him and put him away.
So the wicked man attained that which he sought of the vizier and
the case was prolonged till the affairs of the kingdom became
disordered, by dint of ill governance, and the most part of the
king's empery fell away from him and he came nigh unto ruin.
Therewithal he was certified of the loyalty of his [late] skilful
vizier and the excellence of his governance and the justness of
his judgment. So he sent after him and brought him and the wicked
man before him and summoning the grandees of his realm and the
chiefs of his state to his presence, gave them leave to talk and
dispute and forbade the wicked man from that his lewd
opinion.[FN#80] Then arose that wise and skilful vizier and
praised God the Most High and lauded Him and glorified Him and
hallowed Him and attested His unity and disputed with the wicked
man and overcame him and put him to silence; nor did he cease
from him till he enforced him to make confession of repentance
[and turning away] from that which he had believed.
Therewith King Shah Bekht rejoiced with an exceeding great joy
and said, 'Praise be to God who hath delivered me from yonder man
and hath preserved me from the loss of the kingship and the
cessation of prosperity from me!' So the affair of the vizier
returned to order and well-being and the king restored him to his
place and advanced him in rank. Moreover, he assembled the folk
who had missaid of him and destroyed them all, to the last man.
And how like," continued the vizier, "is this story unto that of
myself and King Shah Bekht, with regard to that whereinto I am
fallen of the changing of the king's heart and his giving
credence to others against me; but now is the righteousness of my
dealing established in thine eyes, for that God the Most High
hath inspired me with wisdom and endowed thee with longanimity
and patience [to hearken] from me unto that which He allotted
unto those who had foregone us, till He hath shown forth my
innocence and made manifest unto thee the truth. For now the days
are past, wherein it was avouched to the king that I should
endeavour for the destruction of my soul,[FN#81] [to wit,] the
month; and behold, the probation time is over and gone, and past
is the season of evil and ceased, by the king's good fortune."
Then he bowed his head and was silent.[FN#82]
When King Shah Bekht heard his vizier's speech, he was confounded
before him and abashed and marvelled at the gravity of his
understanding and his patience. So he sprang up to him and
embraced him and the vizier kissed his feet. Then the king called
for a sumptuous dress of honour and cast it over Er Rehwan and
entreated him with the utmost honour and showed him special
favour and restored him to his rank and vizierate. Moreover he
imprisoned those who had sought his destruction with leasing and
committed unto himself to pass judgment upon the interpreter who
had expounded to him the dream. So the vizier abode in the
governance of the realm till there came to them the Destroyer of
Delights; and this (added Shehrzad) is all, O king of the age,
that hath come down to us of King Shah Bekht and his vizier.