he began to say in reply, “Well, if you will not stay here, I will myself go with you.  I consider you equivalent to my own life:  hence, if my life goes with you, of what use is a lifeless body?  If you are determined to go, then proceed, and take me with you.”  Saying this to the young merchant, he began his preparations likewise for the journey, and gave orders to his agents to get ready quickly the necessary conveyances.

When the news of the khwaja’s departure became public, the merchants of that city on hearing it, began likewise their preparations to set out with him.  The dog-worshipping khwaja took with him specie and jewels to a great amount, servants and slaves without number, and rich rarities and property worthy of a king, and having pitched his tents of various sorts outside of the city, he went to them.  All the other merchants took articles of merchandise with them according to their means, and joined the khwaja; they became for themselves a [regular] army.

One day, having fixed on a lucky moment for departure, they set out thence on their journey.  Having laden thousands of camels with canvas sacks filled with goods, and the jewels and specie on mules, five hundred slaves from the steppes of Kapchak, from Zang, and from Rum, [281] completely armed, men used to the sword, mounted on horses of Arabia, of Tartary, and of Irak, accompanied [the caravan].  In the rear of all came the khwaja and the young merchant, richly dressed, and mounted on sedans; a rich litter was lashed on the back of a camel, in which the dog reposed on a cushion, and the cages of the two prisoners were slung one on each side of another, across a camel, and thus they marched onwards.  At every stage they came to, all the merchants waited on the khwaja and on his dastar-khwan they ate of his food and drank of his wine.  The khwaja offered up his grateful thanks to the Almighty for the happiness of having the young merchant with him, and proceeded on, stage by stage.  At last, they reached the environs of Constantinople in perfect safety, and encamped without the city.  The young merchant said [to the khwaja], “O, father, if you grant me permission, I will go and see my parents, and prepare a house for you, and when it is agreeable to you, you will be pleased to enter the city.”

The khwaja replied, “I am come so far for your sake, well, go quickly and see [your parents], and return to me, and give me a place to live in near your own.”  The young merchant having taken leave [of the khwaja], came to his own house.  All the people of the household of the wazir were surprised, and exclaimed, “What man has entered [the house]!” The young merchant, that is, the wazir’s daughter, ran and threw herself at her mother’s feet, and wept and said, “I am your child.”  On hearing this, the wazir’s wife began to reproach her, by saying, “O, wanton girl, thou hast greatly dishonoured thyself; thou hast blackened thine own face, and brought shame on thy family; we had imagined thee lost, and, after weeping for thee, had with resignation given thee up; be gone hence.”