came with the slave to the khwaja’s presence; he saw [on all sides] the air of propriety and magnificence, and soldiers and slaves.  To the khwaja and the young merchant he made his salutations, and on seeing the dog’s state and treatment, his senses were confounded, and he stood like one amazed.  The khwaja asked him to sit down, and presented him coffee; the chasseur asked the khwaja’s name and designation.  When he requested leave to depart, the khwaja having presented him with some pieces [of cloth] and sundry rarities, dismissed him.  In the morning, when the chasseur attended the king’s audience, he related to those present the circumstances of the khwaja; by degrees it came to my knowledge; I called the chasseur before me, and asked about the merchant.

He related whatever he had seen.  On hearing of the dog’s exalted state, and the two men’s confinement in the cage, I was quite indignant, and exclaimed, that reprobate of a merchant deserves death!  I ordered some of my executioners, saying, “Go immediately, and cut off and bring me the heretic’s head.”  By chance, the same ambassador of the Franks was present at the audience; he smiled, and I became still more angry, and said, “O, disrespectful; to display one’s teeth [284] without cause in the presence of kings, is remote from good manners; it is better to weep than laugh out of season.”  The ambassador replied, “Mighty sire, several ideas came across my mind, for which reason I smiled; the first was, that the wazir had spoken truth, and would now be released from prison; secondly, that your majesty will be unstained with the innocent blood of the wazir; and the third was, that the asylum of the universe, without cause or crime, ordered the merchant to be put to death.  At all these circumstances I was surprised, that without any inquiry your majesty should, on the tale of an idle fellow, order people to be put to death.  God in reality knows what is the merchant’s real case; call him before the royal presence and inquire into his antecedents; if he should be found guilty, then your majesty is master; whatever treatment you please, that you can administer to him.

When the ambassador thus explained [the matter to me], I also recollected what the wazir had said, and ordered the merchant, together with his son, the dog, and the cages, to be brought in my presence immediately.  The messengers set off quickly [on the errand], and in a short time brought them all.  I summoned them before me.  First came the khwaja and his son [the young merchant], both richly dressed.  All present were astonished and bewildered on beholding the young merchant’s extreme beauty; he brought in his hand a golden tray, loaded with precious stones, (the brilliancy of every one of which illuminated the room,) and laid it before my throne, made his obeisance and stood [in respectful silence].  The khwaja also kissed the ground, and offered