they were the very thieves who had plundered him and his wife by the way and had carried off his children.  Accordingly he bade bring them before him, and when they came into his presence, he questioned them, saying, “Where are the two boys ye took on such a day?” Said they, “They are with us and we will present them to our lord the king for Mamelukes to serve him and give him wealth galore that we have gotten together and doff all we own and repent from lawlessness and fight in thy service.”  Abu Sabir, however, paid no heed to their words, and seized all their good and bade put them all to death.  Furthermore. he took his two boys and rejoiced in them with exceeding joy, whereat the troops murmured among themselves, saying, “Verily, this is a greater tyrant than his brother!  There cometh to him a gang of thieves, and they seek to repent and proffer two boys by way of peace-offering, and he taketh the two lads and all their good and slayeth them!  Indeed this be violent oppression.”  After this came the horseman, who had seized Abu Sabir’s wife, and complained of her to the king that she would not give him possession of her person, and solemnly declared that she was his wife.  The king bade bring her before him, that he might hear her plea and pronounce judgment upon her.  So the horseman came with her before him, and when the king saw her, he knew her and taking her from her ravisher, bade put him to death.  Then he became aware of the troops, that they murmured against him and spake of him as a tyrant; so he turned to his courtiers and ministers and said to them, “As for me, by Allah of All-might,[FN#173] I am not the king’s brother!  Nay, I am but one whom the king imprisoned upon a word he heard from me and he used every day to come and taunt me therewith.  Ye deem me the king’s brother; but I am Abu Sabir and the Lord hath given me the kingship in virtue of my patience.  As for the king who sought protection of me and I plundered him, ’twas he who first wronged me, for that he plundered me afore, time and drave me forth of my native land and banished me, without due cause; wherefore I requited him with that which he had done to me, in the way of lawful retribution.  As for the highwaymen who proffered repentance, there was no repentance for them with me, because they began upon me with foul dealing and waylaid me by the road and despoiled me and seized my good and my sons, the two boys that I took of them, and those ye deemed Mamelukes are my very sons; so I avenged myself on the thieves of that which they did with me whilome and requited them with strict justice.  As for the horseman whom I slew, this woman I took from him was my wife and he seized her by force, but Allah the Most High hath restored her to me; so this was my right, and my deed that I have done was righteous, albeit ye, judging by the externals of the matter, deemed that I had done this by way of tyranny.”  When the folk heard these words, they marvelled and fell prostrate before