The Story of King Dadbin[FN#185] and his Wazirs.

There was once a king in the land of Tabaristan,[FN#186] by name Dadbin, and he had two Wazirs, one called Zorkhan and the other Kardan.[FN#187] The Minister Zorkhan had a daughter, there was not in her day a fairer than she nor yet a chaster or a more pious, for she was a faster, a prayer and an adorer of Allah the Almighty, and her name was Arwa.[FN#188] Now Dadbin, the king, heard tell of her praises; so his heart clave to her and he called the Wazir her sire and said to him, “I desire of thee that thou marry me to thy daughter.”  Quoth Zorkhan, “O my liegest lord, suffer me to consult her, and if she consent, I will marry thee with her.”  And the king, said, “Haste thee with this.”  So the Minister went in to his daughter and said to her, “O my daughter, the king seeketh thee of me and desireth to marry thee.”  She said.  “O my father, I desire not a husband, and if thou wilt marry me not but with a mate who shall be mine inferior in rank and I nobler than he, so he may not turn to other than myself nor lift his eyes upon me,[FN#189] and marry me not to one who is nobler than I, lest I be with him as a slave-girl and a serving-woman.”  Accordingly the Wazir returned to the king and acquainted him with that which his daughter had said, whenas he redoubled in desire and love-longing for her, and said to her sire, “An thou marry me not to her of good grace, I will take her in thy despite and by force.”  The Minister again betook himself to his daughter and repeated to her the king’s words, but she replied, “I want no husband.”  So he returned to the king and told him what she said, and he was wroth and threatened him, whereupon the father took his daughter and fled with her.  When this came to the king’s knowledge, he despatched troops in pursuit of Zorkhan, to stop the road upon him, whilst he himself went out and overtaking the Wazir, smote him on the head with his mace[FN#190] and slew him.  Then he took his daughter by force and returning to his dwelling-place, went in to her and married her.  Arwa resigned herself with patience to that which betided her and committed her case to Allah Almighty; and indeed she was used to serve Him night and day with a goodly service in the house of King Dadbin her husband.  It befel one day that the king had occasion to make a journey; so he called his second Wazir Kardan and said to him, “I have a charge to commit to thy care, and it is yonder lady, my wife, the daughter of the Wazir Zorkhan, and I desire that thou keep her and guard her thy very self, because I have not in the world aught dearer than she.”  Quoth Kardan in his mind, “Of a truth, the king honoureth me with an exceeding honour in entrusting me with this lady.”  And he answered, “With love and all gladness.”  When the king had departed on his journey, Kardan said in himself, “Needs must I look upon this lady whom the king loveth with all this love.”  So he hid himself in a place, that he might espy her,