Now when it was the ninth day, the Wazirs met and said one to other, “Verily, this youth baffleth us, for as often as the king is minded to kill him, he beguileth him and bewitcheth him with a story; so what be your rede we should do, that we may slay him and be at rest from him?” Then they advised together and agreed that they should go to the king’s wife.[FN#220] So they betook themselves to her and said to her, “Thou art careless of this affair wherein thou art and this uncare shall not profit thee; whilst the king, occupied with eating and drinking and diversion, forgetteth that the folk beat upon tambourines and sing of thee and say, The wife of the king loveth the youth; and as long as he abideth alive the talk will increase and not diminish.”  Quoth she, “By Allah, ’twas ye egged me on against him, and what shall I do now?” and quoth they, “Go thou in to the king and weep and say to him, ’Verily, the women come to me and inform me that I am dishonoured throughout the city, and what is thine advantage in the sparing of this youth?  An thou wilt not slay him, slay me to the end that this talk may be cut off from us.’” So the woman arose and rending her raiment, went in to the king, in the presence of the Wazirs, and cast herself upon him, saying, “O king, is my shame not upon thee or fearest thou not shame?  Indeed, this is not the fashion of kings that their jealousy over their women should be such as this.[FN#221] Thou art heedless and all the folk of the realm prate of thee, men and women.  Either slay him, that the talk may be cut off, or slay me, if thy soul will not consent to his slaughter.”  Thereupon the king’s wrath waxed hot and he said to her, “I have no pleasure in his continuance and needs must I slay him this very day.  So return to thy palace and solace thy heart.”  Then he bade fetch the youth; whereupon they brought him before him and the Wazirs said, O base of base, fie upon thee!  Thy life-term is at hand and earth hungereth for thy flesh, so it may make a meal of it.”  But he said to them, “Death is not in your word or in your envy; nay, it is a destiny written upon the forehead:  wherefore, if aught be writ upon my front, there is no help but it come to pass, and neither striving nor thought-taking nor precaution-seeking shall deliver me therefrom; even as happened to King Ibrahim and his son.”  Quoth the king, “Who was King Ibrahim and who was his son?” and quoth the youth “Hear, O king,

The Story of King Ibrahim and his Son.[FN#222]

There was once a king of the kings, Sultan Ibrahim hight, to whom the sovrans abased themselves and did obedience; but he had no son and was straitened of breast because of that, fearing lest the kingship go forth of his hand.  He ceased not to long for a son and to buy slave-girls and he with them, till one of them conceived, whereat he rejoiced with passing joy and grave great gifts and the largest largesse.  When the girl’s months were complete and the time of her lying-in drew near, the king summoned