Almighty, and that the city, being Kingless, had become
like unto a flock of sheep lacking shepherd.
Moreover he was certified that the Lords of his father’s
land and the Grandees of the realm and all the heges
were in the uttermost confusion. He went up to
the palace and forgathered with his mother, and seeing
that she had not been healed of her sickness, he brought
her out the Water of Life and gave her to drink some
little thereof whereby health returned to her and
she rose from her couch and took seat and salam’d
to him and asked concerning his brethren. However
he concealed his secret thereanent fearing lest it
induce in her weakly state a fresh attack and discovered
to her naught but said, “Verily, we parted at
such a place in order to seek the Water of Life.”
Then she looked upon his companion the Jewess (and
she cast in the mould of loveliness) and she questioned
him concerning the woman and he recounted to her the
whole affair, first and last, still concealing for
the reason aforesaid, the fate of his brothers.
Now on the second day the bruit went abroad throughout
the city that the King’s son had returned; so
the Wazirs and Emirs and the Lords of the land and
all who had their share in governance forgathered
with him and they set him as King and Sultan in the
stead of his sire. He took seat on the throne
of his Kingship and bade and forbade and raised and
deposed and so tarried for a while of time, until
one day of the days when he determined to enjoy the
hunt and chase and divert himself in pleasurable case.[FN#316]
So he and his host rode forth the city when his glance
fell upon a Badawi girl who was standing with the Shaykh
her father considering his retinue; and the age of
the maiden might have mastered thirteen years.
But as soon as the King looked upon the girl love
of her upon his heart alighted, and he was thereby
engrossed, for she was perfect in beauty and comeliness.
Hereupon he returned to his palace and sending for
her father asked her of him in marriage; the Shaykh,
however, answered saying, “O our lord the Sultan,
I will not give up my daughter save to one who hath
a handicraft of his own,[FN#317] for verily trade
is a defence against poverty and folk say, ‘Handicraft
an it enrich not still it veileth.’"[FN#318]
Hereupon the King took thought in himself and said
to the Shaykh, “O Man, I am Sovran and Sultan
and with me is abundant good;” but the other
replied, “O King of the Age, in King-craft there
is no trust.” However, of his exceeding
love to the girl the Sultan presently summoned the
Shaykh of the Mat-makers and learnt from him the craft
of plaiting and he wove these articles of various
colours both plain and striped.[FN#319] After this
he sent for the father of the damsel and recounted
to him what he had done and the Shaykh said to him
“O King of the Age, my daughter is in poor case
and you are King and haply from some matter may befal
a serious matter; moreover the lieges may say, ’Our
King hath wived with a Badawi girl.’”


