The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 15 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 499 pages of information about The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 15.

The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 15 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 499 pages of information about The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 15.
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.’”
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The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 15 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.