her saying, ‘God accomplish thine affair!’ she hath taken it from the saying of the poet, ’When an affair is accomplished, its abatement[FN#87] beginneth.  Beware of cessation, whenas it is said, “It is accomplished."’ As for her saying ‘God cause thee rejoice in that which He hath given thee,’ she took it from the saying of God the Most High, ’Till, whenas they rejoiced in that which they were given, we took them suddenly and lo, they were confounded!’[FN#88] As for her saying, ‘God increase thee in elevation!’ she took it from the saying of the poet, ’No bird flieth and riseth up on high, but, like as he flieth, he falleth.’  And as for her saying, ’Indeed, thou hast done justice and wrought equitably,’ it is from the saying of the Most High, ’[If ye deviate[FN#89] or lag behind or turn aside, verily, God of that which ye do is aware;’[FN#90] and] ’As for the transgressors,’[FN#91] they are fuel for hell[-fire]."[FN#92]

Then he turned to the woman and said to her, “Is it not thus?” “Yes, O Commander of the Faithful,” answered she; and he said, “What prompted thee to this?” Quoth she, “Thou slewest my father and my mother and my kinsfolk and tookest their goods.”  “Whom meanest thou?” asked the Khalif, and she replied, “I am of the house of Bermek."[FN#93] Then said he to her, “As for the dead, they are of those who are past away, and it booteth not to speak of them; but, as for that which I took of wealth, it shall be restored to thee, yea, and more than it.”  And he was bountiful to her to the utmost of munificence.

The ten viziers; or the history of king
Azadbekht and his son.[FN#94]

There was once, of old days, a king of the kings, whose name was Azadbekht; his [capital] city was called Kuneim Mudoud and his kingdom extended to the confines of Seistan and from the frontiers of Hindustan to the sea He had ten viziers, who ordered his state and his dominion, and he was possessed of judgment and exceeding wisdom.  One day he went forth with certain of his guards to the chase and fell in with an eunuch on horseback, holding in his hand the halter of a mule, which he led along.  On the mule’s back was a litter of gold-inwoven brocade, garded about with an embroidered band set with gold and jewels, and over against the litter was a company of horsemen.  When King Azadbekht saw this, he separated himself from his companions and making for the mule and the horsemen, questioned the latter, saying, “To whom belongeth this litter and what is therein?”.  The eunuch answered, (for he knew not that he was King Azadbekht,) saying, “This litter belongeth to Isfehend, vizier to King Azadbekht, and therein is his daughter, whom he purposeth to marry to Zad Shah the King.”