第3章

but make thy peace between us.'So he delivered the Prince to Shahyal，who made peace between him and the Blue King，and Al-Azrak gave him a bond of absolution for the death of his son.

Then Shahyal conferred robes of honour on them and entertained the Blue King and his troops hospitably for three days，after which he took Sayf al-Muluk and carried him back to the old Queen，his own mother，who rejoiced in him with an exceeding joy；and Shahyal marvelled at the beauty of the Prince and his loveliness and his perfection.Then the Prince related to him his story from beginning to end，especially what did befal him with Badi'a al-Jamal and Shahyal said，'O my mother，since'tis thy pleasure that this should be，I hear and I obey all that to command it pleaseth thee；wherefore do thou take him and bear him to Sarandib and there celebrate his wedding and marry him to her in all state，for he is a goodly youth and hath endured horrors for her sake.'So she and her maidens set out with Sayf al-Muluk for Sarandib and，entering the Garden belonging to the Queen of Hind，foregathered with Daulat Khatun and Badi'a al-Jamal.Then the lovers met，and the old Queen acquainted the two Princesses with all that had passed between Sayf al-Muluk and the Blue King and how the Prince had been nearhand to a captive's death；but in repetition is no fruition.Then King Taj al-Muluk father of Daulat Khatun assembled the lords of his land and drew up the contract of marriage between Sayf al-Muluk and Badi'a al-Jamal；

and he conferred costly robes of honour and gave banquets to the lieges.Then Sayf al-Muluk rose and，kissing ground before the King，said to him，'O King，pardon！ I would fain ask of thee somewhat but I fear lest thou refuse it to my disappointment.'

Taj al-Muluk replied，'By Allah，though thou soughtest my soul of me，I would not refuse it to thee，after all the kindness thou hast done me！'Quoth Sayf al-Muluk，'I wish thee to marry the Princess Daulat Khatun to my brother Sa'id，and we will both be thy pages.''I hear and obey，'answered Taj al-Muluk，and assembling his Grandees a second time，let draw up the contract of marriage between his daughter and Sa'id；after which they scattered gold and silver and the King bade decorate the city.So they held high festival and Sayf al-Muluk went in unto Badi'a al-Jamal and Sa'id went in unto Daulat Khatun on the same night.

Moreover Sayf al-Muluk abode forty days with Badi'a al-Jamal，at the end of which she said to him，'O King's son，say me，is there left in thy heart any regret for aught？'And he replied，'Allah forfend！ I have accomplished my quest and there abideth no regret in my heart at all： but I would fain meet my father and my mother in the land of Egypt and see if they continue in welfare or not.'

So she commanded a company of her slaves to convey them to Egypt，and they carried them to Cairo，where Sayf al-Muluk and Sa'id foregathered with their parents and abode with them a week；after which they took leave of them and returned to Sarandib-city；and from this time forwards，whenever they longed for their folk；they used to go to them and return.Then Sayf al-Muluk and Badi'a al-Jamal abode in all solace of life and its joyance as did Sa'id and Daulat Khatun，till there came to them the Destroyer of delights and Severer of societies；and they all died good Moslems.So glory be to the Living One who dieth not，who createth all creatures and decreeth to them death and who is the First，without beginning，and the Last，without end！ This is all that hath come down to us of the story of Sayf al-Muluk and Badi'a al-Jamal.And Allah alone wotteth the truth.[4] But not less excellent than this tale is the History of HASAN OF BASSORAH.[5]

There was once of days of yore and in ages and times long gone before，a merchant，who dwelt in the land of Bassorah and who owned two sons and wealth galore.But in due time Allah，the All-hearing the All-knowing，decreed that he should be admitted to the mercy of the Most High；so he died，and his two sons laid him out and buried him，after which they divided his gardens and estates equally between them and of his portion each one opened a shop.[6] Presently the elder son，Hasan hight，a youth of passing beauty and loveliness，symmetry and perfect grace，betook himself to the company of lewd folk，women and low boys，frolicking with them in gardens and feasting them with meat and wine for months together and occupying himself not with his business like as his father had done，for that he exulted in the abundance of his good.After some time he had wasted all his ready money，so he sold all his father's lands and houses and played the wastrel until there remained in his hand nothing；neither little nor muchel，nor was one of his comrades left who knew him.He abode thus anhungred，he and his widowed mother；three days，and on the fourth day，as he walked along，unknowing whither to wend，there met him a man of his father's friends，who questioned him of his case.He told him what had befallen him and the other said，'O my son，I have a brother who is a goldsmith；