When morning came and the king sat on the throne of his kingship, he summoned his Grand Wazir, the Premier of all his Ministers, and said to him, "How see you the deed this robber youth has done? He has entered my Harim and lain down on my couch and I fear lest there be something between him and the woman. What think you of the affair?" The Wazir said, "Allah prolong the king's continuance! What saw you in this youth? Is he not ignoble of birth, the son of thieves? A thief must revert to his vile origin, and whoever rears the serpent's brood shall get of them nothing but biting. As for the woman, she is not at fault; since from time ago until now, nothing appeared from her except good breeding and modest bearing; and at this present, if the king give me leave, I will go to her and question her, so I may discover to you the truth of the affair." The king gave him leave for this and the Wazir went to the Queen and said to her, "I am come to you, on account of a grave shame, and I would have you truthful with me in speech and tell me how the youth came into the sleeping chamber."
She said, "I have no knowledge whatever of it, no, none at all," and swore to him a binding oath to that effect, by which he knew that the woman had no inkling of the affair, nor was at fault and said to her, "I will show you a device, wherewith you may acquit yourself and your face be whitened before the king." She asked, "What is it?" and he answered, "When the king calls for you and questions you of this, say you to him, 'That youth saw me in the boudoir chamber and sent me a message, saying, 'I will give you an hundred grains of gems, for whose price money may not suffice, so you will suffer me to enjoy you.' I laughed at him who bespake me with such proposal and rebuffed him; but he sent again to me, saying, 'If you consent not thereto, I will come one of the nights, drunken, and enter and lie down in the sleeping chamber, and the king will see me and slay me; so will you be put to shame and your face shall be blackened with him and your honour dishonoured.' Be this your saying to the king, and I will fare to him directly and repeat this to him." The Queen said, "And I also will say thus." Accordingly, the Minister returned to the king and said to him, "Truly, this youth has merited grievous pains and penalties after the abundance of your bounty, and no kernel which is bitter can ever
The Story Of The Merchant Who Lost His Luck. 45 grow sweet; but, as for the woman, I am certified that there is no default in her." Thereupon he repeated to the king the story which he had taught the Queen, which when Azadbakht heard, he rent his raiment and bade the youth be brought. So they fetched him and set him before the king, who bade summon the Sworder, and the folk all fixed their eyes upon the youth, to see what the Sovereign should do with him. Then Azadbakht said to him (and his words were words of anger and the speech of the youth was reverent and well-bred), "I bought you with my money and looked for fidelity from you. Why I chose you over all my Grandees and Pages and made you Keeper of my treasuries. Why, then, have you outraged my honour and entered my house and played traitor with me and took no thought of all I have done you of benefits?" The youth replied, "O king, I did this not of my choice and free will and I had no business being there; but, by the lack of my luck, I was driven there, for Fate was contrary and fair Fortune failed me. Indeed, I had endeavoured with all endeavour that nothing of foulness should come from me and I kept watch and ward over myself, lest default foreshow in me; and none may withstand an ill chance, nor does striving profit against adverse Destiny, as appears by the example of the merchant who was stricken with ill luck and his endeavour availed him nothing and he fell by the badness of his fortune." The king asked, "What is the story of the merchant and how was his luck changed upon him by the sorriness of his doom?" The youth answered, "May Allah prolong the king's continuance!" And began