When it was the tenth day (now this day was called Al-Mihrján and it was the day of the coming in of the folk, gentle and simple, to the king, so they might give him joy and salute him and go forth), the council of the Wazirs agreed that they should speak with a company of the city notables. So they said to them, "When you go in today to the king and salute him; do you say to him, 'O king (to the Lord be the laud!), you are praise worthy of policy and procedure and just to all your subjects; but respecting this youth whom you have favoured and who nevertheless has reverted to his base origin and done this foul deed, what is your purpose in his continuance? Indeed, you have prisoned him in your palace, and every day you hear his palaver and you know not what the folk say.' And they answered, "Hearing is obeying." Accordingly, when they entered with the folk and had prostrated themselves before the king and congratulated his majesty, he raised their several degrees. Now it was the custom of the folk to salute and go forth; but they took seat, and the king knew that they had words to address to him: so he turned to them (the Wazirs being also present) and said, "Ask your need."

Therefore they repeated to him all that the Ministers had taught them and the Wazirs also spoke with them; and Azadbakht said to them, "O folk, I would have it known to you that there is no doubt with me concerning this your speech proceeding from love and loyal counsel to me, and you know that, were I inclined to kill half these folk, I could put them to death and this would not be hard to me; so how shall I not slay this youth when he is in my power and in the grasp of my hand? Indeed, his crime is manifest and he has incurred death penalty; and I have deferred it only by reason of the greatness of the offence; for if I do this with him and my proof against him be strengthened, my heart is healed and the heart of my whole folk; and if I slay him not today, his slaying shall not escape me tomorrow." Then he bade fetch the youth who, when present before him, prostrated to him and blessed him; whereupon the king said, "Woe to you! How long shall the folk upbraid me on your account and blame me for delaying your death? Even the people of my city reproach me because of you, so that I am grown a jest amongst them, and indeed they come in to me and reproach me for not putting you to death. How long shall I delay this? Truly, this very day I mean to shed your blood and rid the folk of your prattling." The youth replied, "O king, if there have happened you talk because of me, by God, and again by God the Great, those who have brought on you this talk from the folk are none but these wicked Wazirs,

King Sulayman Shah And His Niece. 97 who chatter with the crowd and tell them foul tales and ill things in the king's house, but I hope in the Most High that He will cause their malice to recoil upon their own heads. As for the king's menace of slaying me, I am in the grip of his hand; so let not the king occupy his mind with my slaughter, because I am like the sparrow in the grasp of the fowler; if he will, he cuts his throat, and if he will, he lets him go. As for the delaying of my death, it is not from the king, but from Him in whose hand is my life; for by God, O king, if the Almighty willed my slaughter, you could not postpone it; no, not for a single hour. And indeed, man avails not to fend off evil from himself, even as it was with the son of King Sulayman Shah, whose anxiety and carefulness for the winning of his wish in the matter of the new born child availed him nothing, for his last hour was deferred many a time! And Allah saved him until he had accomplished his period and had fulfilled his life term." The king cried, "Fie upon you, how great is your craft and your talk! Tell me, what was their tale." And the youth said, "Hear, O king,