There came to a king of the kings, in his old age, a son, who grew up comely, quick witted, clever: and, when he reached years of discretion and became a young man, his father said to him, "Take this realm and rule it

The Tale Of The King Who Kenned. 143 in lieu of me, for I desire to flee from the sin of sovranty to Allah the Most High and don the woollen dress and devote all my time to devotion." the Prince, said, "And I am another who desires to take refuge with the Almighty." So the king said, "Arise, let us flee forth and make for the mountains and there worship in shame before God the Most Great." Accordingly, the twain gat them gear of wool and clothing themselves therewith, fared forth and wandered in the wolds and wastes; but, when some days had passed over them, both became weak for hunger and repented them of that they had done whenas penitence profited them not, and the Prince complained to his father of weariness and hunger. Cried the king, "Dear my son, I did with you that which behoved me, but you would not hearken to me, and now there is no means of returning to your former estate, for that another has taken the kingdom and defends it from all foes: but indeed I will counsel you of somewhat, in which do you pleasure me by compliance." The Prince asked, "What is it?" and his father answered, "Take me and go with me to the market street and sell me and receive my price and do with it whatever you willest, and I shall become the property of one who shall provide for my wants."

The Prince enquired, "Who will buy you of me, seeing you are a very old man? Nay, do you rather sell me, given that the demand for me will be more." But the king replied, "If you were king, you would require service of me." Accordingly the youth obeyed his father's bidding and taking him, carried him to the slave dealer and said, "Sell me this old man." Said the dealer, "Who will buy this people, and he a son of eighty years?" Then he said to the king, "In what crafts are you cunning?" and He said, "I ken the quintessence of jewels and I ken the quintessence of horses and I ken the quintessence of men; brief, I ken the quintessence of all things." So the slave dealer took him and went about, offering him for sale to the folk; but none would buy. Presently, up came the Chef of the Sultan's kitchen and asked, "What is this man?" and the dealer answered, "This be a Mameluke for sale." The kitchener marvelled at this and bought the king, after questioning him of what he could do, for ten thousand dirhams. Then he weighed out the money and carried him to his house, but dared not employ him in anything of service; so he appointed him an allowance, a modicum sufficient for his maintenance, and repented him of having bought him, saying, "What shall I do with the like of this people?"

Presently, the king of the city was minded to go forth to his garden, a pleasuring, and bade the cook precede him and appoint in his stead one who should dress the royal meat, so that, when he returned, he might find the meal ready. The Chef fell to thinking of whom he should appoint and was perplexed concerning his affair. As he was thus, the Shaykh came to him, and seeing him distraught as to how he should do, said to him, "Tell me what is in your mind; Perhaps I may bring you relief." So he acquainted him with the king's wishes and he said, "Have no care for this, but leave me one of the serving men and do you go companying your lord in peace and surety, for I will suffice you of this." at this the cook departed with the king, after he had brought the old man what he needed and left him a man of the guards; and when he was gone, the Shaykh bade the trooper wash the kitchen battery and made ready food exceedingly fine. When the king returned he set the meat before him, and he tasted dishes whose like he had never savoured; at which he was startled and asked who had dressed it. Accordingly they acquainted him with the Shaykh's case and he summoned him to his presence and asking him anent the mystery, increased his allowance of rations; moreover, he bade that they should cook together, he and the kitchener, and the old man obeyed his bidding. Some time after this, there came two merchants to the king with two pearls of price and each of them declared that his pearl was worth a thousand dinars, but the folk were incompetent to value them.

Then said the cook, "Allah prosper the king! Truly, the Shaykh whom I bought affirmed that he knew the quintessence of jewels and that he was skilled in cookery. We have tried him in his cuisine, and have found him the most knowing of men; and now, if we send after him and prove him on jewels, his second claim will be made manifest to us, whether true or false." So the king bade fetch the Shaykh and he came and stood before the Sultan, who showed him

The Tale Of The King Who Kenned. 145 the two pearls. He said, "Now for this one, 'tis worth a thousand dinars;" and the king said, "So says its owner." "But for this other," continued the old man, "'tis worth only five hundred." The people laughed and admired his saying, and the merchant who owned the second pearl asked him, "How can this, which is bigger of bulk and worthier for water and righter of rondure, be less of value than that?" and the old man answered, "I have said what is with me. Then the king to him, said, "Indeed, the outer semblance of it is like that of the other pearl; why then is it worth but the half of its price?" and the old man, said, "Yes, but its inward is corrupt." Asked the merchant, "Has a pearl then an inward and an outward?" and the Shaykh answered, "Yea! In its interior is a teredo, a boring worm; but the other pearl is sound and secure against breakage." The merchant continued, "Give us approof of this your knowledge and confirm to us the truth of your saying;" and the old man rejoined, "We will break it: If I prove a liar, here is my head, and if I speak south, you will have lost your pearl;" and the merchant said, "I agree to that."

So they brake the pearl and it was even as the old man had declared, to wit, in the heart of it was a boring worm. The king marvelled at what he saw and questioned him of how he came by the knowledge of this. The Shaykh replied, "O king, this kind of jewel is engendered in the belly of a creature called the oyster and its origin is a drop of rain and it resists the touch and grows not warm whilst seized in hand: so, when its outer coat became tepid to my touch, I knew that it harboured some living thing, for that things of life thrive not save in heat." Therefore the king said to the cook, "Increase his allowance;" and the Chef appointed to him fresh rations. Now some time after this, two merchants presented themselves to the king with two horses, and one said, "I ask a thousand ducats for my horse," and the other, "I seek five thousand ducats for mine." the cook, said, "We are now familiar with the old man's just judgment; what deems the king of fetching him?"

So the king bade fetch him, and when he saw the two horses he said, "This is worth a thousand and that two thousand ducats." the folk, said, "This horse you misjudgest is evidently a thoroughbred and he is younger and faster and compacter of limb and finer of head and clearer of colour and skin than the other;" presently adding, "What assurance have you of the truth of your saying?" And the old man said, "This you state is true, all true; but his sire is old and this other is the son of a young horse. Now, when the son of an old horse stands still a breathing, his breath returns not to him and his rider falls into the hand of him who follows after him; but the son of a young horse, If you put him to speed and after making him run, alight from him, you will find him, by reason of his robustness, untired." the merchant said, "'Tis even as the Shaykh avouches and he is an excellent judge." And the king said, "Increase his allowance." But the Shaykh stood still and did not go away; so the king asked him, "Why do you not go about your business?" and he answered, "My business is with the king."

Said the king, "Name what you would have," and the other replied, "I would have you question me of the quintessence of men, even as you has questioned me of the quintessence of horses." the king said, "We have no occasion to question you of it;" but the old man, said, "I have occasion to acquaint you." "Say what you will," rejoined the king, and the Shaykh said, "truly, the king is the son of a baker." Cried the king, "How and by which kennest you that?" and the Shaykh replied, "Know, O king, that I have examined into degrees and dignities and have learned this." Thereupon the king went in to his mother and he asked anent his sire, and she told him that the king her husband was impotent; "So," She said, "I feared for the kingdom, lest it pass away, after his death; Why I yielded my person to a young man, a baker, and conceived by him and bare a man child; and the kingship came into the hand of my son, that is, yourself." So the king returned to the Shaykh and said to him, "I am indeed the son of a baker; so do you expound to me the means by which you knew me for this." the other, said,

The Tale Of The Richard And His Daughter. 147

"I knew that, had you been the son of a king, you would have gifted me with things of price, such as rubies and the like; and were you the son of a Kazi, you had given largesse of a dirham or two dirhams, and were you the son of any of the merchants, you had given me muchel of money. But I saw that you bestowedst upon me nothing save two bannocks of bread and other rations, Why I knew you to be the son of a baker;" and the king said, "You have hit the mark." Then he gave him wealth galore and advanced him to high estate. The tale aforesaid pleased King Shah Bakht and he marvelled at that; but the Wazir said to him, "This story is not stranger than that of the Richard who married his beautiful daughter to the poor Shaykh." The king's mind was occupied with the promised tale and he bade the Wazir withdraw to his lodging; so he went and abode there the rest of the night and the whole of the following day.

The Fourth Night of the Month.

When the evening evened, the king sat private in his sitting chamber and bade fetch the Wazir. When he presented himself before him, he said to him, "Tell me the tale of the Richard." The Minister replied, "I will. Hear, O powerful king,