In Bagdad the mother lay sleeping, and she had a dream.  She dreamed she had in each hand a lamp, and when their flames seemed ready to go out they flashed up brightly again.  When morning came she told this dream to her sons, and said:  “Last night holy St. John appeared to me in my dreams and said that your father was in great trouble and had vowed to sacrifice you.  When he again comes home he will stab you:  look to your safety.”

Both sons cried unto their gods, took food with them for their journey, put gold into their purses, and set out on their travels.  Coming to a narrow valley they halted there.  They saw a river, and in the distance a brook clove the river to mid-stream, then mingled with its waters and flowed onward with it.

And Sanassar said to Abamelik:  “He who finds the source of this brook and builds him a dwelling there, his race shall also wax mighty.”

The brothers rose with one will and followed the brook upstream.  They found its spring and saw its waters flowing as from a small pipe, and they ran down with the brook and increased till they mixed with waters of the great river.  Here the brothers halted and laid the foundations of their dwelling.

And Sanassar hunted while Abamelik worked on the house.  Ten, yea, twenty days they worked on their dwelling.  It happened that once Abamelik came upon Sanassar asleep, worn out with fatigue, his venison thrown away unroasted.  Abamelik was much troubled at this, and said, “Rise, brother, and we will depart from this place.  How long shall we stay here and eat meat without salt?  If it were God’s will that we should have happiness, in our father’s wooden palace we should have found it.”  And they mounted their horses and rode to the Lord of Arsrom.[4] Both came thither, presented themselves to him, and bowed before him.

[4] The original name of this city is Theodosiopol.  It was founded by the Greek commander Anato in the year 412 A.D. and named in honor of Emperor Theodosius II.  Later it was captured by the Sultan of Ikonika, Who named it Arsi-Rom, “Land of the Greeks.”  The Armenians call it Karin, after the old Armenian province in which it lies.

Now both brothers were mighty men.  They found favor with the Emir of Arsrom, and he asked them of their birth and of their tribe, and said, “What manner of men are you?”

Sanassar answered and said, “We are the sons of the Caliph of Bagdad.”

“Hoho!” said the Emir, while terror seized him.  “We feared you dead, and here we meet you living.  We cannot take you in.  Go whither ye will.”

And Sanassar said to Abamelik, “Since we have run away from our father, why should we bear his name?  From this day, when anyone asks us concerning ourselves, let us say we have neither father nor mother nor home nor country:  then will people lodge us.”

Thence they rode to the Emir of Kars, who gave the lads the same answer.  They turned and rode to the King of Kraput-Koch.  The King of Kraput-Koch scrutinized the lads, and they found favor in his sight; and Abamelik presented himself to the King and bowed low before him.  This pleased the King greatly, and he said:  “My children, whither came ye?  What have you? and what do you lack?"[5]