and slew him.  Then he entered the city and sat down on the throne of his kingship; and whenas he was rested and his kingdom waxed peaceful for him, he despatched messengers to the mountain aforesaid in search of the child; but they returned and informed the king that they had not found him.  As time ran on, the boy, the son of the king, grew up and fell to cutting the way[FN#142] with the highwaymen, and they used to carry him with them, whenever they went banditing.  They sallied forth one day upon a caravan in the land of Sistan, and there were in that caravan strong men and valiant, and with them a mighty store of merchandise.  Now they had heard that in that land banditti abounded:  so they gathered themselves together and gat ready their weapons and sent out spies, who returned and gave them news of the plunderers.  Accordingly, they prepared for battle, and when the robbers drew near the caravan, they fell upon them and the twain fought a sore fight.  At last the caravan-folk overmastered the highwaymen by dint of numbers, and slew some of them, whilst the others fled.  They also took the boy, the son of King Azadbakht, and seeing him as he were the moon, a model of beauty and loveliness, bright of face and engraced with grace, asked him, “Who is thy father, and how camest thou with these banditti?” And he answered, saying, “I am the son of the Captain of the highwaymen.”  So they seized him and carried him to the capital of his sire, King Azadbakht.  When they reached the city, the king heard of their coming and commanded that they should attend him with what befitted of their goods.  Accordingly they presented themselves before him, and the boy with them, whom when the king saw, he asked them, “To whom belongeth this boy?” and they answered, “O King, we were going on such a road, when there came out upon us a sort of robbers; so we fought them and beat them off and took this boy prisoner.  Then we questioned him, saying, Who is thy sire? and he replied, I am the son of the robber-captain.”  Quoth the king, “I would fain have this boy;” and quoth the captain of the caravan, “Allah maketh thee gift of him, O king of the age, and we all are thy slaves.”  Then the king (who was not aware that the boy was his son) dismissed the caravan and bade carry the lad into his palace, and he became as one of the pages, while his sire the king still knew not that he was his child.  As the days rolled on, the king observed in him good breeding and understanding and handiness galore and he pleased him; so he committed his treasuries to his charge and shortened the Wazir’s hand therefrom, commanding that naught should be taken forth save by leave of the youth.  On this wise he abode a number of years and the king saw in him only good conduct and the habit of righteousness.  Now the treasuries had been aforetime in the hands of the Wazirs to do with them whatso they would, and when they came under the youth’s hand, that of the Ministers was shortened from them, and he became