Presently, the king arose from the wine-chamber and taking his wife by the hand, repaired with her to the chamber in which he slept.  He opened the door and entering, saw the youth lying on the bed, whereupon he turned to his wife and said to her, “What doth this youth here?  This fellow cometh not hither but on thine account.”  Quoth she, “I have no knowledge of him.”  With this, the youth awoke and seeing the king, sprang up and prostrated himself before him, and Azadbekht said to him, “O vile of origin,[FN#102] O lack-loyalty, what hath prompted thee to outrage my dwelling?” And he bade imprison him in one place and the woman in another.

The First Day.

            Ofthe uselessness of endeavour against
                    persistent ill fortune.

When the morning morrowed and the king sat on the throne of his kingship, he summoned the chief of his viziers and said to him, “What deemest thou of this that yonder robber-youth hath done?  Behold, he hath entered my house and lain down on my bed and I fear lest there be an intrigue between him and the woman.  How deemest thou of the affair?” “God prolong the king’s continuance!” replied the vizier.  “What sawest thou in this youth [to make thee trust in him]?  Is he not vile of origin, the son of thieves?  Needs must a thief revert to his vile origin, and whoso reareth the young of the serpent shall get of them nought but biting.  As for the woman, she is not at fault; for, since [the] time [of her marriage with thee] till now, there hath appeared from her nought but good breeding and modesty; and now, if the king give me leave, I will go to her and question her, so I may discover to thee the affair.”

The king gave him leave for this and the vizier betook himself to the queen and said to her, “I am come to thee, on account of a grave reproach, and I would have thee be truthful with me in speech and tell me how came the youth into the sleeping-chamber.”  Quoth she, “I have no knowledge whatsoever [of it]” and swore to him a solemn oath thereof, whereby he knew that she had no knowledge of the matter and that she was not at fault and said to her, “I will teach thee a device, where- with thou mayst acquit thyself and thy face be whitened before the king.”  “What is it?” asked she; and he answered, saying, “When the king calleth for thee and questioneth thee of this, say thou to him, ’Yonder youth saw me in the privy-chamber and sent me a message, saying, “I will give thee a hundred jewels, to whose price money may not avail, so thou wilt suffer me to foregather with thee.”  I laughed at him who bespoke me with these words and rebuffed him; but he sent again to me, saying, “An thou fall not in with my wishes, I will come one of the nights, drunken, and enter and lie down in the sleeping-chamber, and the king will see me and kill me; so wilt thou be put to shame and thy face will be blackened with him and thine honour abased."’ Be this thy saying to the king, and I will presently go to him and repeat this to him.”  Quoth the queen, “And I also will say thus.”