Now the merchant and his wife had taken up their abode in a city in the land whereof their [other] son was king, and when the boy [whom they had found] grew up, his father assigned unto him merchandise, so he might travel therewith.  So he set out and entered the city wherein his brother was king.  News reached the latter that there was a merchant come thither with merchandise befitting kings.  So he sent for him and the young merchant obeyed the summons and going in to him, sat down before him.  Neither of them knew the other; but blood stirred between them and the king said to the young merchant, ’I desire of thee that thou abide with me and I will exalt thy station and give thee all that thou desirest and cravest.’  So he abode with him awhile, quitting him not; and when he saw that he would not suffer him to depart from him, he sent to his father and mother and bade them remove thither to him.  So they addressed them to remove to that island, and their son increased still in honour with the king, albeit he knew not that he was his brother.

It chanced one night that the king sallied forth without the city and drank and the wine got the mastery of him and he became drunken.  So, of the youth’s fearfulness for him, he said, ’I will keep watch myself over the king this night, seeing that he deserveth this from me, for that which he hath wrought with me of kindnesses.’  So he arose forthright and drawing his sword, stationed himself at the door of the king’s pavilion.  Now one of the royal servants saw him standing there, with the drawn sword in his hand, and he was of those who envied him his favour with the king; so he said to him, ’Why dost thou on this wise at this season and in the like of this place?’ Quoth the youth, ’I am keeping watch over the king myself, in requital of his bounties to me.’

The servant said no more to him, but, when it was morning, he acquainted a number of the king’s servants with this and they said, ’This is an opportunity for us.  Come let us assemble together and acquaint the king with this, so the young merchant may lose favour with him and he rid us of him and we be at rest from him.’  So they assembled together and going in to the king, said to him, ‘We have a warning we would give thee.’  Quoth he, ‘And what is your warning?’ And they said, ’Yonder youth, the merchant, whom thou hast taken into favour and whose rank thou hast exalted above the chiefs of the people of thy household, we saw yesterday draw his sword and offer to fall upon thee, so he might slay thee.’  When the king heard this, his colour changed and he said to them, ‘Have ye proof of this?’ Quoth they, ’What proof wouldst thou have?  If thou desire this, feign thyself drunken again this night and lie down, as if asleep, and watch him, and thou wilt see with thine eyes all that we have named to thee.’