Presently, her brothers returned, whereupon the old man acquainted them with the whole case and said to them, “O my sons, know that your sister purposed not aught but good, and if ye slay this man, ye will earn abiding reproach and ye will wrong him, ay, and wrong yourselves and your sister, to boot; for indeed there appeareth no cause [of offence] such as calleth for slaughter, and it may not be denied that this incident is a thing the like whereof may well betide and that he may well have been baffled by the like of this chance.”  Then he turned to me and questioned me of my lineage; so I set forth to him my genealogy and he said, “A man of equal rank, honourable [and] understanding.”  And he offered me [his daughter in] marriage.  I consented to him of this and marrying her, took up my abode with him and God the Most High hath opened on me the gates of weal and fortune, so that I am become the most abounding in substance of the folk of the tribe; and He hath stablished me in that which He hath given me of His bounties.’

The young man marvelled at his story and lay the night with him; and when he arose in the morning, he found his strays.  So he took them and returning [to his family.], acquainted them with what he had seen and that which had betided him.  Nor,” added the vizier, “is this more marvellous or rarer than the story of the king who lost kingdom and wealth and wife and children and God restored them unto him and requited him with a kingdom more magnificent than that which he had lost and goodlier and rarer and greater of wealth and elevation.”

The vizier’s story pleased the king and he bade depart to his dwelling.

The Twenty-Sixth Night of the Month.

When came the night, the king summoned his vizier and bade him tell the story of the king who lost kingdom and wife and wealth.  “Hearkening and obedience,” replied Er Rehwan.  “Know, O king, that

Story of the king who lost kingdom and
wife and wealth and god restored them to
him.

There was once a king of the kings of Hind, who was goodly of polity, praiseworthy in administration, just to his subjects, beneficent to men of learning and piety and asceticism and devoutness and worship and shunning traitors and froward folk and those of lewd life.  On this wise of polity he abode in his kingship what God the Most High willed of days and hours and years, and he married the daughter of his father’s brother, a beautiful and lovesome woman, endowed with brightness and perfection, who had been reared in the king’s house in splendour and delight.  She bore him two sons, the comeliest that might be of boys.  Then came fore-ordained fate, which there is no warding off, and God the Most High raised up against the king another king, who came forth upon his realm, and all the folk of the city, who had a mind unto evil and lewdness, joined themselves unto him.  So he fortified himself against the king and made himself master of his kingdom, putting his troops to the rout and slaying his guards.