Then he turned to the woman and said to her, ’And thou, what sayst thou?’ So she expounded to him her case and recounted to him all that had betided her and her husband, first and last, up to the time when they took up their abode with the old man and woman who dwelt on the sea-shore.  Then she set out that which the Magian had practised on her of knavery and how he had carried her off in the ship and all that had betided her of humiliation and torment, what while the cadis and judges and deputies hearkened to her speech.  When the king heard the last of his wife’s story, he said, ’Verily, there hath betided thee a grievous matter; but hast thou knowledge of what thy husband did and what came of his affair?’ ‘Nay, by Allah,’ answered she; ’I have no knowledge of him, save that I leave him no hour unremembered in fervent prayer, and never, whilst I live, will he cease to be to me the father of my children and my father’s brother’s son and my flesh and my blood.’  Then she wept and the king bowed his head, whilst his eyes brimmed over with tears at her story.

Then he raised his head to the Magian and said to him, ’Say thy say, thou also.’  So the Magian said, ’This is my slave-girl, whom I bought with my money from such a land and for so many dinars, and I made her my favourite[FN#67] and loved her with an exceeding love and gave her charge over my good; but she betrayed me in my substance and plotted with one of my servants to slay me, tempting him by promising him that she would be his wife.  When I knew this of her and was certified that she purposed treason against me, I awoke [from my heedlessness] and did with her that which I did, of fear for myself from her craft and perfidy; for indeed she is a beguiler with her tongue and she hath taught these two youths this pretence, by way of trickery and of her perfidy and malice:  so be thou not deluded by her and by her talk.’

‘Thou liest, O accursed one,’ cried the king and bade lay hands on him and clap him in irons.  Then he turned to the two youths, his sons, and strained them to his breast, weeping sore and saying, ’O all ye who are present of cadis and assessors and officers of state, know that these twain are my sons and that this is my wife and the daughter of my father’s brother; for that I was king aforetime in such a region.’  And he recounted to them his history from beginning to end, nor is there aught of profit in repetition; whereupon the folk cried out with weeping and lamentation for the stress of that which they heard of marvellous chances and that rare story.  As for the king’s wife, he caused carry her into his palace and lavished upon her and upon her sons all that behoved and beseemed them of bounties, whilst the folk flocked to offer up prayers for him and give him joy of [his reunion with] his wife and children.