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.

The king took his wife, the mother of his sons, and what he might [of good] and saved himself and fled in the darkness of the night, unknowing whither he should go.  When travel grew sore upon them, there met them robbers by the way, who took all that was with them, [even to their clothes], so that there was left unto each of them but a shirt and trousers; yea, they left them without victual or camels or [other] riding-cattle, and they ceased not to fare on afoot, till they came to a coppice, to wit, a garden of trees, on the shore of the sea.  Now the road which they would have followed was crossed by an arm of the sea, but it was scant of water.  So, when they came to that place, the king took up one of his children and fording the water with him, set him down on the other bank and returned for his other son.  Him also he set by his brother and returning for their mother, took her up and passing the water with her, came to the place [where he had left his children], but found them not.  Then he looked at the midst of the island and saw there an old man and an old woman, engaged in making themselves a hut of reeds.  So he put down his wife over against them and set off in quest of his children, but none gave him news of them and he went round about right and left, but found not the place where they were.