Then they went to the youth and said to him, ’Know that the king thanketh thee for thy dealing yesternight and exceedeth in [praise of] thy good deed;’ and they prompted him to do the like again.  So, when the next night came, the king abode on wake; watching the youth; and as for the latter, he went to the door of the pavilion and drawing his sword, stood in the doorway.  When the king saw him do thus, he was sore disquieted and bade seize him and said to him, ’Is this my requital from thee?  I showed thee favour more than any else and thou wouldst do with me this vile deed.’  Then arose two of the king’s servants and said to him, ’O our lord, if thou command it, we will strike off his head.’  But the king said, ’Haste in slaying is a vile thing, for it[FN#107] is a grave matter; the quick we can slay, but the slain we cannot quicken, and needs must we look to the issue of affairs.  The slaying of this [youth] will not escape us.’[FN#108] Therewith he bade imprison him, whilst he himself returned [to the city] and despatching his occasions, went forth to the chase.

Then he returned to the city and forgot the youth; so the servants went in to him and said to him, ’O king, if thou keep silence concerning yonder youth, who would have slain thee, all thy servants will presume upon thee, and indeed the folk talk of this matter.’  With this the king waxed wroth and saying, ’Fetch him hither,’ commanded the headsman to strike off his head.  So they [brought the youth and] bound his eyes; and the headsman stood at his head and said to the king, ’By thy leave, O my lord, I will strike off his head.’  But the king said, ’Stay, till I look into his affair.  Needs must I put him to death and the slaying of him will not escape [me].’  So he restored him to the prison and there he abode till it should be the king’s will to put him to death.

Presently, his father and his mother heard of the matter; whereupon the former arose and going up to the place, wrote a letter and [presented it to the king, who] read it, and behold, therein was written, saying, ’Have pity on me, so may God have pity on thee, and hasten not in the slaughter [of my son]; for indeed I acted hastily in a certain affair and drowned his brother in the sea, and to this day I drink the cup of his anguish.  If thou must needs kill him, kill me in his stead.’  Therewith the old merchant prostrated himself before the king and wept; and the latter said to him, ‘Tell me thy story.’  ’O my lord,’ answered the merchant, ’this youth had a brother and I [in my haste] cast them both into the sea.’  And he related to him his story from first to last, whereupon the king cried out with an exceeding great cry and casting himself down from the throne, embraced his father and brother and said to the former, ’By Allah, thou art my very father and this is my brother and thy wife is our mother.’  And they abode weeping, all three.