As for Abou Sabir, when he returned, he saw not his wife and read what was written on the ground, wherefore he wept and sat [awhile] sorrowing.  Then said he to himself, ’O Abou Sabir, it behoveth thee to be patient, for belike there shall betide [thee] an affair yet sorer than this and more grievous;’ and he went forth wandering at a venture, like to the love-distraught, the madman, till he came to a sort of labourers working upon the palace of the king, by way of forced labour.  When [the overseers] saw him, they laid hold of him and said to him, ’Work thou with these folk at the palace of the king; else will we imprison thee for life.’  So he fell to working with them as a labourer and every day they gave him a cake of bread.  He wrought with them a month’s space, till it chanced that one of the labourers mounted a ladder and falling, broke his leg; whereupon he cried out and wept.  Quoth Abou Sabir to him, ’Have patience and weep not; for thou shall find ease in thy patience.’  But the man said to him, ‘How long shall I have patience?’ And he answered, saying, ’Patience bringeth a man forth of the bottom of the pit and seateth him on the throne of the kingdom.’

Now the king was seated at the lattice, hearkening to their talk, and Abou Sabir’s words angered him; so he bade bring him before him and they brought him forthright.  Now there was in the king’s palace an underground dungeon and therein a vast deep pit, into which the king caused cast Abou Sabir, saying to him, ’O lackwit, now shall we see how thou wilt come forth of the pit to the throne of the kingdom.’  Then he used to come and stand at the mouth of the pit and say, ’O lackwit, O Abou Sabir, I see thee not come forth of the pit and sit down on the king’s throne!’ And he assigned him each day two cakes of bread, whilst Abou Sabir held his peace and spoke not, but bore with patience that which betided him.

Now the king had a brother, whom he had imprisoned in that pit of old time, and he had died [there]; but the folk of the realm thought that he was alive, and when his [supposed] imprisonment grew long, the king’s officers used to talk of this and of the tyranny of the king, and the report spread abroad that the king was a tyrant, wherefore they fell upon him one day and slew him.  Then they sought the well and brought out Abou Sabir therefrom, deeming him the king’s brother, for that he was the nearest of folk to him [in favour] and the likest, and he had been long in the prison.  So they doubted not but that he was the prince in question and said to him, ’Reign thou in thy brother’s room, for we have slain him and thou art king in his stead.’  But Abou Sabir was silent and spoke not a word; and he knew that this was the issue of his patience.  Then he arose and sitting down on the king’s throne, donned the royal raiment and discovered justice and equity and the affairs [of the realm] prospered [in his hand]; wherefore the folk obeyed him and the people inclined to him and many were his troops.