the kingship in virtue of my patience.  As for the king who sought protection of me and I despoiled him, it was he who first wronged me, for that he despoiled me aforetime and drove me forth of my native land and banished me, without due [cause]; wherefore I requited him with that which he had done to me, in the way of lawful vengeance.  As for the thieves who proffered repentance, there was no repentance for them with me, for that they began upon me with foul [dealing] and waylaid me by the road and despoiled me and took my good and my sons.  Now these two boys, that I took of them and whom ye deemed slaves, are my very sons; so I avenged myself on the thieves of that which they did with me aforetime and requited them with equity.  As for the horseman whom I slew, the woman I took from him was my wife and he took her by force, but God the Most High hath restored her [to me]; so this was my right, and my deed that I have done was just, albeit ye, [judging] by the outward of the matter, deemed that I had done this by way of tyranny.’  When the folk heard this, they marvelled and fell prostrate before him; and they redoubled in esteem for him and exceeding affection and excused themselves to him, marvelling at that which God had done with him and how He had given him the kingship by reason of his longsuffering and his patience and how he had raised himself by his patience from the bottom of the pit to the throne of the kingdom, what while God cast down the [late] king from the throne into the pit.[FN#109] Then Abou Sabir foregathered with his wife and said to her, ’How deemest thou of the fruit of patience and its sweetness and the fruit of haste and its bitterness?  Verily, all that a man doth of good and evil, he shall assuredly abide.’  On like wise, O king,” continued the young treasurer, “it behoveth thee to practise patience, whenas it is possible to thee, for that patience is of the fashion of the noble, and it is the chiefest of their reliance, especially for kings.”

When the king heard this from the youth, his anger subsided; so he bade restore him to the prison, and the folk dispersed that day.

The Fourth Day.

Of the ill effects of precipitation.

When it was the fourth day, the fourth vizier, whose name was Zoushad, made his appearance and prostrating himself to the king, said to him, “O king, suffer not the talk of yonder youth to delude thee, for that he is not a truth-teller.  So long as he abideth on life, the folk will not give over talking nor will thy heart cease to be occupied with him.”  “By Allah,” cried the king, “thou sayst sooth and I will cause fetch him this day and slay him before me.”  Then he commanded to bring the youth; so they brought him in shackles and he said to him, “Out on thee!  Thinkest thou to appease my heart with thy prate, whereby the days are spent in talk?  I mean to slay thee this day and be quit of thee.”  “O king,”