So they made ready his affair and the king conferred on him a dress of honour, and he took with him a present and a letter under the king’s hand and setting out, fared on till he came to the [capital] city of Turkestan.  When the king of the Turks knew of his coming, he despatched his officers to receive him and entreated him with honour and lodged him as befitted his rank.  Then he entertained him three days, after which he summoned him to his presence and Abou Temam went in to him and prostrating himself before him, as beseemeth unto kings, laid the present before him and gave him the letter.

The king read the letter and said to Abou Temam, “We will do what behoveth in the matter; but, O Abou Temam, needs must thou see my daughter and she thee, and needs must thou hear her speech and she thine.’  So saying, he sent him to the lodging of the princess, who had had notice of this; so that they had adorned her sitting-chamber with the costliest that might be of utensils of gold and silver and the like, and she seated herself on a throne of gold, clad in the most sumptuous of royal robes and ornaments.  When Abou Temam entered, he bethought himself and said, ’The wise say, he who restraineth his sight shall suffer no evil and he who guardeth his tongue shall hear nought of foul, and he who keepeth watch over his hand, it shall be prolonged and not curtailed.’[FN#121] So he entered and seating himself on the ground, [cast down his eyes and] covered his hands and feet with his dress.[FN#122] Quoth the king’s daughter to him, ’Lift thy head, O Abou Temam, and look on me and speak with me.’  But he spoke not neither raised his head, and she continued, ’They sent thee but that thou mightest look on me and speak with me, and behold, thou speakest not at all.  Take of these pearls that be around thee and of these jewels and gold and silver.  But he put not forth his hand unto aught, and when she saw that he paid no heed to anything, she was angry and said, ’They have sent me a messenger, blind, dumb and deaf.’

Then she sent to acquaint her father with this; whereupon the king called Abou Temam to him and said to him, ’Thou camest not but to see my daughter.  Why, then, hast thou not looked upon her?’ Quoth Abou Temam, ‘I saw everything.’  And the king said, ’Why didst thou not take somewhat of that which thou sawest of jewels and the like?  For they were set for thee.’  But he answered, ’It behoveth me not to put out my hand to aught that is not mine.’  When the king heard his speech, he gave him a sumptuous dress of honour and loved him exceedingly and said to him, ‘Come, look at this pit.’  So Abou Temam went up [to the mouth of the pit] and looked, and behold, it was full of heads of men; and the king said to him, ’These are the heads of ambassadors, whom I slew, for that I saw them without loyalty to their masters, and I was used, whenas I saw an ambassador without breeding, [FN#123] to say, “He who sent him is less of breeding than he, for that the messenger