Ganem’s mother had never received any letter from him since he had left Damascus; but the other merchants with whom he went to Bagdad were returned, and all of them told her they had left her son in perfect however, seeing he did not return, she could not but be persuaded that he was dead, and was so fully convinced of this in her imagination, that she went into mourning.  She bewailed Ganem as if she had seen him die, and had herself closed his eyes:  never mother expressed greater sorrow; and so far was she from seeking any comfort, that she delighted in indulging her grief.  She had caused a dome to be built in the middle of the court belonging to her house, in which she placed a tomb.  She spent the greatest part of the days and nights in weeping under that dome, as if her son had been buried there:  her daughter bore her company, and mixed her tears with hers.

It was now some time since they had thus devoted themselves to sorrow, and the neighbourhood, hearing their cries and lamentations, pitied such tender relations, when king Mahummud Zinebi knocked at the door, which being opened by a slave belonging to the family, he hastily entered the house, inquiring for Ganem, the son of Abou Ayoub.

Though the slave had never seen king Zinebi, she guessed by his retinue that he must be one of the principal officers of Damascus.  “My lord,” said she, “that Ganem you inquire for is dead; my mistress, his mother, is in that monument, lamenting him.”  The king, not regarding what was said by the slave, caused all the house to be diligently searched by his guards for Ganem.  He then advanced towards the monument, where he saw the mother and daughter sitting on a mat, and their faces appeared to him bathed in tears.  These poor women immediately veiled themselves, as soon as they beheld a man at the door of the dome; but the mother, knowing the king of Damascus, got up, and ran to cast herself at his feet.  “My good lady,” said he, “I was looking for your son, Ganem, is he here?” “Alas! sir,” cried the mother, “it is a long time since he has ceased to be:  would to God I had at least put him into his coffin with my own hands, and had had the comfort of having his bones in this monument!  O my son, my dear son!” She would have said more, but was oppressed with such violent sorrow that she was unable to proceed.

Zinebi was moved; for he was a prince of a mild nature, and had much compassion for the sufferings of the unfortunate.  “If Ganem alone be guilty,” thought he to himself, “why should the mother and the daughter, who are innocent, be punished?  Ah! cruel Haroon al Rusheed! what a mortification do you put upon me, in making me the executioner of your vengeance, obliging me to persecute persons who have not offended you.”