Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/106

86 So they assembled together and going in to the king, said to him, ‘We have a warning we would give thee.’ Quoth he, ‘And what is your warning?’ And they said, ‘Yonder youth, the merchant, whom thou hast taken into favour and whose rank thou hast exalted above the chiefs of the people of thy household, we saw yesterday draw his sword and offer to fall upon thee, so he might slay thee.’ When the king heard this, his colour changed and he said to them, ‘Have ye proof of this?’ Quoth they, ‘What proof wouldst thou have? If thou desire this, feign thyself drunken again this night and lie down, as if asleep, and watch him, and thou wilt see with thine eyes all that we have named to thee.’

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 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