Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/185

161 ‘Take all thou wilt and bring me my son or else news of him.’

Then they agreed upon a device between them, to wit, that they should feign an occasion in their own country, under pretext that she had there wealth buried from the time of her husband Melik Shah and that none knew of it but this eunuch who was with her, wherefore it behoved that he should go and fetch it. So she acquainted the king her husband with this and sought of him leave for the eunuch to go: and the king granted him permission for the journey and charged him cast about for a device, lest any get wind of him. Accordingly, the eunuch disguised himself as a merchant and repairing to Belehwan’s city, began to enquire concerning the youth’s case; whereupon they told him that he had been prisoned in an underground dungeon and that his uncle had released him and dispatched him to such a place, where they had slain him. When the eunuch heard this, it was grievous to him and his breast was straitened and he knew not what he should do.

It chanced one day that one of the horsemen, who had fallen in with the young Melik Shah by the water and clad him and given him spending-money, saw the eunuch in the city, disguised as a merchant, and recognizing him, questioned him of his case and of [the reason of] his coming. Quoth he, ‘I come to sell merchandise.’ And the horseman said, ‘I will tell thee somewhat, if thou canst keep it secret.’ ‘It is well,’ answered the eunuch; ‘what is it?’ And the other said, ‘We met the king’s son Melik Shah, I and certain of the Arabs who were with VOL. I.