Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/88

68 and took this boy prisoner. Then we questioned him, saying, ‘Who is thy father?’ and he answered, ‘I am the captain’s son of the thieves.’” Quoth the king, “I would fain have this boy.” And the captain of the caravan said, “God maketh thee gift of him, O king of the age, and we all are thy slaves.” Then the king dismissed [the people of] the caravan and let carry the youth into his palace and he became as one of the servants, what while his father the king knew not that he was his son. As time went on, the king observed in him good breeding and understanding and knowledge galore and he pleased him; so he committed his treasuries to his charge and straitened the viziers’ hand therefrom, commanding that nought should be taken forth therefrom except by leave of the youth. On this wise he abode a number of years and the king saw in him nought but fidelity and studiousness in well-doing.

Now the treasuries aforetime had been in the viziers’ hand, so they might do with them what they would, and when they came under the youth’s hand, that of the viziers was straitened from them, and the youth became dearer to the king than a son and he could not brook to be separated from him. When the viziers saw this, they were jealous of him and envied him and cast about for a device against him whereby they might oust him from the king’s favour, but found no opportunity. At last, when came the destined hour, it chanced that the youth one day drank wine and became drunken and wandered from his wits; so he fell to going round