Page:Tales from the Arabic, Vol 1.djvu/99

79 ‘How long [wilt thou afflict me], O star of ill-omen? First my wealth and now my life!’ And he bewailed himself, saying, ‘Endeavour profiteth me nought against evil fortune. The Compassionate aided me not and endeavour was useless.’ On like wise, O king,” continued the youth, “whilst fortune was favourable to me, all that I did came to good; but now that it is grown contrary to me, everything turneth against me.”

When the youth had made an end of his story, the king’s anger subsided a little and he said, “Restore him to the prison, for the day draweth to an end, and to-morrow we will look into his affair.”