Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/113

95 into a well of fire. When he saw this, he spat in his son’s face and taking off his shoe, smote him with it, exclaiming, “Swine that thou art, thou hast thy deserts! This is thy punishment in this world, but there awaits thee a far sorer and more terrible punishment in the world to come!” His behaviour amazed me, and I mourned for my cousin, for that he was become a black coal, and said to the king, “O my uncle, is not that which hath befallen him enough, but thou must beat him with thy shoe?” “O son of my brother,” answered my uncle, “this my son was from his earliest youth madly enamoured of his sister, and I forbade him from her, saying in myself, ‘They are but children.’ But, when they grew up, sin befell between them, notwithstanding that his attendants warned him to abstain from so foul a thing, which none had done before nor would do after him, lest the news of it should be carried abroad by the caravans and he become dishonoured and unvalued among kings to the end of time. I heard of this and believed it not, but took him and upbraided him severely, saying, ‘Have a care lest this thing happen to thee; for I will surely curse thee and put thee to death.’ Then I shut her up and kept them apart, but this accursed girl loved him passionately, and Satan got the upper hand of them and made their deeds to seem good in their eyes. So when my son saw that I had separated them, he made this place under ground and transported victual hither, as thou seest, and taking advantage of my absence a-hunting, came here with his sister, thinking to enjoy her a long while. But the wrath of God descended on them and consumed them; and there awaits them in the world to come a still sorer and more terrible punishment.” Then he wept and I with him, and he looked at me and said, “Henceforth thou art my son in his stead.” Then I bethought me awhile of the world and its chances and how the Vizier had slain my father and usurped his throne and