Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/244

222 Vizier, “This is thy son.” And Bedreddin threw himself on Agib and repeated the following verses:

Presently, Bedreddin’s mother came in and fell on him, repeating the following verses:

Then she wept and related to him what had befallen her since his departure, and he told her what he had suffered and they thanked God the Most High for their reunion with one another. Two days after his arrival, the Vizier went in to the Sultan and kissing the earth before him, saluted him after the fashion of salutation to kings. The Sultan rejoiced at his return and received him with distinguished favour. Then he desired to hear what had befallen him in his travels; so the Vizier told him all that had passed, and the Sultan said, “Praised be God for that thou hast attained thy desire and returned in safety to thy kinsfolk and family! I must see thy brother’s son, so do thou bring him to the Divan to-morrow.” Shemseddin replied, “God willing, thy slave shall be present to-morrow.” Then he saluted him and returning to his own house, informed his nephew of the King’s wish to see him, to which Bedreddin replied, “The slave is obedient to his lord’s commands.” So next day he accompanied his uncle to the Divan and after saluting the Sultan in the most punctilious and elegant manner, repeated the following verses: