Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 2.djvu/335

298 blame the sinner for his evil-doing: but have compassion on my gray hairs and do not lay waste my kingdom.’ But Taj el Mulouk drew near unto him and kissing his hand, replied, ‘Fear not: no harm shall come to thee, for indeed thou art to me as my father; but look that nought befall my beloved, the lady Dunya.’ ‘O my lord,’ replied the King, ‘fear not for her; nought but joy shall betide her.’ And he went on to excuse himself to him and made his peace with King Suleiman’s Vizier, to whom he promised much money, if he would conceal from the King what he had seen. Then he bade his officers carry the prince to the bath and clothe him in one of the best of his own suits and bring him back speedily. So they carried him to the bath and brought him back to the presence-chamber, after having clad him in the suit that the King had set apart for him. When he entered, the King rose to receive him and made all his grandees stand in attendance on him. Then he sat down to converse with Aziz and the Vizier and acquainted them with what had befallen him; after which they told him how they had returned to his father and given him to know of his son’s perilous plight and added, ‘And indeed our coming hath brought thee relief and us gladness.’ Quoth he, ‘Good fortune hath attended your every action, first and last.’

Meanwhile, King Shehriman went in to his daughter, the Princess Dunya, and found her weeping and lamenting for Taj el Mulouk. Moreover, she had taken a sword and fixed the hilt in the earth, with the point to her heart between her breasts; and she bent over it, saying, ‘Needs must I kill myself and not live after my beloved.’ When her father entered and saw her in this case, he cried out, ‘O princess of kings’ daughters, hold thy hand and have compassion on thy father and the people of thy realm!’ Then he came up to her and said, ‘God forbid that an ill thing should befall thy father for thy sake!’ And he told