Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/23

5  and now thou must leave me to thine enemies and abidest in thy regret and thy repentance. But what is my fault, that thou shouldest revile me?’ Then the Angel of Death took the soul of the King, before he ate of the food, and he fell from his throne, dead. Quoth God the Most High, ‘Even while they rejoiced in what had been given to them, we took them unawares and behold, they were stricken with despair.’ THE ANGEL OF DEATH AND THE KING OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.

There was once a proud and puissant king of the children of Israel, who sat one day upon the throne of his kingship, when he saw come in to him, by the gate of the hall, a man of terrible and forbidding aspect. The King was affrighted at his sudden intrusion upon him and his look terrified him; so he sprang up and said to him, ‘Who art thou, O man? Who gave thee leave to come in to me and who sent thee to my house?’ Quoth the stranger, ‘The Lord of the house sent me to thee and I need no leave to come in to kings, nor can any doorkeeper exclude me, for I reck not of a Sultan’s majesty neither of the multitude of guards. I am he from whom no tyrant is at rest, nor for any is there escape from my grasp: I am the Destroyer of Delights and the Sunderer of Companies.’

When the King heard this, trembling crept over his body and he fell on his face in a swoon; but, presently coming to himself, he said, ‘Art thou then the Angel of Death?’ ‘Yes,’ answered the stranger. ‘I conjure thee by Allah,’ quoth the King, ‘grant me one day’s respite, that I may ask pardon of my sins and seek absolution of