Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/208

180 me not, for indeed I have excuse.’ Quoth Gherib, ‘What is thine excuse?’ And he answered, saying, ‘Know, O my lord, that I came out to avenge my mother and my father on Sabour, King of the Persians; for he would have slain them; but my mother escaped and I know not whether he killed my father or not.’ ‘By Allah!’ [sic] rejoined Gherib, ‘thou art indeed excusable! But who were thy father and mother and what are their names?’ Quoth Murad Shah, ‘My father was Gherib, King of Irak, and my mother Fekhr Taj, daughter of King Sabour of Persia.’ When Gherib heard this, he gave a great cry and fell down in a swoon. They sprinkled rose-water on him, till he came to himself, when he said to Murad Shah, ‘Art thou indeed Gherib’s son by Fekhr Taj?’ And he answered, ‘Yes.’ Quoth Gherib, ‘Thou art a champion, the son of a champion. Loose my son.’ And Sehim and Kailjan went up to Murad Shah and loosed him.

Then Gherib embraced him and seating him beside himself, said to him, ‘Where is thy mother?’ ‘She is with me in my tent,’ answered Murad Shah; and Gherib said, ‘Bring her to me.’ So Murad Shah mounted and repaired to his camp, where his men met him, rejoicing in his safety, and asked him of his case; but he answered, saying, ‘This is no time for questions.’ Then he went in to his mother and told her what had passed; whereat she rejoiced with an exceeding joy. So he carried her to Gherib, and they embraced and rejoiced in each other. Then Fekhr Taj and Murad Shah embraced Islam and expounded the faith to their troops, who all made profession with heart and tongue. After this, Gherib sent for Sabour and his son Wird Shah and upbraided them for their evil dealing and expounded Islam to them; but they refused to profess. So he crucified them on the gate of the city and the people decorated the town and held high festival. Then Gherib crowned Murad Shah with the