Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/261

233 EL MELIK EN NASIR AND HIS VIZIER.

There was given to Abou Aamir ben Merwan, Vizier [to El Melik en Nasir of Egypt], a boy of the Christians, than whom never fell eyes on a handsomer. En Nasir saw him and said to the Vizier, ‘Whence comes this boy?’ ‘From God,’ answered Abou Aamir; whereupon, ‘Wilt thou fright us with stars,’ quoth the King, ‘and captive us with moons?’ Abou Aamir excused himself to him and making up a present, sent it to him with the boy, to whom he said, ‘Be thou part of the present: were it not of necessity, my soul had not consented to give thee away.’ And he wrote with him these verses:

The thing pleased En Nasir and he requited him with much treasure and the Vizier became high in favour with him. After this, a slave-girl, one of the loveliest women in the world, was presented to the Vizier, and he feared lest this should come to the King’s ears and he desire her, and the like should happen as with the boy. So he made up a present still costlier than the first and sent it with her to the King, together with these verses:

Wherefore his credit redoubled with En Nasir; but after awhile, one of his enemies maligned him to the King, alleging that there still lurked in him desire for the boy