Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/67

47 before the chief officers of the army, who were sitting at meat in the verandah of the house. When they saw Jouder and Selim slain, they held their hands from the food and fear gat hold of them and they said to the Marid, ‘Who hath dealt thus with the Sultan and the Vizier?’ ‘Their brother Salim,’ answered the Marid. And behold Salim came in to them and said, ‘O soldiers, eat and make merry, for Jouder is dead and I have taken to me the seal-ring, of which the Marid before you is the servant; and I bade him kill my brother Selim, lest he dispute the kingdom with me, for he was a traitor and I feared lest he should deal traitorously with me. So now I am become Sultan over you; will ye accept of me? If not, I will rub the ring and bid the Marid slay you all, great and small.’ Quoth they, ‘We accept thee to King and Sultan.’

Then he summoned the Divan and bade bury his brothers; and some of the folk followed the funeral, whilst others went before him in state procession to the palace, where he sat down upon the throne and they proclaimed him king; after which he said, ‘It is my will to marry my brother Jouder’s wife.’ Quoth they, ‘Wait till the days of widowhood are accomplished.’ But he answered, saying, ‘I know not days of widowhood nor aught else. As my head liveth, I will go in to her this very night.’ So they drew up the marriage contract and sent to tell the princess Asiyeh, who replied, ‘Bid him enter.’ Accordingly, he went in to her and she received him with a show of joy and welcome; but by and by she gave him poison in water and made an end of him. Then she took the ring and broke it, that none might possess it thenceforward, and rent the saddle-bags; after which she sent to the Sheikh el Islam and other the great officers of state, telling them what had passed and saying to them, ‘Choose you out a king to rule over you.’ And this is all that hath come down to us of the story of Jouder and his brothers.