Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/62

44 of blood on his hands, said, ‘This needs no proof: strike off his head.’ When Ibrahim heard this, he wept sore and recited the following verses, with the tears streaming from his eyes:

Then he gave a sob and fell down in a swoon; and the headsman’s heart was moved to pity for him and he exclaimed, ‘By Allah, this is no murderer’s face!’ But the prefect said, ‘Strike off his head.’ So they seated him on the carpet of blood and bound his eyes; after which the headsman drew his sword and asking leave of the prefect, was about to strike off his head, whilst he cried out, saying, ‘Alas, my strangerhood!’ when he heard a noise of horse coming up and one cried out, saying, ‘Leave him! Stay thy hand, O headsman!’

Now there was for this a rare reason and an extraordinary cause; and it was thus. El Khesib, lord of Egypt, had sent his chamberlain to the Khalif Haroun er Reshid with presents and a letter, saying, ‘My son hath been missing this year past, and I hear that he is in Baghdad; wherefore I crave of the bounty of the Vicar of God that he make search for tidings of him and do his endeavour to find him and send him back to me by the chamberlain.’ When the Khalif read the letter, he commanded the chief of the police to search out the truth of the matter, and he accordingly proceeded to enquire after Ibrahim, till it was told him that he was at Bassora, whereupon he informed the Khalif, who wrote a letter [to the viceroy] and giving it to the Chamberlain of Egypt, bade him repair to Bassora and take with him a company of the vizier’s followers. So, of his solicitude for the son of his lord, the chamberlain set out forthright and