Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/234



was a Sultan of Bussorah blessed with great prosperity and happy in the affections of his people. His only source of affliction was, that he was childless. But after many years had passed a son was born to him, whom he named Zeyn Alasnam.

Zeyn was educated with the greatest care. While, however, the prince was yet young, the good sultan fell sick of a disorder, which all the skill of his physicians could not cure, and presently he died.

As soon as the mourning for his father was passed, Prince Zeyn began to show that he was unfit to govern a kingdom. He gave way to all kinds of dissipation and conferred on his youthful but evil associates the chief offices in the kingdom. He lost all the respect of his people and emptied his treasury.

The queen, his mother, tried to correct her