horsemen in wild dismay."[FN#3]

His name was King Mohammed bin Sulayman al-Zayni, and he had two
Wazirs, one called Al-Mu'in, son of Sawi and the other Al-Fazl
son of Khakan. Now Al-Fazl was the most generous of the people of
his age, upright of life, so that all hearts united in loving him
and the wise flocked to him for counsel; whilst the subjects used
to pray for his long life, because he was a compendium of the
best qualities, encouraging the good and lief, and preventing
evil and mischief. But the Wazir Mu'in bin Sawi on the contrary
hated folk [FN#4] and loved not the good and was a mere compound
of ill; even as was said of him,

"Hold to nobles, sons of nobles! 'tis ever Nature's test * That
nobles born of nobles shall excel in noble deed:
And shun the mean of soul, meanly bred, for 'tis the law, * Mean
deeds come of men who are mean of blood and breed."

And as much as the people loved and fondly loved Al-Fazl bin
Khakan, so they hated and thoroughly hated the mean and miserly
Mu'in bin Sawi. It befel one day by the decree of the Decreer,
that King Mohammed bin Sulayman al-Zayni, being seated on his
throne with his officers of state about him, summoned his Wazir
Al-Fazl and said to him, "I wish to have a slave-girl of passing
beauty, perfect in loveliness, exquisite in symmetry and endowed
with all praiseworthy gifts." Said the courtiers, "Such a girl
is not to be bought for less than ten thousand gold pieces:"
whereupon the Sultan called out to his treasurer and said, "Carry
ten thousand dinars to the house of Al-Fazl bin Khakan." The
treasurer did the King's bidding; and the Minister went away,