his officers took four-fifths of his monies, leaving him one-
fifth and no more. Now Allah Almighty decreed that he should have
a son, who was fortunate and God-favoured and seeing the pomps
and vanities of this world to be transient as they are
unrighteous, renounced them in his youth and rejected the world
and that which is therein and fared forth serving the Most High,
wandering pilgrim-wise over words and wastes and bytimes entering
towns and cities. One day, he came to his father's capital and
the guards laid hands on him and searched him but found naught
upon him save two gowns, one new and the other old.[FN#83] So
they stripped the new one from him and left him the old, after
they had entreated him with contumely and contempt; whereat he
complained and said, "Woe to you, O ye oppressors! I am a poor
man and a pilgrim,[FN#84] and what shall this gown by any means
profit you? Except ye restore it to me, I will go to the King and
make complaint to him of you." They replied, "We act thus by the
King's command: so do what seemeth good to thee." Accordingly he
betook himself to the King's palace and would have entered, but
the chamberlains denied him admittance, and he turned away,
saying in himself, "There is nothing for me except to watch till
he cometh out and complain to him of my case and that which hath
befallen me." And whilst he waited, behold, he heard one of the
guards announce the King's faring forth; whereupon he crept up,
little by little, till he stood before the gate; and presently
when the King came out, he threw himself in his way and after
blessing him and wishing him weal, he made his complaint to him
informing him how scurvily he had been entreated by the
gatekeepers. Lastly he gave him to know that he was a man of the
people of Allah[FN#85] who had rejected the world seeking
acceptance of Allah and who went wandering over earth and