tell us one of thy fair tales, so therewith we may cut short the
waking hours of this our night," and quoth Shahrazad:--It hath
reached me, O King of the Age, that the Shaykh again appeared to
the Prince in a vision and said to him, "O Zayn al-Asnam, though
hast obeyed me in whatso I bade thee and I only made trial of
thee to test an thou be valiant or a craven. But now I wot thy
worth, inasmuch as thou hast accepted my words and thou hast
acted upon my advice: so do thou return straightway to thy
capital and I will make thee a wealthy ruler, such an one that
neither before thee was any king like unto thee nor shall any
like unto thee come after thee." Hereat Zayn al-Asnam awoke and
cried "Bismillah,--in the name of Allah, the Compassionating, the
Compassionate--what be this Shaykh who verily persecuted me until
I travelled to Cairo; and I having faith in him and holding that
he was either the Apostle (whom Allah save and assain!) or one of
the righteous Hallows of God; and there is no Majesty and there
is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! By the Lord,
but I did right well in not relating my dream to any save to my
mother, and in warning none of my departure. I had full faith in
this oldster; but now, meseemeth, the man is not of those who
know the Truth (be He extolled and exalted!); so by Allah I will
cast off all confidence in this Shaykh and his doings." With this
resolve the Prince slept that night in the Mosque and on the
morrow took horse and after a few days of strenuous travel
arrived at his capital Bassorah. Herein he entered by night, and
forthright went in to his mother who asked him, "Say me, hast
thou won aught of whatso the Shaykh promised thee?" and he
answered her by acquainting her with all his adventure. Then she
applied her to consoling and comforting him, saying, "Grieve not,
O my son; if Almighty Allah have apportioned unto thee aught thou