related to him what had happened when he drew near to him and
said, "O my lord, act not after this fashion! An thou determine
upon the killing of yonder man, first break the gem and, if thou
find therein a worm, thou wilt know the wight's word to have been
veridical; but an thou find it sound then strike off his head."
"Right is thy rede," quoth the King: then he took in hand the gem
and smote it with his mace[FN#29] and when he brake behold, he
found therein the worm amiddlemost thereof. So he marvelled at
the sight and asked the man, "What proved to thee that it
harboured a worm?" "The sharpness of my sight," answered the
Sharper. Then the Sultan pardoned him and, admiring his power of
vision, addressed his attendants saying, "Bear him back to his
comrades and ration him with a dish of roast meat and two cakes
of bread." And they did as he bade them. After some time, on a
day of the days, there came to the King the tribute of 'Ajamland
accompanied with presents amongst which was a colt whose robe
black as night[FN#30] showed one shade in the sun and another in
the shadow. When the animal was displayed to the Sultan he fell
in love with it and set apart for it a stall and solaced himself
at all times by gazing at it and was wholly occupied with it and
sang its praises till they filled the whole country side.
Presently he remembered the Sharper who claimed to be a
genealogist of the horse-kind and bade him be summoned. So they
fared forth and brought him and set him between the hands of the
Sovran who said to him, "Art thou he who knoweth the breed and
descent of horses?" "Yea verily," said the man. Then cried the
King, "By the truth of Him who set me upon the necks of His
servants and who sayeth to a thing 'Be' and it becometh, an I
find aught of error or confusion in thy words, I will strike off
thy head." "Hearkening and obedience," quoth the Sharper. Then