to her, "Laugh not, for needs must I journey to Cairo." "O my
son," answered she, "put not thy trust in dreams, for that they
are all vain fancies and lying imaginations." And he said to her,
"Nay, my dream was a true one and the man whom I saw is of the
Friends of God [FN#38] and his speech is very sooth."

Accordingly, he left the sultanate and going forth a-journeying
one night of the nights, took the road to Egypt [and fared on]
days and nights till he came to the city of Cairo. So he entered
it and saw it a great and magnificent city; then, being perished
for weariness, he took shelter in one of its mosques. When he had
rested awhile, he went forth and bought him somewhat to eat; and
after he had eaten, he fell asleep in the mosque, of the excess
of his weariness, nor had he slept but a little when the old man
appeared to him in his sleep and said to him, "O Zein ul
Assam, [FN#39] thou hast done as I said to thee, and indeed I made
proof of thee, that I might see an thou wert valiant or not; but
now I know thee, inasmuch as thou hast put faith in my rede and
hast done according thereto. So now return to thine own city and
I will make thee a king rich after such a measure that neither
before thee nor after thee shall [any] of the kings be like unto
thee." So Zein ul Asnam arose from his sleep and said, "In the
name of God. the Compassionate, the Merciful! What is this old
man who hath wearier me, so that I came to Cairo, [FN#40] and I
trusted in him and deemed of him that he was the Prophet (whom
God bless and keep) or one of the pious Friends of God? But there
is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Supreme.
By Allah. I did well in that I acquainted none with my sallying
forth neither related my dream unto any! [FN#41] Indeed. I
believed in this old man and meseemed. by that which appeared to