me, he was none of mankind, [FN#42] extolled be His perfection and
magnified be He who [alone] knoweth the truth! By Allah, I will
leave trusting in this old man [neither will I comply with him]
in that which he would have me do!" Accordingly, he lay [the rest
of] that night [in the mosque] and at daybreak he arose and
mounting his courser, set out on his return to Bassora, [the seat
of] his kingship, where, after a few days, he arrived and went in
that same night to his mother, who asked him if aught had
befallen him of that which the old man had promised him. He
acquainted her with that which he had seen [in his sleep] and she
fell to condoling with him and comforting him, saying, "Grieve
not, O my son, for, an God the Most High have appointed thee
aught of [good] fortune, thou wilt attain thereto without either
travail or toil; but I would have thee be understanding and
discreet and leave these things which have brought thee to
poverty, O my son, and eschew singing-wenches and the commerce of
youths and women; all this is for the baser sort, not for kings'
sons like thee." And he swore to her that he would never more
gainsay her commandment, but would observe all that she should
say to him and would turn his mind to the governance and the
kingship and leave that wherefrom she forbade him. Then he slept
that night and what while he was on sleep, the old man appeared
to him and said to him, "O Zein ul Asnam, O valiant one, whenas
thou arisest from thy sleep this day, I will accomplish my
promise to thee; wherefore take thou a pickaxe and go to the
palace of thy father Such-an-one [FN#43] in such a place and dig
there in the earth and thou wilt find that which shall enrich
thee."

When Zein ul Asnam awoke from his sleep, he hastened to his