women [and concerned not himself with the affairs of his
kingdom], we took no reck of him; but now he putteth out his hand
to our harem; wherefore methinketh we should do well to look us
out a place, wherein we may have sanctuary."

Then he wrote a letter to King Azadbekht, saying to him, "I am a
servant of thy servants and a slave of thy slaves and my daughter
is a handmaid at thy service, and may God the Most High prolong
thy days and appoint thy times [to be] in delight and
contentment! Indeed, I still went girded of the waist in thy
service and in caring for the preservation of thy dominion and
warding off thine enemies from thee; but now I abound yet more
than before in zeal and watchfulness, for that I have taken this
to charge upon myself, since my daughter is become thy wife." And
he despatched a messenger to the king with the letter and a
present.

When the messenger came to King Azadbekht and he read the letter
and the present was laid before him, he rejoiced with an
exceeding joy and occupied himself with eating and drinking, hour
after hour. But the chief Vizier of his Viziers came to him and
said, "0 king, know that Isfehend the Vizier is thine enemy, for
that his soul liketh not that which thou hast done with him, and
the message that he hath sent thee [is a trick; so] rejoice thou
not therein, neither be thou deluded by the sweetness of his
words and the softness of his speech." The king hearkened [not]
to his Vizier's speech, but made light of the matter and
presently, [dismissing it from his thought], busied himself with
that which he was about of eating and drinking and merrymaking
and delight