The prince thanked them and said to them, ‘God requite you with all good, for indeed ye give me loyal counsel; but whither would ye have me go?’ Quoth they, ‘Get thee to the land of the Greeks, the abiding-place of thy mother.’ And he said, ‘My grandfather Suleiman Shah, when the King of the Greeks wrote to him, demanding my mother in marriage, concealed my affair and hid my secret; [and she hath done the like,] and I cannot make her a liar.’ ‘Thou sayst sooth,’ rejoined they; ‘but we desire thine advantage, and even if thou tookest service with the folk, it were a means of thy continuance [on life].’ Then each of them brought out to him money and gave to him and clad him and fed him and fared on with him a parasang’s distance till they brought him far from the city, and giving him to know that he was safe, departed from him, whilst he fared on till he came forth of the dominions of his uncle and entered those [of the king] of the Greeks. Then he entered a village and taking up his abode therein, betook himself to serving one there in ploughing and sowing and the like.
As for his mother, Shah Khatoun, great was her longing for her son and she [still] thought of him and news of him was cut off from her, wherefore her life was troubled and she forswore sleep and could not make mention of him before King Caesar her husband. Now she had an eunuch who had come with her from the court of her uncle King Suleiman Shah, and he was intelligent, quickwitted, a man of good counsel. So she took him apart one day and said to him, ‘Thou hast been my servant from my childhood to this day; canst thou not therefore avail to get me news of my son, for that I cannot speak of his matter?’ ‘O my lady,’ answered he, ‘this is an affair that thou hast concealed from the first, and were thy son here, it would not be possible for thee to harbour him, lest thine honour fall into suspicion with the king; for they would never credit thee, since the news hath been spread abroad that thy son was slain by his uncle.’ Quoth she, ‘The case is even as thou sayst and thou speakest truly; but, provided I know that my son is alive, let him be in these parts pasturing sheep and let me not see him nor he me.’ And he said to her, ‘How shall we contrive in this affair?’ ‘Here are my treasures and my wealth,’ answered she. ‘Take all thou wilt and bring me my son or else news of him.’
Then they agreed upon a device between them, to wit, that they should feign an occasion in their own country, under pretext that she had there wealth buried from the time of her husband Melik Shah and that none knew of it but this eunuch who was with her, wherefore it behoved that he should go and fetch it. So she acquainted the king her husband with this and sought of him leave for the eunuch to go: and the king granted him permission for the journey and charged him cast about for a device, lest any get wind of him. Accordingly, the eunuch disguised himself as a merchant and repairing to Belehwan’s city, began to enquire concerning the youth’s case; whereupon they told him that he had been prisoned in an underground dungeon and that his uncle had released him and dispatched him to such a place, where they had slain him. When the eunuch heard this, it was grievous to him and his breast was straitened and he knew not what he should do.
It chanced one day that one of the horsemen, who had fallen in with the young Melik Shah by the water and clad him and given him spending-money, saw the eunuch in the city, disguised as a merchant, and recognizing him, questioned him of his case and of [the reason of] his coming. Quoth he, ‘I come to sell merchandise.’ And the horseman said, ‘I will tell thee somewhat, if thou canst keep it secret.’ ‘It is well,’ answered the eunuch; ‘what is it?’ And the other said, ‘We met the king’s son Melik Shah, I and certain of the Arabs who were with me, and saw him by such a water and gave him spending-money and sent him towards the land of the Greeks, near his mother, for that we feared for him, lest his uncle Belehwan should kill him.’ Then he told him all that had passed between them, whereupon the eunuch’s countenance changed and he said to the cavalier, ‘Assurance!’ ‘Thou shalt have assurance,’ answered the other, ‘though thou come in quest of him.’ And the eunuch rejoined, saying, ‘Truly, that is my errand, for there abideth no repose for his mother, lying down or rising up, and she hath sent me to seek news of him.’ Quoth the cavalier, ‘Go in safety, for he is in a [certain] part of the land of the Greeks, even as I said to thee.’
The eunuch thanked him and blessed him and mounting, returned upon his way, following the trace, whilst the cavalier rode with him to a certain road, when he said to him, ‘This is where we left him.’ Then he took leave of him and returned to his own city, whilst the eunuch fared on along the road, enquiring of the youth in every village he entered by the description which the cavalier had given him, and he ceased not to do thus till he came to the village where the young Melik Shah was. So he entered and lighting down therein, made enquiry after the prince, but none gave him news of him; whereat he abode perplexed concerning his affair and addressed himself to depart. Accordingly he mounted his horse [and set out homeward]; but, as he passed through the village, he saw a cow bound with a rope and a youth asleep by her side, with the end of the halter in his hand; so he looked at him and passed on and took no heed of him in his heart; but presently he stopped and said in himself; ‘If he of whom I am in quest be come to the like [of the condition] of yonder sleeping youth, by whom I passed but now, how shall I know him? Alas, the length of my travail and weariness! How shall I go about in quest of a wight whom I know not and whom, if I saw him face to face, I should not know?’
Then he turned back, pondering upon that sleeping youth, and coming to him, as he slept, lighted down from his horse and sat down by him. He fixed his eyes upon his face and considered him awhile and said in himself, ‘For aught I know, this youth may be Melik Shah.’ And he fell a-hemming and saying, ‘Harkye, O youth!’ Whereupon the sleeper awoke and sat up; and the eunuch said to him, ‘Who is thy father in this village and where is thy dwelling?’ The youth sighed and answered, ‘I am a stranger;’ and the eunuch said, ‘From what land art thou and who is thy father?’ Quoth the other, ‘I am from such a land,’ and the eunuch ceased not to question him and he to answer him, till he was certified of him and knew him. So he rose and embraced him and kissed him and wept over his case. Moreover, he told him that he was going about in quest of him and informed him that he was come privily from the king his mother’s husband and that his mother would be content [to know] that he was alive and well, though she saw him not.
Then he re-entered the village and buying the prince a horse, mounted him thereon and they ceased not going, till they came to the frontier of their own country, where there fell robbers upon them by the way and took all that was with them and pinioned them; after which they cast them into a pit hard by the road and went away and left them to die there, and indeed they had cast many folk into that pit and they had died.
The eunuch fell a-weeping in the pit and the youth said to him, ‘What is this weeping and what shall it profit here?’ Quoth the eunuch, ‘I weep not for fear of death, but of pity for thee and the sorriness of thy case and because of thy mother’s heart and for that which thou hast suffered of horrors and that thy death should be this abject death, after the endurance of all manner stresses.’ But the youth said, ‘That which hath betided me was forewrit to me and that which is written none hath power to efface; and if my term be advanced, none may avail to defer it.’ Then they passed that night and the following day and the next night and the next day [in the pit], till they were weak with hunger and came near upon death and could but groan feebly.
Now it befell, by the ordinance of God the Most High and His providence, that Caesar, king of the Greeks, the husband of Melik Shah’s mother Shah Khatoun, [went forth to the chase that day]. He started a head of game, he and his company, and chased it, till they came up with it by that pit, whereupon one of them lighted down from his horse, to slaughter it, hard by the mouth of the pit. He heard a sound of low moaning from the bottom of the pit} so he arose and mounting his horse, waited till the troops were assembled. Then he acquainted the king with this and he bade one of his servants [d
escend into the pit]. So the man descended and brought out the youth [and the eunuch], aswoon.
They cut their bonds and poured wine into their gullets, till they came to themselves, when the king looked at the eunuch and recognizing him, said, ‘Harkye, such an one!’ ‘Yes, O my lord the king,’ replied the man and prostrated himself to him; whereat the king marvelled with an exceeding wonder and said to him, ‘How earnest thou to this place and what hath befallen thee?” Quoth the eunuch, ‘I went and took out the treasure and brought it hither; but the [evil] eye was behind me and I unknowing. So the thieves took us alone here and seized the money and cast us into this pit, so we might die of hunger, even as they had done with other than we; but God the Most High sent thee, in pity to us.’
The king marvelled, he and his company, and praised God the Most High for that he had come thither; after which he turned to the eunuch and said to him, ‘What is this youth thou hast with thee?’ ‘O king,’ answered he, ‘this is the son of a nurse who belonged to us and we left him little. I saw him to-day and his mother said to me, ‘Take him with thee.’ So I brought him with me, that he might be a servant to the king, for that he is an adroit and quickwitted youth.’ Then the king fared on, he and his company, and the eunuch and the youth with them, what while he questioned the former of Belehwan and his dealing with his subjects, and he answered, saying, ‘As thy head liveth, O king, the folk with him are in sore straits and not one of them desireth to look on him, gentle or simple.’
[When the king returned to his palace,] he went in to his wife Shah Khatoun and said to her, ‘I give thee the glad news of thine eunuch’s return.’ And he told her what had betided and of the youth whom he had brought with him. When she heard this, her wits fled and she would have cried out, but her reason restrained her, and the king said to her, ‘What is this? Art thou overcome with grief for [the loss of] the treasure or [for that which hath befallen] the eunuch?’ ‘Nay, as thy head liveth, O king!’ answered she. ‘But women are fainthearted.’ Then came the servant and going in to her, told her all that had befallen him and acquainted her with her son’s case also and with that which he had suffered of stresses and how his uncle had exposed him to slaughter and he had been taken prisoner and they had cast him into the pit and hurled him from the top of the citadel and how God had delivered him from these perils, all of them; and he went on to tell her [all that had betided him], whilst she wept.
Then said she to him, ‘When the king saw him and questioned thee of him, what saidst thou to him?’ And he answered, ‘I said to him, “This is the son of a nurse who belonged to us. We left him little and he grew up; so I brought him, that he might be servant to the king,”’ Quoth she, ‘Thou didst well.’ And she charged him to be instant in the service of the prince. As for the king, he redoubled in kindness to the eunuch and appointed the youth a liberal allowance and he abode going in to the king’s house and coming out therefrom and standing in his service, and every day he grew in favour with him; whilst, as for Shah Khatoun, she used to stand a-watch for him at the windows and balconies and gaze upon him, and she on coals of fire on his account, yet could she not speak.
On this wise she abode a great while and indeed yearning for him came nigh to slay her; so she stood and watched for him one day at the door of her chamber and straining him to her bosom, kissed him on the cheek and breast. At this moment, out came the master of the king’s household and seeing her embracing the youth, abode amazed. Then he asked to whom that chamber belonged and was answered, ‘To Shah Khatoun, wife of the king,’ whereupon he turned back, trembling as [one smitten by] a thunderbolt. The king saw him quaking and said to him, ‘Out on thee! what is the matter?’ ‘O king,’ answered he, ‘what matter is graver than that which I see?’ ‘What seest thou?’ asked the king and the officer said, ‘I see that yonder youth, who came with the eunuch, he brought not with him but on account of Shah Khatoun; for that I passed but now by her chamber door, and she was standing, watching; [and when the youth came up,] she rose to him and clipped him and kissed him on his cheek.’
When the king heard this, he bowed [his head] in amazement and perplexity and sinking into a seat, clutched at his beard and shook it, till he came nigh to pluck it out. Then he arose forthright and laid hands on the youth and clapped him in prison. Moreover, he took the eunuch also and cast them both into an underground dungeon in his house, after which he went in to Shah Khatoun and said to her, ‘Thou hast done well, by Allah, O daughter of nobles, O thou whom kings sought in marriage, for the excellence of thy repute and the goodliness of the reports of thee! How fair is thy semblance! May God curse her whose inward is the contrary of her outward, after the likeness of thy base favour, whose outward is comely and its inward foul, fair face and foul deeds! Verily, I mean to make of thee and of yonder good-for-nought an example among the folk, for that thou sentest not thine eunuch but of intent on his account, so that he took him and brought him into my house and thou hast trampled my head with him; and this is none other than exceeding hardihood; but thou shall see what I will do with you.’
So saying, he spat in her face and went out from her; whilst Shah Khatoun made him no answer, knowing that, if she spoke at that time, he would not credit her speech. Then she humbled herself in supplication to God the Most High and said, ‘O God the Great, Thou knowest the hidden things and the outward parts and the inward’ If an advanced term be [appointed] to me, let it not be deferred, and if a deferred one, let it not be advanced!’ On this wise she passed some days, whilst the king fell into perplexity and forswore meat and drink and sleep and abode knowing not what he should do and saying [in himself], ‘If I kill the eunuch and the youth, my soul will not be solaced, for they are not to blame, seeing that she sent to fetch him, and my heart will not suffer me to slay them all three. But I will not be hasty in putting them to death, for that I fear repentance.’ Then he left them, so he might look into the affair.
Now he had a nurse, a foster-mother, on whose knees he had been reared, and she was a woman of understanding and misdoubted of him, but dared not accost him [with questions]. So she went in to Shah Khatoun and finding her in yet sorrier plight than he, asked her what was to do; but she refused to answer. However, the nurse gave not over coaxing and questioning her, till she exacted of her an oath of secrecy. So the old woman swore to her that she would keep secret all that she should say to her, whereupon the queen related to her her history from first to last and told her that the youth was her son. With this the old woman prostrated herself before her and said to her, ‘This is an easy matter.’ But the queen answered, saying, ‘By Allah, O my mother, I choose my destruction and that of my son rather than defend myself by avouching a thing whereof they will not credit me; for they will say, “She avoucheth this, but that she may fend off reproach from herself” And nought will avail me but patience.’ The old woman was moved by her speech and her intelligence and said to her, ‘Indeed, O my daughter, it is as thou sayst, and I hope in God that He will show forth the truth. Have patience and I will presently go in to the king and hear what he saith and contrive somewhat in this matter, if it be the will of God the Most High.’
Then she arose and going in to the king, found him with his head between his knees, and he lamenting. So she sat down by him awhile and bespoke him with soft words and said to him, ‘Indeed, O my son, thou consumest mine entrails, for that these [many] days thou hast not mounted to horse, and thou lamentest and I know not what aileth thee.’ ‘O my mother,’ answered he, ‘[this my chagrin] is due to yonder accursed woman, of whom I still deemed well and who hath done thus and thus.’ Then he related to her the whole story from first to last, and she said to him, ‘This thy concern is on account of a worthless woman.’ Quoth he, ‘I was but considering by what death I should slay them, so the folk may [be admonished by their fate and] repent.’ And she said, ‘O my son, beware of haste, for it engendereth repentance and the slaying of them will not escape [thee]. When thou art assured of this affair, do what thou wilt.’
‘O my mother,’ rejoined he; ‘there needeth no assurance concerning him for whom she despatched her eunuch and he fetched him.’
But she said, ‘There is a thing wherewith we will make her confess, and all that is in her heart shall be discovered to thee.’ ‘What is that?’ asked the king, and she answered, ‘I will bring thee a hoopoe’s heart, which, when she sleepeth, do thou lay upon her heart and question her of all thou wilt, and she will discover this unto thee and show forth the truth to thee.” The king rejoiced in this and said to his nurse, ‘Hasten and let none know of thee.’ So she arose and going in to the queen, said to her, ‘I have done thine occasion and it is on this wise. This night the king will come in to thee and do thou feign thyself asleep; and if he ask thee of aught, do thou answer him, as if in thy sleep.’ The queen thanked her and the old woman went away and fetching the hoopoe’s heart, gave it to the king.
Hardly was the night come, when he went in to his wife and found her lying back, [apparently] asleep; so he sat down by her side and laying the hoopoe’s heart on her breast, waited awhile, so he might be certified that she slept. Then said he to her, ‘Shah Khatoun, Shah Khatoun, is this my recompense from thee?’ Quoth she, ‘What offence have I committed?’ And he, ‘What offence can be greater than this? Thou sentest after yonder youth and broughtest him hither, on account of the desire of thy heart, so thou mightest do with him that for which thou lustedst.’ ‘I know not desire,’ answered she. ‘Verily, among thy servants are those who are comelier and handsomer than he; yet have I never desired one of them.’ ‘Why, then,’ asked he, ‘didst thou lay hold of him and kiss him!’ And she said, ‘This is my son and a piece of my heart; and of my longing and love for him, I could not contain myself, but sprang upon him and kissed him.’ When the king heard this, he was perplexed and amazed and said to her, ‘Hast thou a proof that this youth is thy son? Indeed, I have a letter from thine uncle King Suleiman Shah, [wherein he giveth me to know] that his unck Belehwan cut his throat.’ ‘Yes,’ answered she, ‘he did indeed cut his throat, but severed not the windpipe; so my uncle sewed up the wound and reared him, [and he lived,] for that his hour was not come.’
One Thousand and One Nights Page 486