CHAPTER IV.

On the following day, the fourth Vizier presented himself before the

King, and, having paid his respects, advised him not to defer any longer

the execution of Bakhtyār. The King immediately gave orders that the

young man should be brought from the prison; the executioner with a

drawn sword stood ready to perform his part, when Bakhtyār exclaimed:

“Long be the King’s life! Let him not be precipitate in putting me to

death; but as I have, in the story of Bihzād, described the fatal

consequences of rashness, let me be permitted to celebrate the blessings

attendant on forbearance, and recount the adventures of Abū Saber, the

Patient Man.”

The King’s curiosity being excited, he desired Bakhtyār to relate the

story, which he accordingly began in the following words:

STORY OF ABŪ SABER; OR, THE PATIENT MAN.

There lived in a certain village, a worthy man, whose principal riches

consisted in a good understanding and an inexhaustible stock of

patience. On account of those qualifications he was so much respected by

all his neighbours, that his advice was followed on every occasion of

importance.

It happened once that a tax-gatherer came to this village, and extorted

from the poor peasants their miserable pittance, with such circumstances

of cruelty and injustice that they could not any longer submit to the

oppression: a number of the young men, having assembled in a body, slew

the tax-gatherer and fled.

The other inhabitants, who had not been concerned in this transaction,

came to Abū Saber, and begged that he would accompany them to the King,

and relate to his Majesty the circumstances as they had happened; but

Abū Saber told them, that he had drank of the sherbet of patience, and

would not intermeddle in such affairs. When the King was informed of the

tax-gatherer’s death, he ordered his servants to punish the people of

that village, and to strip them of all their property.

After two years it happened that a lion took up his abode in the

neighbourhood, and destroyed so many children that no person would

venture to cultivate the ground, or attend the harvest, from fear of

being devoured. In this distress the villagers went to Abū Saber, and

entreated him to associate with them in some measure for their relief;

but he replied, that patience was his only remedy.

It happened soon after, that the King, being on a hunting-party, arrived

in the vicinity of this place; and the inhabitants, presenting

themselves before him, related the story of the tax-gatherer, the

consequences of the King’s anger, and their dread of the lion. The King

pitying them, asked why they had not sent some person to inform him of

their distresses. They replied, that Abū Saber, the chief man of the

village, whose assistance they solicited, had declined interfering in

the matter. The King, hearing this, was enraged, and gave orders that

Abū Saber should be driven forth from the village. These orders were

instantly put in execution, and the King sent people to destroy the

lion.

With a heavy heart, Abū Saber commenced his journey, accompanied by his

wife and two sons. It happened that they were soon overtaken by some

robbers, who, not perceiving any thing more valuable of which they might

strip him, resolved to carry off the two boys and sell them; they

accordingly seized the poor children and bore them away. The wife began

to cry and weep most bitterly; but Abū Saber recommended patience. They

then proceeded on their journey, and travelled all night and all day,

till, faint from hunger and thirst, weary and fatigued, they at length

approached a village, in the outlets of which Abū Saber left his wife,

whilst he went to procure some food. He was employed on this business in

the village, when a robber happened to discover the woman, and seeing

that she was a stranger, handsome, and unprotected, he seized her with

violence, and declared that he would take her as his wife. After many

tears and supplications, finding the robber determined to carry her

away, she contrived to write upon the ground with blood, which she had

procured by biting her own finger. When Abū Saber returned from the

village, and sought his wife in the spot where he had left her, the

words which she had written sufficiently explained the occasion of her

absence.

He wept at this new misfortune, and implored the Almighty to bestow

patience on his wife, and enable her to bear whatever should befall her.

With a disconsolate heart, Abū Saber proceeded on his solitary journey,

until he came to the gate of a certain city where a King resided, who

was very tyrannical and impious. And it happened at this time that he

had ordered a summer-house to be erected, and every stranger who

approached the city was by his command seized and compelled to work,

guarded day and night, and fed with a scanty portion of coarse black

bread.

Abū Saber was immediately seized and dragged to the building; when a

heavy load was placed upon his shoulders, and he was obliged to ascend a

ladder of seventy steps. In this distress he consoled himself by

reflections on the advantages of patience, the only remedy within his

power, for the evils which had occurred.

It happened on this day, that the King was sitting in a corner of the

building, superintending the work, when he overheard Abū Saber inquire

of another man, what time they might expect to be relieved from this

excessive fatigue. The man informed Abū Saber that it was three months

since he had been thus laboriously employed, and languishing for a sight

of his beloved wife and children. “During this space of time,” added he,

“I have not had any intelligence of them; and I long for permission to

visit them, were it but for one night.” Abū Saber desired him to be

patient; for Providence would relieve him at last from the oppression

under which he suffered.

All this conversation the King overheard. After some time Abū Saber,

being faint from excessive fatigue, fell senseless from the steps of the

ladder, by which accident his legs and arms were dislocated. The King,

however, provoked to anger by what he had heard, ordered that Abū Saber

should be brought before him, and, having upbraided him with

inconsistency in recommending patience to another person, when he

himself could not practise it, he ordered him to be punished with fifty

stripes and thrown into prison. This sentence was immediately put into

execution, and Abū Saber, supporting his head on the knees of patience,

implored the protection of the Almighty, with perfect submission to His

divine dispensations.

After some time had elapsed, it happened that the King was affected one

night by a violent cholic, of which he died in excessive agony; and as

he did not leave any heir to the crown, the people of the city assembled

in order to elect a King.

It was resolved that they should go to the prison, and propose three

questions to the criminals confined there; and that whoever gave the

best answer should be chosen King. In consequence of this resolution,

they proceeded to the prison, and asked the three questions, to which

none of the prisoners replied, except Abū Saber, whose answers were so

ingenious, that he was borne triumphantly away, washed in a warm bath,

clothed in royal garments, and placed upon the throne; after which all

the inhabitants came and paid him homage. And he governed with such

mildness and wisdom, that the people night and day offered up their

prayers for him; and the fame of his justice and liberality was spread

all over the world.

One day it happened that two men attended at his tribunal and demanded

an audience. Abū Saber caused them to be brought before him. One of

those men was a merchant, and the other the robber who had carried off

the sons of Abū Saber. The robber he immediately recognised, but was

silent. The merchant then addressed him, and said: “Long be the King’s

life! This man sold to me two boys; and after some time these boys began

to say, ‘We are freemen—we are the sons of a Mussulman; and that man

carried us away by force, and sold us, at which time, from fear of him,

we were afraid to say that we were freemen.’ Now,” added the merchant,

“let the King order this man to return me the money, and take back the

boys.”

Abū Saber then asked the robber what he had to say. The man answered,

that it was the merchant’s fault, who had not taken good care of the

boys; but that for his own part he had always treated them well, which

induced them to make this complaint, in order that he might take them

back. Abū Saber then sent for the two boys, who proved to be his own

sons. He knew them, but they had not any recollection of him. He desired

them to explain this matter; and they declared that the robber had

carried them away from their father and mother to his own dwelling, and

had desired them not to say, on any account, that they were freemen; but

that when sold as slaves they could not any longer suppress their

complaints. Abū Saber, much affected by their story, ordered them to

tell their names, and then sent them to his own apartments; after which

he caused the robber to be imprisoned, and the merchant’s money to be

deposited in the public treasury.

On another day it happened that two persons in like manner solicited an

audience of the King. When they were admitted, one proved to be the wife

of Abū Saber, and the other the man who had taken her away by force. But

Abū Saber did not know his wife, because she wore her veil. The robber,

having paid his respects, informed the King that this woman, who had

lived with him for some time, would not consent to perform the duties of

a wife. Abū Saber addressed the woman, and asked her why she refused to

obey her husband. She immediately answered, that this man was not her

husband; that she was the wife of a person named Abū Saber; and that

this man had taken her to his house against her inclination.

Abū Saber ordered his servants to take the woman to his harem; and,

having made a proclamation and assembled all the inhabitants of the

city, caused the robber who had taken away his sons and the man who had

carried off his wife to be brought before them; and, having explained

the nature of their offences and related the circumstances of his own

story, he gave orders for their execution.

After this he passed the remainder of his life in peaceful enjoyment of

the supreme power, which at his death devolved upon his son, and

continued for many generations in the family, as the reward of his

patience.

* * * * *

Here Bakhtyār concluded his story, and by order of the King was sent

back to prison.