CHAPTER V.

When the next morning arrived, the fifth Vizier waited upon the King,

and represented the danger that might attend any further delay in the

execution of Bakhtyār, as the indulgence which had been shown to him

would be an encouragement to others, and induce them to commit offences,

by giving them hopes of impunity. In consequence of this, the King

ordered everything to be prepared for the execution of the young man,

who, being brought before him, entreated his Majesty for a longer

respite, and assured him that he would, on a future day, be as rejoiced

at having spared his life, as a certain King of Yemen was at having

pardoned the offence of his slave.

The King desired Bakhtyār to relate the particular circumstances of this

story; and he accordingly began it in the following manner:

STORY OF THE KING OF YEMEN AND HIS SLAVE ABRAHA.

In former times the kingdom of Yemen was governed by a very powerful but

tyrannical Prince, who, for the slightest offences, inflicted the most

severe punishments. He had, however, a certain slave, named Abraha, of

whom he was very fond. This young man was the son of the King of

Zangībār, who by chance had fallen into slavery, and never disclosed the

secret of his birth.

Abraha used frequently to attend the King of Yemen on his hunting

parties. During one of these excursions, it happened that a deer bounded

before the King’s horse: he discharged some arrows at it without effect;

when Abraha, who was close behind him, spurred on his horse, and aimed a

broad-bladed arrow at the deer; but it so happened that the arrow passed

by the side of the King’s head, and cut off one of his ears. The King,

in the first impulse of anger, ordered his attendants to seize Abraha;

but afterwards declared that he pardoned his offence.

They then returned to the city; and, after some time had elapsed, having

gone on board a vessel and sailed into the ocean, a tempest arose, and

the ship was wrecked, and the King saved himself by clinging to a plank,

and was driven on the coast of Zangībār.

Having returned thanks to Providence for his preservation, he proceeded

till he reached the chief city of that country. As it was night, the

doors of the houses and all the shops were shut; and, not knowing where

he might find a better place of repose, he sheltered himself under the

shade of a merchant’s house. It happened that some thieves, in the

course of the night, broke open the house, and having murdered the

merchant and his servants, plundered it of everything that was valuable.

The King of Yemen, overcome by fatigue, had slept the whole time,

unconscious of this transaction; but some of the blood had by accident

fallen on his clothes.

When morning came, everybody was employed in endeavouring to discover

the murderers of the merchant; and the stranger, being found so near the

house, with blood upon his clothes, was immediately seized and dragged

before the tribunal of the King.

The King of Zangībār asked him why he had chosen his capital as the

scene of such an infamous murder; and desired him to acknowledge who

were his accomplices, and how he had disposed of the merchant’s

property. The King of Yemen declared that he was innocent, and perfectly

ignorant of the whole transaction; that he was of a princely family;

and, having been shipwrecked, was driven on the coast, and had by

accident reposed himself under the shade of that house when the murder

was committed. The King of Zangībār then inquired of him by what means

his clothes had become stained with blood, and finding that the stranger

could not account for that circumstance, he ordered the officers of

justice to lead him away to execution. The unfortunate King of Yemen

entreated for mercy, and asserted that his innocence would on some

future day become apparent. The King consented to defer his execution

for a while, and he was sent to prison.

On one side of the prison there was an extensive plain, with a running

stream, to which every day the prisoners were brought, that they might

wash themselves; and it was the custom that once every week the King

resorted to that plain, where he gave public audience to persons of all

ranks. On one of those days the King of Zangībār was on the plain,

surrounded by his troops, and the prisoners were sitting by the side of

the stream, along which ran a wall of the prison. It happened that

Abraha, who had been the King of Yemen’s slave, was standing near this

wall, but his former master did not recognise him, as they had been

separated for some time, Abraha having found means to return to

Zangībār, his native country.

At this moment a crow chanced to light upon the wall, which the King of

Yemen perceived, and taking up a large flat bone, he threw it with his

utmost strength, and exclaimed, “If I succeed in hitting that crow, I

shall obtain my liberty,” but he missed his aim; the bone passed by the

crow, and striking the cheek of Abraha, cut off one of his ears. Abraha

immediately caused an inquiry to be made, and the person who had thrown

the bone to be brought before the King, who called him a base-born dog,

and ordered the executioner to cut off his head. The King of Yemen sued

for mercy, and requested that at most he might be punished according to

the law of retaliation, which would not award a head for an ear. The

King gave orders that one of his ears should be cut off; and the

executioner was preparing to fulfil this sentence when he perceived that

the prisoner had already lost an ear.

This circumstance occasioned much surprise, and excited the King’s

curiosity. He told the prisoner that he would pardon him, on condition

of his relating the true story of his adventures.

The King of Yemen immediately disclosed his real name and rank,

described the accident by which he lost his ear, the shipwreck which he

suffered, and the circumstances which occasioned his imprisonment.

At the conclusion of his narrative, Abraha, having recognised his former

master, fell at his feet, embraced him, and wept. They mutually forgave

each other; and the King of Yemen, being taken to a warm bath, was

clothed in royal garments, mounted on a noble charger, and conducted to

the palace; after which he was furnished with a variety of splendid

robes and suits of armour, horses, slaves, and damsels. During two

months he was feasted and entertained with the utmost hospitality and

magnificence, attended constantly by Abraha. In the course of this time,

the robbers who had murdered the merchant were discovered and punished;

and after that the King of Yemen returned to his own country.

* * * * *

Bakhtyār having thus demonstrated that appearances might be very strong

against an innocent person, the King resolved to defer his execution for

another day, and he was accordingly led back to prison.