Al-Rabi'a; and I beseech thee, by the honour of thy pious
forebears and by Hamzah and Ukayl and Abbas,[FN#20] to pardon
them both and overlook their offence and bestow them one on the
other, that thou mayst win rich reward in the next world of thy
just dealing with them; for they are under thy hand and verily
they have eaten of thy meat and drunken of thy drink; and behold,
I make intercession for them and beg of thee the boon of their
blood." Thereupon quoth the Caliph, "Thou speakest sooth: I did
indeed give judgement as thou sayst, and I am not one to pass
sentence and to revoke it." Then said he, "O Naomi, say, be this
thy lord?" And she answered "Even so, O Commander of the
Faithful." Then quoth he, "No harm shall befall you, I give you
each to other;" adding to the young man, "O Ni'amah, who told
thee where she was and taught thee how to get at this place?" He
replied, "O Commander of the Faithful, hearken to my tale and
give ear to my history; for, by the virtue of thy pious
forefathers, I will hide nothing from thee!" And he told him all
that had passed between himself and the Persian physician and the
old nurse, and how she had brought him into the palace and he had
mistaken the doors; whereat the Caliph wondered with exceeding
wonder and said, "Fetch me the Persian." So they brought him into
the presence and he was made one of his chief officers. Moreover
the King bestowed on him robes of honour and ordered him a
handsome present, saying, "When a man hath shown like this man
such artful management, it behoveth us to make him one of our
chief officers." The Caliph also loaded Ni'amah and Naomi with
gifts and honours and rewarded the old nurse; and they abode with
him seven days in joy and content and all delight of life, when
Ni'amah craved leave to return to Cufa with his slave-girl. The
Caliph gave them permission and they departed and arrived in due