as she saw the usurper charge down upon the young King as one
determined to shed his life's blood, she forestalled him and
attacked him and tore out the life from between his ribs. Then
she returned to her apartment nor did any know of the deed she
had done. Presently, when it was eventide the young King entered
the Palace after securing his succession to royalty; but he was
still chafed and vexed for that he knew not the Knight. His
mother met him and gave him joy of his safety and his accession
to the Sultanate, whereto he made reply, "Ah! O my mother, my
length of days was from the hand of a horseman who suddenly
appearing joined us in our hardest stress and aided me in my
straitest need and saved me from Death." Quoth she, "O my son,
hast thou recognised him?" and quoth he, "'Twas my best desire to
discover him and to stablish him as my Wazir, but this I failed
to do." Now when the Princess heard these words she laughed and
rejoiced and still laughing said, "To whoso will make thee
acquainted with him what wilt thou give?" and said he, "Dost thou
know him?" So she replied, "I wot him not" and he rejoined, "Then
what is the meaning of these thy words?" when she answered him in
these prosaic rhymes:[FN#175]--

"O my lord, may I prove thy sacrifice * Nor exult at thy sorrows
thine enemies!
Could unease and disease by others be borne * The slave should
bear load on his lord that lies:
I'll carry whatever makes thee complain * And be my body the
first that dies."

When he heard these words he again asked, "Dost thou know him?"
and she answered, "He? Verily we wot him not;"[FN#176] and