director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Sultan
resolved to travel in search of his children (the three damsels)
he and his Wazir habited as Darwayshes. So leaving the government
in charge of his wife he went forth and the twain in their search
first visited the cities on the seaboard beginning with the
nearest; but they knew not what was concealed from them in the
world of the future. They stinted not travelling for the space of
a month till they came to a city whose Sultan had a place hight
Al-Dijlah[FN#192] whereupon he had built a Palace. The Darwayshes
made for it and found the King sitting in his Kiosque[FN#193]
accompanied by two little lads, the elder eight years old and the
second six. They drew near to him and saluting him offered their
services and blessed him, wishing him length of life as is the
fashion when addressing royalties; and he returned their
greetings and made them draw near and showed them kindness; also,
when it was eventide he bade his men serve them with somewhat of
food. On the next day the King fared forth to Tigris-bank and sat
in his Kiosque together with the two boys. Now the Darwayshes had
hired them a cell in the Khan whence it was their daily wont to
issue forth and wander about the city asking for what they
sought; and this day they again came to the place wherein sat the
Sultan and they marvelled at the fair ordinance of the Palace.
They continued to visit it every day till one day of the days the
two went out, according to their custom, and when entering the
Palace one of the King's children, which was the younger, came up
to them and fell to considering them as if he had forgotten his
own existence. This continued till the Darwayshes retired to
their cell in the caravanserai whither the boy followed them to
carry out the Secret Purpose existing in the All-knowledge of