before thee even perforce, but in case they come not, we have no
means to hand." Quoth the King, "An thou know them well, when
thou catchest sight of them they cannot escape thee," and quoth
the other, "Yea, verily." Then the Sultan pursued, "What did ye
with the twain who came before them and ye wanted to bepiss
them?" Now when the Bhang-eater heard these words his colour
paled and his case changed, his limbs trembled and he suspected
that the person which he had insulted was the Sultan; whereupon
the King turned towards him and seeing in him signs of
discomfiture asked, "What is in thy mind, O Bhang-eater? What
hath befallen thee?" The other arose forthright and kissing
ground cried, "Pardon, O King of the Age, before whom I have
sinned." The Sovran asked, "How didst thou know this?" and he
answered, "Because none other was with us and news of us goeth
not out of doors; so needs must thou have been one of the twain
and he who wrote the writ was thyself; for well we know that the
kings read not in schools. Thou and thy friend did come in
disguise to make merry at our expense; therefore pardon us, O
King of the Age, for mercy is a quality of the noble, and
Almighty Allah said, 'Whoso pardoneth and benefitteth his reward
is with Allah,' and eke He said, 'And the stiflers of wrath and
the pardoners of mankind and Allah loveth the doers of
good'."[FN#238] Herewith the Sultan smiled and said, "No harm
shall befal thee, O Bhang-eater! Thine excuse is accepted and thy
default pardoned, but, O thou clever fellow, hast thou no tale to
tell us?" He replied, "O King of the Age, I have a story touching
myself and my wife which, were it graven with needle-gravers upon
the eye-corners were a warning to whoso would be warned. But I
strave against her on my own behalf, withal she overcame me and
tyrannised over me by her contrivance." "What is it?" asked the