youngest son?" and the King hearing this fell down a-fainting,
but, soon recovering from his swoon, he said, "Verily my son hath
wasted the blood of his life and hath become food for wild
beasts." Hereupon the youth laughed aloud and cried, "By Allah,
thy son hath not suffered aught from the shifts and changes of
the World, and he is still in the bonds of life, safe and sound;
nor hath there befallen him anything of harm whatever." "Where is
he?" quoth the father: "He standeth between thy hands," quoth the
son. So the Sultan looked at him and straightly considering him
found that it was his very son who was bespeaking him, and of his
delight he threw his arms around his neck and fell with him
aswoon to the ground. This lasted for a full-told hour; but when
he recovered from his fainting he asked his son what had betided
him, so he told all that had befallen, to wit how he had become
master of the Enchanting Bird Philomelet, and also of the magical
clay wherewith he had besprinkled his brethren and others of the
city-folk who had been turned to stone, all and some, and how
they had returned to the shapes whilome they wore. Moreover he
recounted to him the presents and offerings which had been made
to him and also how, when they arrived at a certain place, his
brothers had pinioned him and cast him into the well. And ere he
finished speaking, lo and behold! the two other Princes came in
and when they looked upon his condition and noted the state of
prosperity he was in, surrounded as he was by all manner of weal,
they felt only increase of envy and malice. But as soon as their
sire espied them he cried, "Ye have betrayed me in my son and
have lied to me and, by Allah, there is no retribution for you on
my part save death;" and hereupon the Sultan bade do them die.
Then the youngest Prince made intercession for his brethren and
said, "O my sire, whoso doeth a deed shall meet its deserts," and