Sultan made of him a boon-companion for that day from morning to
evening and whenever he thought of the handmaid's doings he
ordered the man to repeat the tale and he laughed at him and
admired the action of the slave-girl with the Limpo. When
darkness came on they prayed the night-prayer and they supped and
sat down to converse and to tell anecdotes.[FN#304] Thereupon the
King said to him Fruiterer, "Relate us somewhat of that thou hast
heard anent the Kings of old;" and said the other, "Hearing and
obeying," and forthwith began the




Story of the King of Al-Yaman and his Three Sons.



It is related that there was a Sultan in the land of Al-Yaman who
had three male children, two of them by one mother and a third by
another. Now that King used to dislike this second wife and her
son, so he sent her from him and made her, together with her
child, consort with the handmaids of the kitchen, never asking
after them for a while of time. One day the two brothers-german
went in to their sire and said to him, "'Tis the desire of us to
go forth a-hunting and a-chasing," whereto their father replied,
"And have ye force enough for such sport?" They said, "Yea,
verily, we have!" when he gave to each of them a horse with its
furniture of saddle and bridle, and the twain rode off together.
But as soon as the third son (who together with his mother had
been banished to the kitchen) heard that the other two had gone