of Al-Hind arose a-morn wholly clad in clothes of crimson hue,
and the Wazir, coming into the Divan, found him in such case. So
he salam'd to him and blessed him with the blessing due to
Caliphs, and said to him, "O King of the Age, doth aught irk thee
that thou art robed in red?" whereto he replied, "O Wazir, I have
risen with my heart grips hard." Said the other, "Go into thy
treasury of moneys and jewels and turn over thy precious ores,
that thy sorrow be dispersed." But said the Sultan, "O Wazir,
verily all this world is a transitory, and naught remaineth to
any save to seek the face of Allah the Beneficent: withal the
like of me may never more escape from cark and care, seeing that
I have lived for this length of time and that I have not been
blessed with or son or daughter, for verily children are the
ornament of the world." Hereupon a wight dark of hue, which was a
Takruri[FN#355] by birth, suddenly appeared before the Sultan and
standing between his hands said to him, "O King of the Age, I
have by me certain medicinal roots the bequeathal of my forbears
and I have heard that thou hast no issue; so an thou eat somewhat
thereof haply shall they gladden thy heart." "Where be these
simples?" cried the King, whereat the Takruri man drew forth a
bag and brought out from it somewhat that resembled a confection
and gave it to him with due injunctions. So when it was
night-time the Sultan ate somewhat of it and then slept with his
wife who, by the Omnipotence of Allah Almighty, conceived of him
that very time. Finding her pregnant the King was rejoiced
thereat and fell to distributing alms to the Fakirs and the
mesquin and the widows and the orphans, and this continued till
the days of his Queen's pregnancy were completed. Then she bare a
man-child fair of face and form, which event caused the King
perfect joy and complete; and on that day when the boy was named