softly[FN#369] and proved him and at last so frightened him that
the man fell to the ground in his consternation; when they
carried him off and the King declared, "This wight lieth!" All
this and Mohammed, the Son of the Sultan, was still standing and
looking on and when he heard the man's claim he smiled. Suddenly
the King happening to glance at him saw the smile and was
astounded and said in his mind, "By Allah, this Youth is a
wondrous for he smileth he being in such case as this." But
behold, the King's daughter sent an eunuch to her father and he
delivered the message, when the King arose and went into his
Harem and asked her, "What is in thy mind and what is it thou
seekest?" She answered, "Is it thy desire to know who slew the
Lion that thou mayest largesse him?" and he rejoined, saying, "By
virtue of Him who created His servants and computeth their
numbers,[FN#370] when I know him and am certified of his truth my
first gift to him shall be to wed thee with him and he shall
become to me son-in-law were he in the farthest of lands."
Retorted she, "By Allah, O my father, none slew the Lion save the
young man who entered the garden and carried off the clusters of
gems, the youth whom thou art minded to slay." When he heard
these words from his daughter, the King returned to the Divan and
bade summon Mohammed the Son of the Sultan, and when they set him
between his hands he said to him, "O Youth, thou hast indemnity
from me and say me, art thou he who slew the Lion?" The other
answered, "O King, I am indeed young in years; how then shall I
prevail over a Lion and slaughter him, when, by Allah, in all my
born days I never met even with a hyena much less than a lion?
However, O King of the Age, an thou largesse me with these
clusters of gems and give them to me in free gift, I will wend my
ways, and if not my luck will be with Allah!" Rejoined the King,