"By Allah, thou rejoicest me with thy coming in to me and
chagrinest me for that thou payest no heed to any of the
session-mates nor of the boon-companions. What is the cause of
this?"

"O father mine," answered the prince, "I have heard tell that in
the land of Irak is a woman of the daughters of the kings, and
her father is called King Ins ben Cais, lord of Baghdad; she is
renowned for beauty and grace and brightness and perfection, and
indeed many folk have sought her in marriage of the kings; but
her soul consented not unto any one of them. Wherefore I am
minded to travel to her, for that my heart cleaveth unto her, and
I beseech thee suffer me to go to her." "O my son," answered his
father, "thou knowest that I have none other than thyself of
children and thou art the solace of mine eyes and the fruit of
mine entrails; nay, I cannot brook to be parted from thee an
instant and I purpose to set thee on the throne of the kingship
and marry thee to one of the daughters of the kings, who shall be
fairer than she." El Abbas gave ear to his father's word and
dared not gainsay him; so he abode with him awhile, whilst the
fire raged in his entrails.

Then the king took counsel with himself to build his son a bath
and adorn it with various paintings, so he might show it to him
and divert him with the sight thereof, to the intent that his
body might be solaced thereby and that the obsession of travel
might cease from him and he be turned from [his purpose of]
removal from his parents. So he addressed himself to the building
of the bath and assembling architects and builders and artisans
from all the towns and citadels and islands [of his dominions],