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days, till he came to an inhabited land and seeing folk there, accosted them and acquainted them with his case, giving them to know that he had been imprisoned in the fortress and that they had cast him down, but God the Most High had delivered him and brought him off alive.
The folk took compassion on him and gave him to eat and drink and he abode with them awhile. Then he questioned them of the way that led to the kingdom of his uncle Belehwan, but told them not that he was his uncle. So they taught him the way and he ceased not to go barefoot, till he drew near his uncle’s capital, and he naked and hungry, and indeed his body was wasted and his colour changed. He sat down at the gate of the city, and presently up came a company of King Belehwan’s chief officers, who were out a-hunting and wished to water their horses. So they lighted down to rest and the youth accosted them, saying, ‘I will ask you of somewhat, wherewith do ye acquaint me.’ Quoth they, ‘Ask what thou wilt.’ And he said, ‘Is King Belehwan well?’ They laughed at him and answered, ‘What a fool art thou, O youth! Thou art a stranger and a beggar, and what concern hast thou with the king’s health?’ Quoth he, ‘Indeed, he is my uncle;’ whereat they marvelled and said, ‘It was one question[1] and now it is become two.’ Then said they to him, ‘O youth, it is as thou wert mad. Whence pretendest thou to kinship with the king? Indeed, we know not that he hath aught of kinsfolk, except a brother’s son, who was prisoned with him, and he despatched him to wage war upon the infidels, so that
- ↑ Or enigma.
