第16章 THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND ONE NIGHT(14)

The King rose to him in haste and embraced him and made him sit down and clad him in a splendid dress of honour. Then tables of rich food were brought inand Douban ate with the King and ceased not to bear him company all that day. When it was night，the King gave him two thousand dinersbesides other presents，and mounted him on his own horse；and the physician returned to his lodgingleaving the King astonished at his skill and saying，'This man cured me from withoutwithout using ointments. By Allahthis is none other than consummate skill！And it behoves me to honour and reward him and make him my companion and bosom friend to the end of time.'The King passed the night in great contentrejoicing in the soundness of his body and his deliverance from his malady. On the morrowhe went out and sat down on his throne；and the grandees stood before himwhilst the amirs and viziers sat on his right hand and on his left. Then he sent for the physicianwho came and kissed the ground before himwhereupon the King rose to him and made him sit by his side and eat with himand ceased not to converse with him and make much of him till night；when he commanded five dresses of honour and a thousand diners to be given to himand he returned to his housewell contented with the King. Next morningthe King repaired as usual to his council-chamberand the amirs and viziers and chamberlains took their places round him. Now he had among his viziers one who was forbidding of aspectsordid，avaricious and envious： a man of ill omennaturally inclined to malevolence： and when he saw the esteem in which the King held Douban and the favours he bestowed on himhe envied him and plotted evil against him；foras says the byword'Nobody is free from envy'--and again--'Tyranny is latent in the soul：

weakness hides it and strength reveals it.'So he came to the King and kissed the earth before him and said to him 'O King of the agethou in whose bounties I have grown upI have a grave warning to give theewhich did I conceal from theeI were a son of shame： whereforeif thou command me to impart it to theeI will do so.'Quoth the King （and indeed the Vizier's words troubled him）'What is thy warning？'O illustrious King，'answered the Vizier'the ancients have a saying'Whoso looks not to the issue of eventsfortune is no friend of his ：'and indeed I see the King in other than the right wayin that he favours his enemywho seeks the downfall of his kingdomand makes much of him and honours him exceedingly and is beyond measure familiar with him： and of a truth I am fearful for the King.'Quoth King Younan （and indeed he was troubled and his colour changed）'Of whom dost thou speak？'The Vizier answered，'If thou sleepestawake. I mean the physician Douban.'Out on thee！'said the King. 'He is my true friend and the dearest of all men to me；seeing that he medicined me by means of a thing I held in my hand and cured me of my leprosywhich the doctors were unable to cure；and there is not his like to be found in this timenonot in the whole worldEast nor West；and it is of him that thou speakest thus！But from to-day I will assign him stipends and allowances and appoint him a thousand diners a month： and if I should share my kingdom with himit were but a little thing. Methinks thou sayest this out of pure envy and wouldst have me kill him and after repentas King Sindbad repented the killing of his falcon.'Pardon meO King of the age，'said the Vizier'but how was that！Quoth the King'It is said that King Sindbad and His Falcon.

There was once a King of Persiawho delighted in hunting；and he had reared a falconthat left him not day or nightbut slept all night longperched upon his hand. Whenever he went out to hunthe took the falcon with him；and he let make for it a cup of gold to hang round its neckthat he might give it to drink therein. One dayhis chief falconer came in to him and said'Kingnow is the time to go a-hunting.'So the King gave orders accordingly and took the falcon on his wrist and set out，accompanied by his officers and attendants. They rode on till they reached a valleywhere they formed the circle of the chase，and beholda gazelle entered the ring；whereupon quoth the King，'Whoso lets the gazelle spring over his headI will kill him.'

Then they drew the ring closelier round herand beholdshe came to the King's station and standing stillput her forelegs to her breastas if to kill the earth before him. He bowed to herbut she sprang over his head and was off into the desert. The King saw his attendants nodding and winking to one another about him and said to his Vizier'O Vizierwhat say my men？'They say，'

answered the Vizier，that thou didst threaten to kill him over whose head the gazelle should spring.'As my head liveth，'

rejoined the King'I will follow her uptill I bring her back！'

So he pricked on after her and followed her till he came to a mountain and she made for her lair；but the King cast off the falconwhich swooped down on her and pecked at her eyestill he blinded her and dazed her；whereupon the King threw his mace at her and brought her down. Then he alighted and cut her throat and skinned her and made her fast to his saddle-bow. Now it was the hour of midday rest and the placewhere he waswas desertand the King was athirst and so was his horse. So he searched till he saw a treewith water dripping slowlylike oilfrom its branches. Now the King's hands were gloved with leather；