' Accordingly I hope that thy Highness will deign
be mild and merciful and pardon this boldness on the part of me and my
child and refrain to punish us therefor."
When the Sultan heard her tale, he regarded her with kindness and,
laughing aloud, asked her, "What may be that thou carriest, and what
be in yonder kerchief?" And she, seeing the Sultan laugh in lieu of
waxing wroth at her words, forthright opened the wrapper and set
before him the bowl of jewels, whereby the audience hall was illumined
as it were by lusters and candelabra. And he was dazed and amazed at
the radiance of the rare gems, and he fell to marveling at their
size and beauty and excellence and cried: "Never at all until this day
saw I anything like these jewels for size and beauty and excellence,
nor deem I that there be found in my Treasury a single one like them."
Then he turned to his Minister and asked: "What sayest thou, O
Wazir? Tell me, hast thou seen in thy time such mighty fine jewels
as these?" The other answered: "Never saw I such, O our lord the
Sultan, nor do I think that there be in the treasures of my lord the
Sultan the fellow of the least thereof.
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