But, sir, this is not an uncertain thing; the
physician Douban has certainly a mind to assassinate you. It is
not envy which makes me his enemy; it is only the zeal and
concern I have for preserving your majesty's life, that make me
give you my advice in a matter of this importance. If it be
false, I deserve to be punished in the same manner as a vizier
was formerly punished. What had that vizier done, says the
Grecian king, to deserve punishment? I will inform your majesty
of that, says the vizier, if you will be pleased to hear me.
THE STORY OF THE VIZIER THAT WAS PUNISHED.
There was a king, says the vizier, who had a son that loved
hunting mightily. He allowed him to divert himself that way very
often, but gave orders to his grand vizier to attend him
constantly, and never to lose sight of him.
One hunting day, the huntsman having roused a deer, the prince
who thought the vizier followed him, pursued the game so far, and
with so much earnestness, that he was left quite alone. He
stopped, and finding that he had lost his way, endeavoured to
return the same way he came, to find out the vizier, who had not
been careful enough to find him, and so wandered further.
Whilst he rode up and down without keeping any road, he met, by
the way-side, a handsome lady, who wept bitterly.
Pages:
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97