Unknown

“ There was once a man, a merchant, who had a wife and abundant wealth. He set out one day on a journey with merchandise, leaving his wife big with child, and said to her, ‘If it be the will of God the Most High, I will return before the birth of the child.’ Then he took leave of her and setting out, journeyed from country to country till he came to the court of one of the kings and foregathered with him. ”

“ Then the king acquainted the people [of his court] with the matter and said to them, ‘O folk, how deem ye of my looking to the issues of affairs?’ And they all marvelled at his wisdom and foresight. Then he turned to his father and said to him, ‘Hadst thou looked to the issue of thine affair and dealt deliberately in that which thou didst, there had not betided thee this repentance and grief all this time.’ Then he let bring his mother and they rejoiced in each other and lived all their days in joy and gladness. ”

“ Presently, his father and his mother heard of the matter; whereupon the former arose and going up to the place, wrote a letter and [presented it to the king, who] read it, and behold, therein was written, saying, ‘Have pity on me, so may God have pity on thee, and hasten not in the slaughter [of my son] ; for indeed I acted hastily in a certain affair and drowned his brother in the sea, and to this day I drink the cup of his anguish. If thou must needs kill him, kill me in his stead.’ Therewith the old merchant prostrated himself before the king and wept ”