and having put on the frying pan, she was busy making up sweetmeats,
when her mother suddenly ran into her apartment, lamenting and beating
[her breasts], with dishevelled tresses and naked feet. She struck
a blow on her daughter's head, and said, "Would that God had given
me a blind son instead of thee; then my heart would have been at
ease, and he would have been the friend of his father." The _wazir's_
daughter asked, "What use would a blind son have been to you? whatever
he could do, I can do likewise." The mother replied, "Dust be on thy
head! such a calamity hath fallen on thy father, that he is confined
in the prison for having used some improper expressions before the
king." The daughter asked, "What were the expressions? let me hear
them." Then her mother answered, "Your father said that there is
a merchant in _Nishapur_, who has fixed twelve inestimable rubies
on his dog's collar: the king would not believe him, but conceived
him a liar, and has imprisoned him. If he had had to-day a son, he
would have exerted himself by every means to ascertain the truth of
the circumstance; he would have assisted his father, besought the
king's forgiveness, and have got my husband released from prison."

The _wazir's_ daughter said [in reply], "O mother, we cannot combat
against fate; man under sudden calamity ought to be patient, and place
his hopes in the bounty of God. He is merciful, and does not hold any
one's difficulties to be irremovables; weeping and lamentations are
improper. God forbid that our enemies should misrepresent [the motive
of our tears] to the king, and the teller of tales calumniate us, for
that would be the cause of farther displeasure. On the contrary, let
us offer up our prayers for the king's welfare; we are his born slaves,
and he is our master; even as he is wroth, so will he be gracious." The
girl, from her good sense, thus made her mother comprehend these
things, so that she became somewhat patient and tranquil, and returned
in silence to her palace. When the night arrived, the _wazir-zadi_
[266] sent for her foster father, [or nurse's husband], and fell at
his feet and beseeched him greatly, and weeping, said, "I have formed
a resolution to wipe off the reproach my mother has cast on me, so
that my father may regain his freedom. If you will be my companion,
then I will set out for _Niashapur_, and having seen the merchant
[who has such rubies round his dog's neck], I will do all in my power