THE FALSE VEZIR
A king had a wife who said to him: "I would like to go and visit my
father."
"Very well," said he; "wait to-day, and to-morrow thou shalt go with my
vezir." The next day they set out, taking the children with them, and an
escort lest they should be attacked on the way. They stopped at sunset, and
passed the night on the road. The vezir said to the guards, "Watch that we
be not taken, if the robbers should come to seize us." They guarded the
tent. The vezir asked the King's wife to marry him, and killed one of her
sons because she refused. The next day they set out again. The next night
he again asked the King's wife to marry him, threatening to kill a second
child should she refuse. She did refuse, so he killed the second son. The
next morning they set out, and when they stopped at night again he asked
the King's wife to marry him.
"I'll kill you if you refuse."
She asked for delay, time to say her prayers. She prayed to God, the Master
of all worlds, and said: "O God, save me from the vezir." The Master of the
worlds heard her prayer.
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