Princess Djouher-Manikam answered, "O my lord, my father is named
Haroun-er-Raschid, King of Bagdad."
Clasping her in his arms and kissing her, the prince asked her: "Why, until this
day have you not told the truth to your husband?"
And the princess answered: "I wished to avow the truth, but perhaps my lord
would not have had faith. It is on account of the children that I tell the truth."
King Chah Djouhou answered: "Since it is so, it is fitting that we should start,
and make a visit upon King Haroun-er-Raschid."
He called his ministers, ordered them to make all the preparations, and
commanded them to place in order ingots of gold and ingots of silver on which
were graven the name of King Haroun-er-Raschid; and his ministers' vestments
woven of goats' hair and fine wool, stuffs of price, many kinds of superb
precious stones of various colors, formed the burden of forty camels, which bore
these presents to the King, his father-in-law, in the city of Bagdad.
During the night Princess Djouher thought in her heart: "If the two kings meet,
there will necessarily be discord, and at the end separation." Having thus thought
she said to her husband: "O sovereign of the world, do not set out at the same
time with me, for in my opinion the meeting of the two kings would have as a
final result a disagreement. Permit me therefore to start first with the three
children, that I may present them to my father and mother. Give the command to
conduct me to the country of Bagdad, near my father, to whomsoever you shall
judge worthy of your confidence for this mission."
When the prince heard these words of the princess whom he loved so tenderly
and whose wishes he granted, he ordered his ministers and chiefs to arrange the
transport of the princess and her children. Addressing the ministers he said as
follows: "O you my ministers, whom among you can I charge to conduct safely
my wife and three children to Bagdad, near their ancestor King Haroun-er-
Raschid?"
No one among them dared approach and speak. All held silence. Then the
prince, addressing the oldest minister of all, said:
"O my minister, it is you to whom, following the dictates of my heart, I can trust
to accompany my wife and three children. For I have always found you loyal