I kissed his handshardly crediting my escape；and recked little of the loss of my eyein consideration of my deliverance from death. Then I repaired to my uncle's capital and going in to him，told him what had befallen my father and myself；whereat he wept sore and said'Verilythou addest affliction to my affliction and sorrow to my sorrow；for thy cousin has been missing these many days；I know not what is become of himand none can give me any news of him.'Then he wept till he swooned awayand my heart was sore for him. When he revivedhe would have medicined my eyebut found there was but the socket left and said'O my son，it is well that it was thine eye and not thy life！'I could not keep silence about my cousin；so I told him all that had passed，and he rejoiced greatly at hearing news of his son and said，'Comeshow me the tomb.'By AllahO my uncle，'answered I'I know it notfor I went after many times to seek for itbut could not find it.'Howeverwe went out to the burial-ground and looked right and lefttill at last I discovered the tomb. At this we both rejoiced greatly and enteringremoved the earth，raised the trapdoor and descended fifty stepstill we came to the foot of the stairwhere we were met by a great smoke that blinded our eyes： and my uncle pronounced the wordswhich whoso says shall never be confoundedthat is to say'There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most Highthe Supreme！'Then we went on and found ourselves in a saloonraised upon columns，drawing air and light from openings communicating with the surface of the ground and having a cistern in its midst. The place was full of crates and sacks of flour and grain and other victual；and at the upper end stood a couch with a canopy over it. My uncle went up to the bed and drawing the curtainsfound his son and the lady in each other's arms；but they were become black coalas they had been cast into a well of fire. When he saw thishe spat in his son's face and taking off his shoe，smote him with itexclaiming'Swine that thou artthou hast thy deserts！This is thy punishment in this worldbut there awaits thee a far sorer and more terrible punishment in the world to come！'His behaviour amazed meand I mourned for my cousin，for that he was become a black coaland said to the king'O my uncleis not that which hath befallen him enoughbut thou must beat him with thy shoe？'O son of my brother，'answered my uncle'this my son was from his earliest youth madly enamoured of his sisterand I forbade him from hersaying in myself，'They are but children.'Butwhen they grew upsin befell between themnotwithstanding that his attendants warned him to abstain from so foul a thingwhich none had done before nor would do after himlest the news of it should be carried abroad by the caravans and he become dishonoured and unvalued among kings to the end of time. I heard of this and believed it not，but took him and upbraided him severelysaying'Have a care lest this thing happen to thee；for I will surely curse thee and put thee to death.'Then I shut her up and kept them apartbut this accursed girl loved him passionatelyand Satan got the upper hand of them and made their deeds to seem good in their eyes. So when my son saw that I had separated themhe made this place under ground and transported victual hitheras thou seest，and taking advantage of my absence a-huntingcame here with his sisterthinking to enjoy her a long while. But the wrath of God descended on them and consumed them；and there awaits them in the world to come a still sorer and more terrible punishment.'Then he wept and I with himand he looked at me and said'Henceforth thou art my son in his stead.'Then I bethought me awhile of the world and its chances and how the Vizier had slain my father and usurped his throne and put out my eye and of the strange events that had befallen my cousin and wept againand my uncle wept with me. Presently we ascendedand replacing the trap-door，restored the tomb to its former condition. Then we resumed to the palacebut hardly had we sat down when we heard a noise of drums and trumpets and cymbals and galloping of cavalry and clamour of men and clash of arms and clank of bridles and neighing of horsesand the world was filled with clouds of dust raised by the horses'hoofs. At this we were amazed and knew not what could be the matter so we enquired and were told that the Vizierwho had usurped my father's thronehad levied troops and hired the wild Arabs and was come with an army like the sands of the sea，none could tell their number nor could any avail against them.
They assaulted the city unawaresand the peoplebeing unable to withstand themsurrendered the place to them. My uncle was slain and I took refuge in the suburbsknowing thatif I fell into the Vizier's handshe would put me to death. Wherefore trouble was sore upon me and I bethought me of all that had befallen me and my father and uncle and knew not what to dofor if I showed myselfthe people of the city and my father's troops would know me and hasten to win the usurpers favour by putting me to death；and I could find no means of escape but by shaving my face.
