The hour of noon is come and thou art still asleep." He opened his eyes and found himself lying on the merge of the cold-water tank， with a crowd of people about him， laughing at him； for the napkin was fallen from his middle and discovered his yard in point. So he knew that all this was but an imbroglio of dreams and an illusion of hashish and was vexed and said to him who had aroused him， "Would thou hadst waited till I had put it in！" Then said the folk， "Art thou not ashamed， O hashish-eater， and thou lying asleep and naked， with thy yard on end？" And they cuffed him， till the nape of his neck was red. Now he was starving， yet had he tasted the savour of delight in sleep."
When Kanmakan heard this story， he laughed till he fell backward and said to Bakoun， "O my nurse， this is indeed a rare story； I never heard its like. Hast thou any more？" "Yes，" answered she and went on to tell him diverting stories and laughable anecdotes， till sleep overcame him. Then she sat by him till the most part of the night was past， when she said to herself， "It is time to profit by the occasion." So she unsheathed the dagger and drawing near to Kanmakan， was about to slaughter him， when，behold， in came his mother. When Bakoun saw her， she rose to meet her， and fear got hold on her and she fell a-trembling， as if she had the ague. The princess mother marvelled to see her thus and aroused her son， who awoke and found her sitting at his head. Now the reason of her coming was that Kuzia Fekan heard of the plot to kill Kanmakan and said to his mother， "O wife of my uncle， go to thy son， ere that wicked baggage Bakoun kill him." And she told her what had passed， from beginning to end. So she rose at once and stayed not for aught， till she came to her son"s lodgings， just as Bakoun was about to slay him. When he awoke， he said to his mother， "O my mother， indeed thou comest at a good time， for my nurse Bakoun has been with me this night." Then he turned to Bakoun and said to her， "My life on thee， knowest thou any story better than those thou hast told me？" "What I have told thee，" answered she， "is nothing to what I will tell thee； but that must be for another time." Then she rose to go， hardly believing that she should escape with her life， for she perceived of her cunning that his mother knew what was toward； and he said，"Go in peace." So she went her way， and his mother said to him，"O my son， blessed be this night， wherein God the Most High hath delivered thee from this accursed woman！" "How so？" asked he， and she told him the whole story. "O my mother，" said he， "whoso is fated to live finds no slayer； nor， though he be slain， will he die； but now it were wise that we depart from amongst these enemies and let God do what He will." So， as soon as it was day，he left the city and joined the Vizier Dendan， and certain things befell between King Sasan and Nuzhet ez Zeman， which caused her also to leave the city and join herself to Kanmakan and Dendan，as did likewise such of the King"s officers as inclined to their party. Then they took counsel together what they should do and agreed to make an expedition into the land of the Greeks and take their revenge for the death of King Omar ben Ennuman and his son Sherkan. So they set out with this intent and after adventures which it were tedious to set out， but the drift of which will appear from what follows， they fell into the hands of Rumzan，King of the Greeks. Next morning， King Rumzan caused Dendan and Kanmakan and their company to be brought before him and seating them at his side， bade spread the tables of food. So they ate and drank and took heart of grace， after having made sure of death，for that， when they were summoned to the King"s presence， they said to one another， "He has not sent for us but to put us to death." Then said the King， "I have had a dream， which I related to the monks and they said， "None can expound it to thee but the Vizier Dendan."" "And what didst thou see in thy dream， O King of the age？" asked Dendan. "I dreamt，" answered the King， "that I was in a pit， as it were a black well， where meseemed folk were tormenting me； and I would have risen， but fell on my feet and could not get out of the pit. Then I turned and saw on the ground a girdle of gold and put out my hand to take it； but when I raised it from the ground， I saw it was two girdles. So I girt my middle with them， and behold， they became one girdle； and this， O Vizier， is my dream and what I saw in sleep." "O our lord the Sultan，" said Dendan， "this thy dream denotes that thou hast a brother or a brother"s son or an uncle"s son or other near kinsman of thy flesh and blood [of whom thou knowest not]." When the King heard this， he looked at Kanmakan and Dendan and Nuzhet ez Zeman and Kuzia Fekan and the rest of the captives and said in himself， "If I cut off these people"s heads， their troops will lose heart for the loss of their chiefs and I shall be able to return speedily to my realm， lest the kingdom pass out of my hands." So he called the headsman and bade him strike off Kanmakan"s head， when behold， up came Rumzan"s nurse and said to him， "O august King， what wilt thou do？" Quoth he， "I mean to put these captives to death and throw their heads among their troops；
after which I will fall upon them， I and all my men， and kill all we may and put the rest to the rout； so will this be the end of the war and I shall return speedily to my kingdom， ere aught befall among my subjects."
When the nurse heard this， she came up to him and said in the Frank tongue， "How canst thou slay thine own brother"s son and thy sister and thy sister"s daughter？" When he heard this， he was exceeding angry and said to her， "O accursed woman， didst thou not tell me that my mother was murdered and that my father died by poison？ Didst thou not give me a jewel and say to me， "This jewel was thy father"s"？ Why didst thou not tell me the truth？"
