"O Kings of the age，" said he， "how comes it that I was in safety in the country of the infidels and am plundered in your realm，what though it be a land of peace and justice？" King Rumzan questioned him of his case， and he replied， "I am a merchant， who have been nigh a score of years absent from my native land，travelling in far countries； and I have a patent of exemption from Damascus， which the late Viceroy King Sherkan wrote me， for that I had made him gift of a slave-girl. Now I was returning to Irak， having with me a hundred loads of rarities of Ind； but， as I drew near Baghdad， the seat of your sovereignty and the abiding-place of your peace and your justice， there came out upon me Bedouins and Kurds banded together from all parts， who slew my men and robbed me of all my goods. This is what hath befallen me." Then he wept and bemoaned himself before the two Kings， who took compassion on him and swore that they would sally out upon the thieves. So they set out with a hundred horse， each reckoned worth thousands of men， and the merchant went before them， to guide them in the right way. They fared on all that day and the following night till daybreak， when they came to a valley abounding in streams and trees. Here they found the bandits dispersed about the valley， having divided the treasure between them； but there was yet some of it left. So they fell upon them and surrounded them on all sides， nor was it long before they made prize of them all， to the number of near three hundred horsemen， banded together of the scourings of the Arabs. They bound them all， and taking what they could find of the merchant"s goods， returned to Baghdad， where the two Kings sat down upon one throne and passing the prisoners in review before them，questioned them of their condition and their chiefs. So they pointed out to them three men and said， "These are our only chiefs， and it was they who gathered us together from all parts and countries." The Kings bade lay on these three and set the rest free， after taking from them all the goods in their possession and giving them to the merchant， who examined them and found that a fourth of his stock was missing. The two Kings engaged to make good his loss， whereupon he pulled out two letters， one in the handwriting of Sherkan and the other in that of Nuzhet ez Zeman； for this was the very merchant who had bought Nuzhet ez Zeman of the Bedouin， as hath been before set forth.
Kanmakan examined the letters and recognized the handwriting of his uncle Sherkan and his aunt Nuzhet ez Zeman； then （for that he knew the latter"s history） he went in to her with that which she had written and told her the merchant"s story. She knew her own handwriting and recognizing the merchant， despatched to him guest-gifts （of victual and what not） and commended him to her brother and nephew， who ordered him gifts of money and slaves and servants to wait on him， besides which the princess sent him a hundred thousand dirhems in money and fifty loads of merchandise，together with other rich presents. Then she sent for him and made herself known to him， whereat he rejoiced greatly and kissed her hands， giving her joy of her safety and union with her brother and thanking her for her bounty： and he said to her， "By Allah， a good deed is not lost upon thee！" Then she withdrew to her own apartment and the merchant sojourned with them three days， after which he took leave of them and set out to return to Damascus.
After this， the two Kings sent for the three robber-chiefs and questioned them of their condition， whereupon one of them came forward and said， "Know that I am a Bedouin， who use to lie in wait， by the way， to steal children and virgin girls and sell them to merchants； and this I did for many a year until these latter days， when Satan incited me to join these two gallows-birds in gathering together all the riff-raff of the Arabs and other peoples， that we might waylay merchants and plunder caravans." Said the two Kings， "Tell us the rarest of the adventures that have befallen thee in kidnapping children and girls." "O Kings of the age，" replied he， "the strangest thing that ever happened to me was as follows. Two-and-twenty years ago， being at Jerusalem， I saw a girl come out of the khan， who was possessed of beauty and grace， albeit she was but a servant and was clad in worn clothes， with a piece of camel-cloth on her head； so I entrapped her by guile and setting her on a camel，made off with her into the desert， thinking to carry her to my own people and there set her to pasture the camels and collect their dung （for fuel）； but she wept so sore， that after beating her soundly， I carried her to Damascus， where a merchant saw her and being astounded at her beauty and accomplishments， bid me more and more for her， till at last I sold her to him for a hundred thousand dinars. I heard after that he clothed her handsomely and presented her to the Viceroy of Damascus， who gave him for her her price thrice told； and this， by my life， was but little for such a damsel！ This， O Kings of the age， is the strangest thing that ever befell me." The two Kings wondered at his story； but， when Nuzhet ez Zeman heard it， the light in her face became darkness， and she cried out and said to her brother，"Sure， this is the very Bedouin who kidnapped me in Jerusalem！"
And she told them all that she had endured from him in her strangerhood of hardship and blows and hunger and humiliation，adding， "And now it is lawful to me to slay him." So saying， she seized a sword and made at him； but he cried out and said， "O Kings of the age， let her not kill me， till I have told you the rare adventures that have betided me." And Kanmakan said to her，"O my aunt， let him tell his story， and after do with him as thou wilt." So she held her hand and the Kings said to him， "Now let us hear thy story." "O Kings of the age，" said he， "if I tell you a rare story， will you pardon me？" "Yes，" answered they. Then said the Bedouin， "know that Hemmad the Bedouin"s Story.
