There stood once， behind the mountains of Ispahan， a town called the Green City， in which dwelt a king named Suleiman Shah， a man of virtue and beneficence， just， generous and loyal， to whom travellers resorted from all parts， for his renown was noised abroad in all cities and countries； and he reigned over the country for many years， in all honour and prosperity， save that he had neither wife nor child. Now he had a vizier who was akin to him in goodness and generosity， and one day， he sent for him and said to him， "O my Vizier， my heart is heavy and my patience at end and my strength fails me， for that I have neither wife nor child. This is not of the fashion of kings that rule over all，princes and beggars； for they rejoice in leaving behind them children， who shall succeed them and by whom both their number and strength are multiplied. Quoth the Prophet （whom God bless and preserve）， "Marry and engender and multiply， that I may boast myself of you over the peoples on the Day of Resurrection." So what is thy counsel， O Vizier？ Advise me what is fitting to be done." When the Vizier heard this， the tears streamed from his eyes and he replied， "God forbid， O king of the age， that I should speak on that which is of the pertinence of the Compassionate One！ Wilt thou have me cast into the fire by the wrath of the All-powerful King？ Buy a concubine." "Know， O Vizier，" rejoined the King， "that when a prince buys a female slave， he knows neither her condition nor her lineage and thus cannot tell if she be of mean extraction， that he may abstain from her， or of gentle blood， that he may be intimate with her.
So if he have commerce with her， belike she will conceive by him and her son be a hypocrite， a tyrant and a shedder of blood.
Indeed such a woman may be likened to a salt soil， which， if one till it， yields only worthless crops； for it may be the son in question will be obnoxious to the wrath of his Lord， doing not that which He commandeth him neither abstaining from that which He forbiddeth him. Wherefore I will never risk being the cause of this， through the purchase of a concubine； and it is my will，therefore， that thou demand for me in marriage the daughter of some one of the kings， whose lineage is known and whose beauty is renowned. If thou canst direct me to some king"s daughter of the Muslims， who is a woman of good birth and piety， I will seek her hand and marry her before witnesses， that the favour of the Lord of all creatures may accrue to me thereby." "O King，" said the Vizier， "God hath fulfilled thy need and hath brought thee to thy desire； for it hath come to my knowledge that King Zehr Shah，Lord of the White Country， hath a daughter of surpassing beauty，whom report fails to describe； she hath not her equal in this age， being perfect in beauty and symmetry， with melting black eyes and long hair， slender-waisted and heavy-hipped. When she draws nigh， she seduces， and when she turns her back， she slays，ravishing heart and sight， even as says of her the poet：
A slender one， her shape confounds the branch of the cassia tree；
Nor sun nor moon can with her face for brightness evened be.
Meseems， the water of her mouth is honey blent with wine； Ay， and her teeth are finer pearls than any in the sea.
The purest white and deepest black meet in her glittering glance And shapelier than the black-eyed maids of Paradise is she.
How many a man her eyes have slain， who perished in despair； The love of her"s a way wherein are fear and misery.
If I would live， behold， she"s death！ I may not think of her，Lest I should die； for， lacking her， life"s nothing worth to me.
So it is my counsel， O King， that thou despatch to her father a sagacious and experienced ambassador， versed in the conduct of affairs， who shall with courteous and persuasive speech demand her in marriage for thee； for she hath not her equal in the world， far or near. So shalt thou enjoy her beauty in the way of right and the Lord of Glory be content with thee； for it is reported of the Prophet （whom God bless and preserve） that he said， "There is no monkery in Islam."At this the King was transported to the perfection of delight； his heart was lightened and his breast dilated and care and anxiety ceased from him； and he said to the Vizier， "None shall go about this business but thou， by reason of thy consummate wit and good breeding；
wherefore do thou make ready by the morrow and depart and demand me this girl in marriage， with whom thou hast made my heart to be engrossed； nor do thou return to me but with her." "I hear and obey，" replied the Vizier， and withdrawing to his own house， made ready a present such as befits kings， of jewels and other precious things， light of carriage but heavy of worth， besides Arabian horses and coats of mail， fine-wrought as those which David made，[FN#119] and chests of treasure， such as speech ＆fails to describe. These all he loaded upon camels and mules and set out， with flags and banners flying before him and attended by a hundred white slaves and the like number of black and a hundred slave-girls. The King charged him to return to him speedily； so he set out， leaving Suleiman Shah on coals of fire， engrossed night and day with desire for the princess， and fared on， without ceasing， night and day， across plains and deserts， till there remained but a day"s journey between him and the city to which he was bound. Here he halted on the banks of a river， and calling one of his chief officers， bade him hasten forward to King Zehr Shah and announce his approach. Accordingly， the messenger rode on in haste to the city and was about to enter it， when the King，who chanced to be seated in one of his pleasaunces before the gate， espied him and knowing him for a stranger， bade bring him before him. So when the messenger came into his presence， he informed him of the approach of the Vizier of the mighty King Suleiman Shah， Lord of the Green Country and of the mountains of Ispahan； whereat King Zehr Shah rejoiced and bade him welcome.
