He questioned them concerning Ghanim and both replied，'For a year or more we have had no news of him.'So they restored them to their place. Thus far concerning them；but as regards Ghanim，when he saw his wealth spoiled and his ruin utterest he wept over himself till his heart well nigh brake. Then he fared on at random till the last of the day，and hunger grew hard on him and walking wearied him. So coming to a village he entered a mosque[125] where he sat down upon a mat and propped his back against the wall；but presently he sank to the ground in his extremity of famine and fatigue. There he lay till dawn，his heart fluttering for want of food；and，owing to his sweating，the lice[126] coursed over his skin；his breath waxed fetid and his whole condition was changed. When the villagers came to pray the dawn prayer，they found him prostrate，ailing，hunger lean，yet showing evident signs of former affluence. As soon as prayers were over，they drew near him；and，understanding that he was starved with hunger and cold，they gave him an old robe with ragged sleeves and said to him，'O stranger，whence art thou and what sickness is upon thee？'He opened his eyes and wept but returned no answer；whereupon one of them，who saw that he was starving，brought him a saucer of honey and two barley scones. He ate a little and they sat with him till sun rise，when they went to their work. He abode with them in this state for a month，whilst sickness and weakliness grew upon him；and they wept for him and，pitying his condition，took counsel with one another upon his case and agreed to forward him to the hospital in Baghdad.[127] Meanwhile behold，two beggar women，who were none other than Ghanim's mother and sister，[128] came into the mosque and，when he saw them，he gave them the bread that was at his head；and they slept by his side that night but he knew them not. Next day the villagers brought a camel and said to the cameleer，'Set this sick man on thy beast and carry him to Baghdad and put him down at the Spital door；so haply he may be medicined and be healed and thou shalt have thy hire.'[129]
'To hear is to comply，'said the man. So they brought Ghanim，who was asleep，out of the mosque and set him，mat and all，on the camel；and his mother and sister came out among the crowd to gaze upon him，but they knew him not. However，after looking at him and considering him carefully they said，'Of a truth he favours our Ghanim，poor boy！；can this sick man be he？'Presently，he woke and finding himself bound with ropes on a camel's back，he began to weep and complain，[130] and the village people saw his mother and sister weeping over him，albeit they knew him not.
Then they fared forth for Baghdad，but the camel-man forewent them and，setting Ghanim down at the Spital gate，went away with his beast. The sick man lay there till dawn and，when the folk began to go about the streets，they saw him and stood gazing on him，for he had become as thin as a toothpick，till the Syndic of the bazar came up and drove them away from him，saying，'I will gain Paradise through this poor creature；for if they take him into the Hospital，they will kill him in a single day.'[131]
Then he made his young men carry him to his house，where they spread him a new bed with a new pillow，[132] and he said to his wife，'Tend him carefully；'and she replied，'Good！ on my head be it！'Thereupon she tucked up her sleeves and warming some water，washed his hands，feet and body；after which she clothed him in a robe belonging to one of her slave girls and made him drink a cup of wine and sprinkled rose wafer over him. So he revived and complained，and the thought of his beloved Kut al-Kulub made his grief redouble. Thus far concerning him；but as regards Kut al-Kulub，when the Caliph was angered against her，--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Forty-third Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when the Caliph was angered against Kut al-Kulub，he ordered her to a dark chamber where she abode eighty days，at the end of which the Caliph，happening to pass on a certain day the place where she was，heard her repeating poetry，and after she ceased reciting her verse，saying，'O my darling，O my Ghanim！ how great is thy goodness and how chaste is thy nature！ thou didst well by one who did ill by thee and thou guardedst his honour who garred thine become dishonour，and his Harim thou didst protect who to enslave thee and shine did elect！ But thou shalt surely stand，thou and the Commander of the Faithful，before the Just Judge，and thou shalt be justified of him on the Day when the Lord （to whom be honour and glory！） shall be Kazi and the Angels of Heaven shall be witnesses！'When the Caliph heard her com plaint，he knew that she had been wronged and，returning to the palace，sent Masrur the Eunuch for her. She came before him with bowed head and eyes tearful and heart sorrowful；and he said to her，'O Kut al-Kulub，I find thou accuses me of tyranny and oppression，and thou avouches that I have done ill by one who did well by me. Who is this who hath guarded my honour while I garred his become dishonour？Who protected my Harim and whose Harim I wrecked？''He is Ghanim son of Ayyub，'replied she，'for he never approached me in wantonness or with lewd intent，I swear by thy munificence，O Commander of the Faithful！'Then said the Caliph，'There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah！ Ask what thou wilt of me，O Kut al-Kulub.''O Prince of the Faithful！'，answered she，'I require of thee only my beloved Ghanim son of Ayyub.'He did as she desired，whereupon she said，'O Lord of the Moslems，if I bring him to thy presence，wilt thou bestow me on him？'；and he replied，'If he come into my presence，I will give thee to him as the gift of the generous who revoketh not his largesse.'
