They took what they could find of the merchant's goods and，binding them tightly，brought them to Baghdad，where King Rumzan and his nephew，King Kanmakan，sat down together on one throne and，passing the prisoners in review before them，questioned them of their case and their chiefs.They said，'We have no chiefs but these three men and it was they who gathered us together from all corners and countries.'The Kings said to them，'Point out to us your headmen！'and，when this was done，they bade lay hands on the leaders and set their comrades free，after taking from them all the goods in their possession and restoring them to the merchant，who examined his stuffs and monies and found that a fourth of his stock was missing.The Kings engaged to make good the whole of his loss，where upon the trader pulled out two letters，one in the handwriting of Sharrkan，and the other in that of Nuzhat alZaman；for this was the very merchant who had bought Nuzhat alZaman of the Badawi，when she was a virgin，and had forwarded her to her brother Sharrkan；and that happened between them which happened.[116] Hereupon King Kanmakan examined the letters and recognised the handwriting of his uncle Sharrkan，and，having heard the history of his aunt，Nuzhat al Zaman，he went in to her with the second letter written by her to the merchant who had lost through her his monies；Kanmakan also told her what had befallen the trader from first to last.She knew her own handwriting and，recognising the merchant，despatched to him guest gifts and commended him to her brother and nephew，who ordered him largesse of money and black slaves and pages to wait on him；besides which Nuzhat alZaman sent him an hundred thousand dirhams in cash and fifty loads of merchandise and presented to him other rich presents.Then she sent for him and when he came，she went up to him and saluted him and told him that she was the daughter of King Omar bin al Nu'uman and that her brother was King Rumzan and that King Kanmakan was her nephew.Thereupon the merchant rejoiced with great joy，and congratulated her on her safety and on her re union with her brother，and kissed her hands thanking her for her bounty，and said to her，'By Allah！ a good deed is not lost upon thee！'Then she withdrew to her own apartment and the trader sojourned with them three days，after which he took leave of them and set out on his return march to the land of Syria.Thereupon the two Kings sent for the three robber chiefs who were of the highway men，and questioned them of their case，when one of them came forward and said，'Know ye that I am a Badawi who am wont to lie in wait，by the way，to snatch small children[117] 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 yon two gallows birds in gathering together all the riffraff of the Arabs and other peoples，that we might plunder merchandise and waylay merchants.'Said the Kings，'Tell us the rarest of the adventures that have befallen thee in kidnapping children and maidens.'Replied he，'O Kings of the Age，the strangest thing that happened to me was that one day，twoandtwenty years ago，I snatched a girl who belonged to the Holy City；she was gifted with beauty and comeliness，despite that she was but a servant and was clad in threadbare clothes，with a piece of camletcloth on her head.So I entrapped her by guile as she came out of the caravanserai；and at that very hour mounting her on a camel，made off with her，thinking to carry her to my own people in the Desert and there set her to pasture the camels and gather their droppings in the valley.But she wept with so sore a weeping that after coming down upon her with blows，I took her and carried her to Damascus city where a merchant saw her with me and，being astounded at her beauty and marvelling at her accomplishments，wished to buy her of me and kept on bidding me more and more for her，till at last I sold her to him for an hundred thousand dirhams.After selling her I heard her display prodigious eloquence；and it reached me that the merchant clothed her in handsome gear and presented her to the Viceroy of Damascus，who gave him three times the price which he had paid to me，and this price，by my life！ was but little for such a damsel.This，O Kings of the Age，is the strangest thing that ever befel me.'When the two Kings heard her story they wondered thereat，but when Nuzhat alZaman heard what the Badawi related，the light became darkness before her face and she cried out and said to her brother Rumzan，'Sure and sans doubt this is the very Badawi who kidnapped me in the Holy City Jerusalem！'Then she told them all that she had endured from him in her stranger hood of hardship，blows，hunger，humiliation，contempt，adding，'And now it is lawful for me to slay him.'So saying she seized a sword and made at him to smite him；and behold，he cried out and said，'O Kings of the Age，suffer her not to slay me，till I shall have told you the rare adventures that have betided me.'
And her nephew Kanmakan said to her，'O my aunt，let him tell us his tale，and after that do with him as thou wilt.'So she held her hand and the Kings said to him，'Now let us hear thy history.'Quoth he，'O Kings of the Age，if I tell you a rare tale will ye pardon me？''Yes，'answered they.Then the Badawi robberchief began，The Tale of Hammad the Badawi.
And he said：Know ye that a short while ago，I was sore wakeful one night and thought the morn would never dawn；so，as soon as it was break of day I rose，without stay or delay；and，slinging over my shoulder my sword，mounted horse and set my lance in rest.
