The man—who was really the King—with his two followers, went in; and, after they had talked some time and made merry over wine, Abul said: “I should like to exchange places with the King for just one day.”
“Why?” asked the King.
“Because the Priest who prays in the Musjid here, and his four friends, are very wicked men, and I should like to have them killed.”
The King, while talking, took out some powder which had the effect of putting a person to sleep, and secretly dropped it into the wine Abul was drinking. Shortly afterwards Abul fell into a deep sleep.
The King then said to his servants: “Remove this man and take him to my Palace; change his clothes for some of mine, place him in my bed, and, until I give further orders, recognise him as your King, and let him use as much money as he likes.”
The servants did as he told them, took up the sleeping man and put him to bed in the King’s Palace.
Early next morning the servants came to wake Abul, and said: “Will Your Majesty rise this morning?”
Abul rubbed his eyes and looked, and behold, he was in a King’s room and the King’s servant was addressing him! He saw his clothes, and wondered who he was, and what had happened: then he turned to the man and said: “Who am I?”
The man replied: “You are our King.”
“Am I?” returned the puzzled Abul, and, rising, he heard strains of music, and knew that the band was playing, as it always does on the awaking of a King in the morning.