When these words were brought to the Wazir, he had a document drawn up, giving a free pardon to any one who would deliver the Sultan. Then he brought it round to the prison for the Sultan's signature, and as they could not get it in they pushed it through the window on the end of a long pole. Then the Sultan signed it, and it was given to that youth, who handed over the key of the prison and of the chains and fetters. After the Sultan had been released he called that youth to his palace, and the youth took the horse, and the sage's books of magic, and the magician's bag of charms, and the woman's clothes and jewellery, and the soldiers' arms and clothes, and came to the palace.
When the Sultan heard his story he said that he was indeed a very clever youth, so he made him his Wazir.
This is the story of the man who would have a child, even though he should be a thief.
V
THE TRAPPER, THE LION AND THE HARE
ONCE upon a time there was a man, and his work was to set traps. Every morning he went out and set his traps for game, and in the evening he returned to his house, for he was a poor man, and there was no money in the house, and so this was, indeed, his manner of living.
One day he went forth, and when he came to his traps he met a lion.
And the lion said to him, "Have you not heard that this forest belongs to me, and that there is no leave to hunt here? for I am the only person who hunts here, and now, you son of Adam, you have come to hunt in my forest. Do you not know that I have the strength of forty men?"