"Yes, Lord," replied the prince, "I shall obey your word."
And the prophet disappeared. When day came the King awaked. He perceived upon his body the odor of spikenard and saw that he bore certain marks. "It is clear," he thought, "that my dream does not come from Satan." And he began to recite without relaxation the words of the creed.
The ladies-of-honor who were in the palace were very much surprised to hear the King speak thus. "Has the King been touched by Satan, or has he lost his wits? Let us hasten to inform the bendahari." They ran to tell the bendahari, who came at once, entered the palace, and saw the King repeating without cessation the words of the creed.
"What is this language in which the King is speaking?" said the minister.
"Last night," said the King, "I dreamed that I was in the presence of the glorious prophet." And he told his dream to the bendahari.
"If your dream is not an illusion," said the latter, "what is the sign?"
"Here is the sign that proves that I have really seen in a dream the prophet of God. Furthermore, the prophet told me: 'To-day, at Asr, there will arrive a ship from Djedda, from which the people will descend to say their prayers on the shore of Malaka. Follow their directions.'"
The bendahari was surprised at seeing the marks on the King.
"Truly," he said, "if a ship arrives at the hour stated, then your dream is a reality. If it does not arrive, we shall judge that Satan must have troubled your spirit."
The King replied, "My father is right." And the bendahari returned to his house.