Nevertheless Schemseddin Mohammed could not comprehend why his nephew had disappeared; he hoped, however, every moment, that he would arrive, and expected him with the greatest impatience, that he might embrace him. Having waited seven days without seeing him, he ordered him to be sought for in every part of Cairo, but he could hear no tidings of him, which caused him great uneasiness. “This is, indeed,” said he, “a singular adventure; surely such never befel mortal before.”
Uncertain what might happen in the course of time, he thought proper to write himself the account of what had taken place; the manner in which the nuptials were celebrated, and how the hall and the chamber of his daughter were furnished. He also made a parcel of the turban, the purse, and the rest of the dress of Bedreddin, and locked it up.
At the expiration of a few days, the daughter of Schemseddin Mohammed perceived herself to be pregnant, and in nine months she was delivered of a son. A nurse was provided for the child, with other women and slaves to attend upon him, and his grandfather named him Agib. [17]
When the young Agib had attained the age of seven years, the vizier Schemseddin Mohammed, instead of having him taught to read at home, sent him to school to a master, who had a great reputation for his learning, and two slaves had the care of conducting and bringing him back every day. Agib used to play with his comrades, and as they were all of much inferior condition to himself, they behaved towards him with great deference; and in this the master of the school set the example, by excusing many faults in Agib which he did not pass over in the other scholars. The blind submission with which Agib was treated, completely spoilt him; he became proud and insolent; he expected his companions to bear every thing from him, but would not in return comply with any of their wishes. He domineered every where; and if any one dared to oppose his desires, he vented his anger in abusive language, and often even in blows. At last he made himself so insupportable to all the scholars, that they complained of him to the master of the school. At first he exhorted them to have patience, but when he perceived, that by so doing he only increased the insolence of Agib, and being tired himself of the trouble he gave him, he said to them, “My boys, I see that Agib is an impertinent fellow; I will tell you how to mortify him; and in a way that will prevent his tormenting you any longer; indeed that may perhaps prevent his returning any more to school. To-morrow when he comes, and you are going to play together, place yourselves round him, and let one of you say aloud, ‘We are going to play, but on condition that they who play shall tell their name, and that of their father and mother. Those who refuse to do so, we shall consider as bastards, and will not admit them to our games.’” The master then explained to them the confusion that Agib would feel on this occasion, and they all went home with the greatest satisfaction.
The following day, when they were assembled, they did not fail to do as their master had instructed them. They surrounded Agib, and one of them said, “Let us play at some game, but on condition that he who cannot tell his name, and that of his father and mother, shall not play with us.” They all agreed, Agib as well as the rest, to these conditions. Then the boy, who had spoken first, interrogated them all, and each answered satisfactorily till he came to Agib, who replied, “I am called Agib, my mother is named the Queen of Beauty, and my father Schemseddin Mohammed, the vizier of the sultan.”
At these words all the children cried, “Agib, what are you saying? that is not the name of your father, but of your grandfather.”—“Heaven confound you!” replied he angrily, “what! do you dare say, that the vizier Schemseddin Mohammed is not my father?” The scholars then all laughed at him, saying, “No, no; he is only your grandfather, and you shall not play with us; we will take care not to come near you.” Then they left him, and continued to laugh amongst themselves. Agib was mortified at their joking him, and began to cry.
The master, who had been listening, and heard all that passed, now made his appearance, and addressing Agib, “Do not you yet know, Agib,” said he, “that the vizier Schemseddin Mohammed is not your father? He is your grandfather, and the father of your mother, the Queen of Beauty. We, as well as yourself, are ignorant of the name of your father; we only know, that the sultan wished to marry your mother to one of his grooms, who was deformed, but that a Genius slept with her. This is unpleasant for you, but it ought to teach you to treat your companions with less haughtiness than you have hitherto done.”
The little Agib, vexed at the joke of his school-fellows, immediately left the school, and returned home in tears. He went first to the apartment of his mother, who, alarmed at seeing him in so much affliction, anxiously inquired the cause. He could only answer by broken words, interrupted with sobs, so great was his grief; and it was not till after several attempts, that he could explain the mortifying subject of his sorrow. When he had finished, “In the name of God, mother,” added he, “do tell me who is my father?”—“My son,” replied she, “your father is the vizier Schemseddin Mohammed, who embraces you every day.”—“You do not tell me the truth,” resumed he, “he is not my father, but yours. But whose son am I?” At this question, the Queen of Beauty, recalling to her mind the night of her marriage, which had been followed by so long a widowhood, began to weep with the utmost regret, for the loss of a husband so amiable as Bedreddin.
At the moment when the Queen of Beauty, as well as her son Agib, was weeping, the vizier Schemseddin Mohammed entered, and desired to know the cause of their affliction. His daughter informed him, by relating the mortification her son had met with at school. This account very much affected the vizier, who joined his tears with theirs; and who supposing from this, that the world entertained opinions not very favourable to his daughter’s virtue, felt extremely mortified. Being very much disturbed by this cruel reflection, he went to the palace of the sultan, and after having prostrated himself at his feet, he humbly entreated him to grant him permission to take a journey into the provinces of the Levant, and more particularly to Balsora, to seek his nephew Bedreddin Hassan; for he could not bear, that the whole city should suppose that a Genius had slept with his daughter. The sultan felt for the grief of the vizier, approved his intention, and gave him leave to execute it; he even wrote a letter of recommendation, in the most obliging manner, to the princes and nobles in whose dominions Bedreddin might be, to give their consent that he should accompany the grand vizier.
Schemseddin Mohammed could not find words to express his gratitude to the sultan for all his goodness towards him. He could only prostrate himself a second time before this prince; but the tears which flowed from his eyes sufficiently proved his feelings. At length, he took his leave of the sultan, after wishing him every kind of prosperity. When he returned home, he immediately began to prepare for his departure, which was done with so much diligence, that at the end of four days he set off, accompanied by his daughter and by Agib, his grandson.