it happened at this time that farrukhsuwār, who had found bakhtyār at the side of the well, came, with some of his companions, to the city, and was wrapped in that embroidered cloak which the king and queen had left with the infant. in passing by the place of execution he beheld the guards leading out bakhtyār to punishment, on which he rushed amongst them with his companions, and rescued the young man from their hands, and then solicited an audience of the king.
on coming into the royal presence farrukhsuwār exclaimed: “this young man is my son; i cannot bear to see him executed: if he must perish, let me also be put to death.”—“your wish in this respect,” said the king, “may be easily gratified.”—“alas!” cried farrukhsuwār, “if the father of this youth, who was a king, or his mother, who was a queen, were informed 116of his situation, they would save him from this ignominious death!” the king laughed at the seeming inconsistency of farrukhsuwār, and said: “you told me at one time that bakhtyār was your son, yet now you describe him as the child of royal parents.”
farrukhsuwār, in reply, told all the circumstances of his finding bakhtyār near the well, and showed the cloak in which he had been wrapped. the king immediately knew it to be the same which he had left with the infant, and asked whether farrukhsuwār had found anything besides. he produced the bracelet of pearls, and the king, now convinced that bakhtyār was not the son of farrukhsuwār, but his own, took the cloak and the bracelets to the queen, and asked her if she had ever before seen them. she instantly exclaimed: “they were my child’s!—what tidings do you bring of him?”—“i shall bring himself,” replied the king; and he immediately sent an order to the viziers that they should conduct bakhtyār to the palace.
when he arrived, the king, with his own hands, took off his chains, placed a royal turban on his head, 117and covered him with the embroidered cloak, and then led him to the queen, saying: “this is our son, whom we left on the brink of the well.” when the queen heard this, and beheld bakhtyār, the tears gushed forth from her eyes, and she embraced him with the greatest emotion. bakhtyār then asked the queen why she had endeavoured to destroy him by a false accusation, and she confessed that the viziers had induced her; on which the king ordered their immediate execution, and then resigned the throne to bakhtyār, who was acknowledged sovereign by all the people. farrukhsuwār was invested with the dignity of chief vizier, and his companions rewarded with honourable appointments; and bakhtyār continued for many years to govern with justice, wisdom, and generosity.
the end
