The Sultan was delighted with the 'Ajami's relation and largessed him two thousand pieces of gold; after which he returned to his palace and took seat upon his Divan when suddenly a poor man appeared before him carrying a load of fruit and greens and greeted him and prayed for him and expressed a blessing which the Sultan returned and bade him fair welcome. After which he asked, "What hast thou with thee, O Shaykh?" and the other answered, "O King of the Age, I have an offering to thee of fresh greens and firstfruits;" and the King rejoined, "It is accepted." Thereupon the man placed them between his royal hands and stood up, and the King having removed the cover[FN#285] found under it a portion of ordinary cucumbers and sundry curling cucumbers and bundles of rose-mallows[FN#286] which had been placed before him. So he took thereof some little matter and ate it and was much pleased and bade the Eunuchry bear the rest into the Harem. They carried out his commands and the women also were delighted and having eaten somewhat they distributed the remainder to the slave-girls. Then said they, "By Allah, this man, the fruit-owner, deserveth Bakhshísh;"[FN#287] so they sent to him by the Eunuch one hundred gold pieces whereto the Sultan added twain, so the whole of his gain was three hundred dinars. But the Sultan was much pleased with the man and a part of the care which he felt was lightened to him, whereupon asked he, "O Shaykh, knowest thou aught of boon-companionship with the Kings?" to which the other answered, "Yes;" for he was trim of tongue and ready of reply and sweet of speech. Presently the Sultan continued, "O Shaykh, for this present go back to thy village and give to thy wife and family that which Allah hath made thy lot." Accordingly the man went forth and did as the King bade him; after which he returned in a short time and went into the presence about set of sun when he found his liege lord at supper. The King bade him sit to the trays which he did and he ate after the measure of his sufficiency, and again when the Sultan looked upon him he was pleased with him. And when the hour of night-prayers came all prayed together;[FN#288] then the King invited him to sit down as a cup-companion and commanded him to relate one of his tales.?And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I should relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was The Four Hundred and Seventeenth Night,