starving or full-fed?" "Let us see," rejoined the Wazir, "when he shall send for you and set you before the presence and question you concerning your disobeying his orders, what thou wilt say?" She retorted, "I would say to the Sultan, 'Thou hast contraried Holy Law.'" At this the Minister resumed, "An he ask thee sundry questions wilt thou answer them?" and she replied, "Indeed I will." Hereat the Minister turned to the King and said, "Let us leave off question and answer with this maiden on points of conscience and Holy Law and ask if she understand the fine arts." Presently the Sultan put the question when she replied, "How should I not understand them when I am their father and their mother?" Quoth he, "Allah upon thee, O my lady, an thou wouldst favour us, let us hear one of thine airs and its words." So she rose and retired but presently returning with a lute sat down and set it upon her lap and ordered the strings and smote it with a masterly touch: then she fell to singing amongst other verses these ordered couplets:? "Do thou good to men and so rule their necks: * Long reigns who by benefit rules mankind: And lend aid to him who for aidance hopes: * For aye grateful is man with a noble mind: Who brings money the many to him will incline * And money for tempting of man was designed: Who hindereth favour and bounties, ne'er * Or brother or friend in creation shall find: With harsh looks frown not in the Sage's face; * Disgusteth the freeman denial unkind: Who frequenteth mankind all of good unknow'th: * Man is lief of rebellion, of largesse loath." When the Sultan heard these couplets, his mind was distraught and he was perplext in thought; then turning to his Wazir, he said, "By Allah, these lines were surely an examination of and an allusion to our two selves; and doubtless she weeteth of us that I am the Sultan and thou art the Wazir, for the whole tenor of her talk proveth her knowledge of us." Then he turned to the maiden and said, "Right good are thy verse and thy voice, and thy words have delighted us with exceeding delight." Upon this she sang the following two couplets:? "Men seek for them sorrow, and toil * Thro' long years as they brightly flow; But Fate, in the well like the tank[FN#148] * Firm-fixt, ruleth all below."