e had
purchased her as his slave for a thousand deenars. The
unfortunate lady told him that she was a free woman, but this had
no effect on the brutish sailor, who finding tenderness
ineffectual proceeded to force and blows in order to reduce her
to submit to his authority. Her strength was almost exhausted,
when suddenly the ship struck upon a rock, the master was hurried
upon deck, and in a few moments the vessel went to pieces.
Providentially the virtuous wife laying hold of a plank was
wafted to the shore, after being for several hours buffeted by
the waves. Having recovered her senses she walked inland, and
found a pleasant country abounding in fruits and clear streams,
which satisfied her hunger and thirst. On the second day she
arrived at a magnificent city, and on entering it was conducted
to the sultan, who inquiring her story, she informed him that she
was a woman devoted to a religious life, and was proceeding on
the pilgrimage to Mecca, when her vessel was shipwrecked on his
coast, and whether any of the crew had escaped she knew not, as
she had seen none of them since her being cast ashore on a plank;
but as now the hopes of her reaching the sacred house were cut
off, if the sultan would allot her a small hut, and a trifling
pittance for her support, she would spend the remainder of her
days in prayers for the prosperity of himself and his subjects.

The sultan, who was truly devout, and pitied the misfortune of
the lady, gladly acceded to her request, and allotted a pleasant
garden-house near his palace for her residence, at which he often
visited her, and conversed with her on religious topics, to his
great edification and comfort, for she was sensibly pious. Not
long after her arrival, several refractory vassals who had for
years withheld their usual tribute, and against whom the good
sultan, unwilling to shed blood, though his treasury much felt
the defalcation, had not sent a force to compel payment,
unexpectedly sent in their arrears; submissively begged pardon
for their late disobedience, and promised in future to be loyal
in their duty. The sultan, who attributed this fortunate event to
the successful prayers of his virtuous guest, mentioned his
opinion to his courtiers in full divan, and they to their
dependents. As, according to the proverb, the sheep always follow
their leader, so it was in the present instance. All ranks of
people on every emergency flocked to beg the prayers and counsel
of