solution.
"Well, vizir," he said, "you are right. Perhaps he did come to take my
life. He might do it by the mere smell of one of his drugs. I must
see what can be done."
"The best means, sire, to put your life in security, is to send for him
at once, and to cut off his head directly he comes," said the vizir.
"I really think," replied the king, "that will be the best way."
He then ordered one of his ministers to fetch the physician, who came
at once.
"I have had you sent for," said the king, "in order to free myself from
you by taking your life."
The physician was beyond measure astonished when he heard he was to die.
"What crimes have I committed, your majesty?"
"I have learnt," replied the king, "that you are a spy, and intend to
kill me. But I will be first, and kill you. Strike," he added to an
executioner who was by, "and rid me of this assassin."
At this cruel order the physician threw himself on his knees. "Spare
my life," he cried, "and yours will be spared."
The fisherman stopped here to say to the genius: "You see what passed
between the Greek king and the physician has just passed between us
two. The Greek king," he went on, "had no mercy on him, and the
executioner bound his eyes."
All those present begged for his life, but in vain.
The physician on his knees, and bound, said to the king: "At least let
me put my affairs in order, and leave my books to persons who will make
good use of them. There is one which I should like to present to your
majesty. It is very precious, and ought to be kept carefully in your
treasury. It contains many curious things the chief being that when
you cut off my head, if your majesty will turn to the sixth leaf, and
read the third line of the left-hand page, my head will answer all the
questions you like to ask it."
The king, eager to see such a wonderful thing, put off his execution to
the next day, and sent him under a strong guard to his house. There
the physician put his affairs in order, and the next day there was a
great crowd assembled in the hall to see his death, and the doings
after it. The physician went up to the foot of the throne with a large
book in his hand. He carried a basin, on which he spread the covering
of the book, and presenting it to the king, said: "Sire, take this
book, and when my head is cut off, let it be placed in the basin on the
covering of this book; as soon as it is there, the blood will cease to
flow
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