he travelled to Bagdad to the home of his father and mother.
His father, sitting at his window, saw his son Sanassar come riding up,
and recognized him, and the caliph said: "My life to thee, great god!
Thou hast brought back thy victim. Certainly in thy might thou wilt
restore the second soon."

The mother--she was a Christian--began to weep and shed tears over her
children. The father took a sharp sword and went out to meet his son,
saying: "Come, my son, let us worship the great god in his temple. I
must sacrifice to him."

The son said, "Dear father, your god is great and very wonderful. Truly
in the night he permits us no rest. Certainly he will bring the second
victim to you by force."

And they went into the temple of the god, and the son said: "Father
dear, you know that we left your house when we were yet children, and we
knew not the might of your god."

"Yes, yes, my son, but kneel before him and pray."

The son said: "What a wonderful god your god is! When you bowed before
your god, there was a darkness before my eyes and I did not see how you
did it. Bow once more before him, that I may learn to worship him."

When the father did the second time the son cried: "Bread and wine, the
Lord liveth!" and seized his club and hurled the caliph full seven yards
distant to the ground. And with his club he shattered all the images
where they stood, put the silver in the skirts of his robe and carried
it to his mother, saying: "Take this, mother, and wear it for ornament!"

His mother fell full length and bowed herself and said: "I thank thee,
Creator of heaven and earth. It is well that thou hast rescued me from
the hands of this cruel man."

They found Sanassar a wife and placed him on the throne in his father's
place, and he remained at Bagdad.[12]

[12] Here the story of Sanassar breaks off and he is not mentioned again
in the tale.

Now Abamelik, who reigned in Moesr, left his son Moesramelik to rule in
his stead and went to Sassun. Many years passed and children were born
to him. To one he gave the name Tschentschchapokrik. The eldest son he
named Zoera-wegi, the second Zenow-Owan; while the third son was called
Chor-Hussan,[13] and the youngest David.

[13] All these names are poetic and refer to certain characteristics of
their bearers. "Zenow-Owan" means "melodiously-speaking John";
"Chor-Hussan" means "good singer"; "Tschentschchapokrik" means "sparrow";
and "Zoeranwegi," "cowardly Wegi."

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