" And they replied, "It
is well." Then he mounted and riding to the palace, foregathered
with the Viceroy of Damascus and showed him the Sultan's letters-
patent. He kissed them and laying them on his head, said to the
Vizier, "Who is it hath offended against thee?" Quoth the Vizier,
"He is a cook of this city." So the Viceroy at once despatched
his chamberlains to the shop and they went thither and found it
in ruins and everything in it broken; for whilst the Vizier was
at the palace, his men had done his bidding and carried Bedreddin
to the tents, where they were then awaiting their master's
return, whilst Bedreddin said, "I wonder what they can have found
in the pomegranate-seed to bring matters to this pass!" When the
Vizier returned to the tents, after having gotten the Viceroy's
permission to take his debtor and depart with him, he called for
the cook, and they brought Bedreddin before him, with his hands
bound behind his back. When he saw his uncle, he wept sore and
said, "O my lord, what is my offence against thee?" "Art thou he
who made the mess of pomegranate-seed?" asked Shemseddin. "Yes,"
replied Bedreddin; "didst thou find aught in it to call for the
cutting off of my head?" Quoth the Vizier, "That were the least
of thy desert." "O my lord," said Bedreddin, "wilt thou not tell
me my crime and what ails the pomegranate-seed?" "Presently,"
answered the Vizier and called to his men, saying, "Bring the
camels.
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