' 'I hear and obey,' replied he, and
taking Noureddin into the prison, locked the door on him. Then he
bade sweep a bench behind the door and laying thereon a mattress
and a leather rug, made Noureddin sit down. Moreover, he loosed
his fetters and treated him kindly. The Vizier sent every day to
the gaoler, charging him to beat him, but he abstained from this,
and things abode thus forty days' time. On the forty-first day,
there came a present from the Khalif: which when the Sultan saw,
it pleased him and he took counsel about it with his Viziers, one
of whom said, 'Mayhap this present was intended for the new
Sultan.' Quoth Muin, 'We should have done well to put him to
death at his first coming;' and the Sultan said, 'By Allah, thou
remindest me of him! Go down to the prison and fetch him, and I
will strike off his head.' 'I hear end obey,' replied Muin. 'With
thy leave I will have proclamation made in the city, "Whoso hath
a mind to look upon the beheading of Noureddin Ali ben Khacan,
let him repair to the palace!" So, great and small will come out
to gaze on him and I shall heal my heart and mortify those that
envy me.' 'As thou wilt,' said the Sultan; whereupon the Vizier
went out, rejoicing, and commanded the chief of the police to
make the aforesaid proclamation. When the folk heard the crier,
they all mourned and wept, even to the little ones in the schools
and the tradersin the shops, and some hastened to get them places
to see the sight, whilst others repaired to the prison thinking
to accompany him thence.
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