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Soon afterwards he went to one of the King's household and

related what had happened to him; and the man laughed till he

fell upon his back and cried, "O brother mine, know that the King

cannot bear to look at a monocular, especially if he be blind of

the right eye, in which case he doth not let him go without

killing him." When my brother heard this, he resolved to fly from

that city; so he went forth from it to another wherein none knew

him and there he abode a long while. One day, being full of

sorrowful thought for what had befallen him, he sallied out to

solace himself; and, as he was walking along, he heard the

distant tramp of horses behind him and said, "The judgement of

Allah is upon me!" and looked about for a hiding place but found

none. At last he saw a closed door which he pushed hard: it

yielded.