Then the sultan himself died, without heirs
male; upon which the religious orders and the army consulted together,
and the good man was declared and acknowledged sultan by general
consent.
The honest dervish ascended the throne of his father-in-law. One day
as he was in the midst of his courtiers on a march, he espied the
envious man among the crowd that stood as he passed along. Calling one
of the viziers that attended him, he whispered in his ear, "Go bring
me that man you see there; but take care you do not frighten him."
The vizier obeyed, and when the envious man was brought into his
presence the sultan said, "Friend, I am extremely glad to see you."
Then he called an officer. "Go immediately," said he, "and cause to be
paid to this man out of my treasury,[19] one hundred pieces of gold.
Let him have also twenty loads of the richest merchandise in my
storehouses, and a sufficient guard to conduct him to his house."
[Footnote 19: A favorite story is related of the benevolence of one of
the sons of Ali. In serving at table, a slave had inadvertently
dropped a dish of scalding broth on his master. The heedless wretch
fell prostrate to deprecate his punishment, and repeated a verse of
the Koran: "Paradise is for those who command their anger." "I am not
angry." "And for those who pardon offenses." "I pardon your offense."
"And for those who return good for evil." "I give you your liberty,
and four hundred pieces of silver.
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