Malayan literature; comprising romantic tales, epic poetry and royal ...

THE PRINCESS DJOUHER-MANIKAM 147
The prince said :
"
It is well. I will pronounce sentence,
consent to
if it please God the most high, provided that you
accept it."
The King of Bagdad
answered :
" O king of the world,
judge between us according to your impartial justice."
"
The King of Roum then said : O minister of Damas, and
you, King of Bagdad, is it the wish of both of you that I
should give judgment according to the judgment of God the
most high ? "
"
And they both answered : That is what we ask, the judg-
ment of God."
The prince replied :
well."
" If you consent on both sides,
'*
I consent to it," said the minister of Damas.
''
And I, too," said the King of Bagdad.
The King of Roum then spoke
in these terms :
it is
" In con-
formity with the law of the most high God, I ask this ques-
tion of the King of Bagdad : Have you a "
daughter ?
The King of Bagdad replied :
"
Yes, king of the world,
I have a daughter and a son."
"
And have you at "
present these two children ?
answered :
The King of Bagdad
daughter— I lost her."
The King of Roum, continuing,
" I have my son, but my
said :
" What is the cause
of the loss of your daughter ? " The King of Bagdad answered
:
'* O king of the world, hear my story. While I was
gone on a pilgrimage with my wife and my son, whose name
is Minbah-Chahaz, I left my daughter to watch over my pal-
ace. Arriving at the end of my pilgrimage, I sent home a letter
to the cadi, conceived as follows :
*
May peace be with the
cadi : I shall wait still for the grand pilgrimage about a year
longer. As for all that concerns my kingdom, my palace,
and my daughter, the princess Djouher-Manikam, watch with
greatest care, and beware of any negligence in the protection
of my kingdom and my child.' Some time later the cadi sent
*
me a letter at Mecca, couched in these words : O king of the
world, your servant has received the command to watch over
the palace and the princess. But the princess now desires to
marry me.' After I had read the letter from the cadi I called
'
Start at once for
my son Minbah-Chahaz, and said to him :