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After a while he said to him, "O my son, here am I left a man in

years and have no male children, but Allah hath blessed me with a

daughter who eventh thee in beauty; and I have rejected all her

many suitors, men of rank and substance. But affection for thee

hath entered into my heart; say me, then, wilt thou be to her a

husband? If thou accept this, I will go up with thee to the

Sultan of Bassorah [FN#380] and will tell him that thou art my

nephew, the son of my brother, and bring thee to be appointed

Wazir in my place that I may keep the house for, by Allah, O my

son, I am stricken in years and aweary." When Nur al-Din heard

the Wazir's words, he bowed his head in modesty and said, "To

hear is to obey!" At this the Wazir rejoiced and bade his

servants prepare a feast and decorate the great assembly-hall,

wherein they were wont to celebrate the marriages of Emirs and

Grandees.