The Story of King Runan and the Sage Duban

Know, O 'Efrit, that there was, in former times, in the
country of the Persians, a monarch who was called King
Yunan, possessing great treasures and numerous forces, val-
iant, and having troops of every description ; but he was
afflicted with leprosy, which the physicians and sages had
failed to remove ; neither their potions, nor powders, nor
ointments were of any benefit to him ; and none of the phy-
sicians was able to cure him. At length there arrived at the
city of this king a great sage, stricken in years, who was
called the sage Duban : he was acquainted with ancient Greek,
Persian, modern Greek, Arabic, and Syriac books, and with
medicine and astrology, both with respect to their scientific
principles and the rules of their practical applications for
good and evil; as well as the properties of plants, dried
and fresh; the injurious and the useful: he was versed in
the wisdom of the philosophers, and embraced a knowledge
of all the medical and other sciences.

After this sage had arrived in the city, and remained in
it a few days, he heard of the case of the King, of the leprosy
with which God had afflicted him, and that the physicians
and men of science had failed to cure him. In consequence
of this information, he passed the next night in deep study;
and when the morning came, and diffused its light, and
the sun saluted the Ornament of the Good,* he attired him-
self in the richest of his apparel, and presented himself
before the King. Having kissed the ground before him,
and offered up a prayer for the continuance of his power'
and happiness, and greeted him in the best manner he wa:.
able, he informed him who he was, and said, O King, I
have heard of the disease which hath attacked thy person,
and that many of the physicians are unacquainted with the
means of removing it; and I will cure thee without giving
thee to drink any potion, or anointing thee with ointment.
When King Yuman heard his words, he wondered, and said
to him, How wilt thou do this? By Allah, if thou cure me,
I will enrich thee and thy children's children, and I will
heap favours upon thee, and whatever thou shalt desire shall
be thine, and thou shalt be my companion and my friend.
— He then bestowed upon him a robe of honour, and other
presents, and said to him. Wilt thou cure me of this disease
without potion or ointment? He answered. Yes; I will
cure thee without any discomfort to thy person. And the
King was extremely astonished, and said, O Sage, at what
time, and on what day, shall that which thou hast proposed
to me be done? Hasten it, O my Son. — He answered, I
hear and obey.

He then went out from the presence of the King, and
hired a house, in which he deposited his books, and medi-
cines, and drugs. Having done this, he selected certain
of his medicines and drugs, and made a goff-stick, with ;
hollow handle, into which he introduced them; after which
he made a ball for it, skilfully adapted; and on the follow-
ing day, after he had finished these, he went again to tlu
King, and kissed the ground before him, and directed him
to repair to the horse-course, and to play with the ball and
goff-stick. The King, attended by his Emirs and Chamber-
lains and Wezirs, went thither, and, as soon as he arrived
there, the sage Duban presented himself before him, and
handed to him the goff-stick, saying, Take this goff-stick,
and grasp it thus, and ride along the horse-course, and strike
the ball with it with all thy force, until the palm of thy hand
and thy whole body become moist with perspiration, when
the medicine will penetrate into thy hand, and pervade thy
whole body; and when thou hast done this, and the medi-
cine remains in thee, return to thy palace, and enter the
1th, and wash thyself, and sleep; then shalt thou find thy-
self cured : and peace be on thee. So King Yunan took
the goff-stick from the sage, and grasped it in his hand, and
mounted his horse; and the ball was thrown before him,
and he urged his horse after it until he overtook it, when he
struck it with all his force; and when he had continued this
exercise as long as was necessary, and bathed and slept, he
looked upon his skin, and not a vestige of the leprosy
remained : it was clear as white silver. Upon this he
rejoiced exceedingly; his heart was dilated, and he was full
of happiness.

On the following morning he entered the council-chamber,
and sat upon his throne ; and the Chamberlains and great
officers of his court came before him. The sage Duban also
presented himself; and when the King saw him, he rose to
him in haste, and seated him by his side. Services of food
were then spread before them, and the sage ate with the
King, and remained as his guest all the day; and when the
night approached, the King gave him two thousand pieces
of gold, besides dresses of honour and other presents, and
mounted him on his own horse, and so the sage returned to
his house. And the King was astonished at his skill ; say-
ing, This man hath cured me by an external process, without
linting me with ointment: by Allah, this is consummate
\nce; and it is incumbent on me to bestow favours and
nours upon him, and to make him my companion and
¦ ^miliar friend as long as I Hve. He passed the night happy
and joyful on account of his recovery, and when he arose,
he went forth again, and sat upon his throne ; the officers of
his court standing before him, and the Emirs and Wezirs
sitting on his right hand and on his left; and he called for
the sage Duban, who came, and kissed the ground before
him ; and the king rose, and seated him by his side, and
ate with him, and greeted him with compliments: he be-
stowed upon him again a robe of honour and other presents,
and after conversing with him till the approach of night,
gave orders that five other robes of honour should be given
to him, and a thousand pieces of gold; and the sage departed,
and returned to his house.

Again, when the next morning came, the King went as
usual to his council-chamber, and the Emirs and Weziis and
Chamberlains surrounded him. Now there was, among his
Wezirs, one of ill aspect, and of evil star; sordid, avaricious,
and of an envious and malicious disposition; and when he
saw that the King had made the sage Duban his friend, and
bestowed upon him these favours, he envied him his dis-
tinction, and meditated evil against him ; agreeably with the
adage which saith. There is no one void of envy ; — and
another, which saith, Tyranny lurketh in the soul : power
manifesteth it, and weakness concealeth it. So he approached
the King, and kissed the ground before him, and said, O
King of the age, thou art he whose goodness extendeth to
all men, and I have an important piece of advice to give
thee: if I were to conceal it from thee, I should be a base-
born wretch: therefore, if thou order me to impart it, I will
do so. The King, disturbed by these words of the Wezir,
said, What is thy advice? He answered, O glorious King,
it hath been said, by the ancients. He who looketh not to
results, fortune will not attend him : — now I have seen the
King in a way that is not right; since he hath bestowed
favours upon his enemy, and upon him who desircth the
downfall of his dominion: he hath treated him with kindness,
and honoured him with the highest honours, and admitted
him to the closest intimacy : I therefore fear, for the King,
the consequence of this conduct. — At this the King was
troubled and his countenance changed ; and he said. Who
is he whom thou regardest as mine enemy, and to whom I
shew kindness? He replied, O King, if thou hast been
asleep, awake! I allude to the sage Duban. — The King
said. He is my intimate companion, and the dearest of men
in my estimation ; for he restored me by a thing that I
merely held in my hand, and cured me of my disease which
the physicians were unable to remove, and there is not now
to be found one like to him in the whole world, from west
to east. Wherefore, then, dost thou utter these words
against him? I will, from this day, appoint him a regular
salary and maintenance, and give him every month a thou-
sand pieces of gold; and if I give him a share of my king-
dom it were but a small thing to do unto him. I do not
think that thou hast said this from any other motive than
that of envy. If I didst what thou desirest, I should repent
after it, as the man repented who killed his parrot.