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So I entered this city, knowing not where to pass the night, and seeing this place, I took shelter here. 'O my son, said the old man, 'what sayst thou to a thousand dinars and a suit of clothes and a mule worth other two thousand? 'To what end wilt thou give me this? asked Alaeddin, and the other answered, 'This young man, whom thou seest, is the only son of my brother and I have an only daughter called Zubeideh the Lutanist, who is endowed with beauty and grace.
Then the princess said to Zubeideh, 'Play us an air on the lute. But she answered, 'I will make no music for thee, till thou grant my wish and fulfil thy promise to me. 'And what did I promise thee? asked the princess. 'That thou wouldst reunite me with my husband Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat, said Zubeideh.
We abode thus awhile, till she said to me, one day, 'It befits not that we continue in the Khalif's palace: for none ever came hither but thou, and thou wonst not in but by the grace of the Lady Zubeideh.
'When they are present, we will give judgment. So she caused bring the two kinds of fruits before him, and he ate of both. Quoth she, 'What is the difference between them? And he answered, 'As often as I think to praise one kind, the other puts in its claim. The Khalif laughed at his answer and made him a present. Zubeideh also gave him what she had promised him, and he went away, rejoicing.
If he should say to himself, "My cousin Zubeideh has compassed the death of Cout el Culoub out of jealousy," or if love-longing should master him and he order to take her forth of the tomb, fear thou not; for when they dig and come to the figure, he will see it as it were a human body, shrouded in costly grave-clothes; and if he desire to take off the swathings, do thou forbid him and say to him, "It is unlawful to look upon her nakedness."
It is told that Haroun er Reshid was sitting one day on the throne of the Khalifate, when there came in to him a youth of his eunuchs, bearing a crown of red gold, set with pearls and rubies and all manner other jewels, such as money might not buy, and kissing the ground before him, said, 'O Commander of the Faithful, the lady Zubeideh kisses the earth before thee and saith to thee, thou knowest she hath let make this crown, which lacks a great jewel for its top; and she hath made search among her treasures, but cannot find a jewel to her mind. Quoth the Khalif to his chamberlains and officers, 'Make search for a great jewel, such as Zubeideh desires. So they sought, but found nothing befitting her and told the Khalif, who was vexed thereat and exclaimed, 'Am I Khalif and king of the kings of the earth and lack of a jewel?
After awhile, the Khalif said to Jaafer, 'O Vizier, what is the cause of Alaeddin's absence from the Divan? 'O Commander of the Faithful, answered Jaafer, 'he is in mourning for his wife Zubeideh; and the Khalif said, 'It behoves us to pay him a visit of condolence. 'I hear and obey, replied Jaafer.
'She is sick for love of thee, replied he; and I said, 'Tell me who she is. Quoth he, 'She is one of the waiting-women of the Lady Zubeideh, the wife of the Khalif Haroun er Reshid, who brought her up and advanced her to be stewardess of the harem and granted her the right of going in and out at will.
So I sat down at her feet and rubbed them; whereupon she opened her eyes and seeing me, drew up her feet and gave me a kick that threw me off the couch, saying, "O traitor, thou hast been false to thine oath and hast perjured thyself. Thou sworest to me that thou wouldst not stir from thy place; yet didst thou break thy promise and go to the lady Zubeideh.
But as for Alaeddin, he went to the market and buying what victual he needed, made a banquet as usual against the night, saying to Zubeideh, 'See these lying dervishes; they promised us and broke their promise. Quoth she, 'Thou art the son of a Provost of the merchants yet did thy hand lack of a para; how then should it be with poor dervishes? 'God the Most High hath enabled us to do without them, answered Alaeddin; 'but never again will I open the door to them. 'Why so, asked she, 'seeing that their coming brought us good luck, and moreover, they put a hundred dinars under the prayer-carpet for us every night?
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