Now his mother was with the bride, and when he came to unveil her, his mother began to observe the beauty of the bride and her loveliness. And she looked at the chamber she was in, all sparkling with gold and jewels; and there were lustres of gold all set with emeralds and rubies. And she said within herself: " I used to think the Sultan's palace magnificent, but this chamber is unique. Methinks not one of the greatest of Emperors and Kings ever attained to its like, and I do not believe that all the world could make a chamber like this." And the Lady Bedr-el-Budur also began to look and wonder at this palace and its splendour. Then the tables were laid, and they all ate and drank and made merry; after which eighty handmaidens came before them, each with an instrument of joy and revel in her hand; and they stretched their fingers and touched the strings and evolved harmonious modulations till they rent the hearts of the hearers. And the Lady Bedr-el-Budur wondered the more, and said within herself: " Never in my life have I heard songs like these," till she left off eating and gave herself up to listening. And 'Ala-ed-Din poured out wine for her and gave it her with his own hand. And content and great rejoicing fell upon them, and it was a glorious night, such as Alexander, Lord of the two Horns, never spent in his time. And when they had done eating and drinking and the tables were taken away, 'Ala-ed-Din arose and went in to his bride.

And when it was morning 'Ala-ed-Din arose, and the treasurer brought him a splendid costly suit of the richest of the robes of Kings. And he dressed, and they brought him coffee with ambergris, and he drank; and then ordered the horses to be saddled, and mounted, and his memluks rode before and behind him. And he proceeded to the palace of the Sultan, and as soon as he had arrived and entered, the servants went and informed the Sultan of his arrival; who, when he heard of it, arose straightway to meet him, and embraced and kissed him as though he were his son, and seated him on his right. And the wezirs and emirs and officers of state and nobles of the realm blessed him, and the Sultan blessed and congratulated him. And he ordered breakfast to be brought, and they all breakfasted. And when they had eaten and drunk their fill, and the servants had removed the tables from before them, 'Ala-ed-Din turned to the Sultan and said: "O my lord, will thy Felicity deign to honour me this day to dinner with the Lady Bedr-el-Budur, thy well-beloved daughter, accompanied by all the wezirs and nobles of thy realm ?" And the Sultan, being charmed with him, answered: "Thou art too hospitable, O my son." And forthwith he ordered the wezirs and officers of state and grandees of the realm, and arose and took horses, and they likewise, and 'Ala-ed-Din rode with them till they came to the new palace. And when the Sultan had entered and considered the building and its construction and masonry, which was of jasper and carne-lian, his reason was confounded and distraught at this splendour and wealth and magnificence. And turning to the Wezir, he asked: "What say est thou, O Wezir? Hast thou seen in all thy time a thing like this, or is there to be found among the Kings of the world such wealth and gold and jewels as we see here in this palace?" And the Wezir replied: "O my lord the King, this is a thing that is not within the reach of any King of the sons of Adam, and all the people of the world could not have built a palace like this, nor could masons construct such a work, except, as I said to thy Felicity, by, the power of magic." But the Sultan the jewellers took them all and continued their task, and even so there was not enough.

When morning came, 'Ala-ed-Din ascended to see how the jewellers had worked, and perceived that they had not completed half the deficient bay. So he immediately ordered them to take down all that they had done and return the jewels to their owners. So they undid it all, and sent to the Sultan what was his, and to the wezirs what was theirs. Then the jewellers went to the Sultan and told them that 'Ala-ed-Din had ordered them thus. And he asked them: " What did he say ? What was his reason, and why was he not pleased that the bay should be finished, and why did he demolish what ye had done?" They answered: "O our lord, we have no knowledge at all, but he bade us demolish all we had done." Thereupon the Sultan called for his horses and mounted and went to 'Ala-ed-Din's palace.

Now 'Ala-ed-Din, after dismissing the goldsmiths and jewellers retired into his closet, and rubbed the Lamp, when the Slave instantly appeared, saying: " Ask whatsoever thou desirest, for thy Slave is in thy hands." And 'Ala-ed-Din said: "I wish thee to finish the bay that was left incomplete." "On the head and also the eye," answered the Slave, and vanished, but shortly returned, saying: " O my lord, that which thou didst command me to do is finished." So 'Ala-ed-Din mounted to the kiosk and saw all the bays were perfect. And whilst he was inspecting them, lo, a / eunuch came and said: " O my master, the Sultan cometh to thee, and entereth the palace gate." So 'Ala-ed-Din went down at once to meet him. When the Sultan saw him. he cried: " O my son, wherefore hast thou done thus, and wouldest not let the jewellers finish the lattice of the kiosk, | so that an unfinished spot remaineth in thy palace?" And 'Ala-ed-Din replied: "O King of the Age, I left it imperfect only for a purpose; for I was not unequal to finishing it, nor could I wish thy Felicity to honour me at a palace wherein anything was imperfect. But that thou mayest know that I am not incapable of perfecting it, I beg of thy Felicity to inspect the bays of the kiosk, and see if there be aught unfinished there." So the King ascended to the into the kiosk, where all entered together. It was the time of the noon meal, and one table was prepared for the Sultan and the Lady Bedr-el-Budur and 'Ala-ed-Din, and a second for the Wezirs and lords of state and grandees of the realm and officers of the army and chamberlains and gentlemen of the guard.