Then he arose and went down to the city and stationed himself beneath the apartment of 'Ala-ed-Din, while the people gathered around him, for they were sure he was Fatimeh the ascetic. And he began to do as she did, and laid his hands on the suffering, and recited for these the opening chapter of the Kur'an, and for those another chapter, and prayed for others. And the crowding of the people upon him and their clamour reached the ears of the Lady Bedr-el-Budur, and she said to her maidens: "See what is the news and what is the cause of the uproar." So an agha of the eunuchs went to see what was the matter, and returned, saying: "O my mistress, this noise is on account of the Seyyideh Fatimeh, and if thou wilt 80 order, I will bring Her before thee that thou mayest be blessed by her." And the Lady Bedr-el-Budur replied: "Go and bring her to me, for I have long heard continually of her miracles and her merits, and I yearn to see her and be blessed by her; for people in trouble profit greatly by her virtues." So the agha went and fetched the Moorish sorcerer, disguised in Fatimeh's clothes. And when he came before the Lady Bedr-el-Budur, and looked upon her, he began saying his beads, and none there doubted that he was the saint herself. Then the Lady Bedr-el-Budur arose and saluted him and seated him beside her, and said: "O my mistress Fatimeh, I wish thee to stay with me always, that I be blessed by thee and learn of thee the paths of piety and devotion, and be thy disciple." Now this was a trick of this accursed magician, and he resolved to complete his treachery further. So he said: "O my lady, I am a poor woman, dwelling in the desert, and the like of me is not worthy to stay in the palaces of Kings." But the Lady Bedr-el-Budur answered: "Have no anxiety at all, O mistress Fatimeh. I will give thee a place in my house, where thou shalt worship and none ever disturb thee, and thou shalt serve God here better than thou couldst in thy cave." So the Moor replied: "I hear and obey, O my lady. I will not gainsay thy words, for the word of the children of Kings cannot be contradicted or disobeyed. Only I beg that my eating and drinking and sitting may be in my own room alone, where none may enter; and I do not require dainties, but each day vouchsafe to send me by thy handmaid to my chamber a piece of bread and a drink of water; and when I desire to eat let me eat in my room alone." The wretch resolved thus for fear lest he should lift his veil, when his affair might be foiled and he be proved a man by his beard and mustache. "O my mistress Fatimeh," replied the Princess, "be of good cheer; nothing shall be but as thou desirest. Arise now with me that I may shew thee the chamber which I mean to make ready for thy stay with us." So the Lady Bedr-el-Budur arose and took the wizard, who was disguised as Fatimeh the ascetic, and led him to the place which she had promised him to stay in, saying: "O my mistress Fatimeh, here shalt thou live and this chamber is for thyself, where thou shalt dwell in all ease and comfort and privacy." So the Moor thanked her for her goodness and blessed her. Then the Lady Bedr-el-Budur took him and shewed him the lattices and the kiosk of jewels with its twenty-four windows, and said: "What thinkest thou, O my mistress Fatimeh, of this wonderful kiosk?" The Moor answered: "By Allah, my daughter, it is wonderful and splendid, and methinks there is none like it in the world. But alas! for one thing which is wanting to its beauty and adornment." "What is that, O my mistress Fatimeh," Lady Bedr-el-Budur asked, "which is lacking, and what is this thing which would adorn it?" And the sorcerer replied: "O my lady, all it lacketh is that there should hang from the dome an egg of the bird called the rukh; and were this hung, the kiosk would not be equalled in the world." Then the Lady Bedr-el-Budur said: "What is this bird, and where is its egg to be found ?"

And the Moor said: "O my lady, the rukh is a huge bird that lifteth camels and elephants in its claws and flieth off with them, so vast is its strength. And this bird is found chiefly in the mountains of Kaf; and he who built this kiosk can bring thee one of its eggs." Then they ceased talking, as it was the dinner hour; and when the maidens had laid the table the Lady Bedr-el-Budur seated herself and invited the accursed Moor to eat with her. But he refused and retired to his own room, and there the slave-girls brought him his food.

When it was evening 'Ala-ed-Din returned from hunting, and his wife met him and saluted him, and he embraced and kissed her. Then looking in her face he perceived a trace of melancholy, and, unlike her habit, she was not smiling. So he asked her: "What hath come over thee, O my beloved ? Tell me hath anything disturbed thy mind?" And she said: "Nothing at all; but, O my beloved, I fancied that there was nothing wanting to our kiosk; yet, O my eyes, if an egg of the rukh were hung from the dome there would not be its equal in the universe." And 'Ala-ed-Din said: "And for this thou art sad! when it is as easy as possible to me. So be of good cheer, and whatsoever thou dost want, only inform me of it, and I will bring it from the bowels of the earth in an instant." Then, after cheering her, he retired to his chamber and took the Lamp and rubbed it, and immediately the Marid appeared and said: "Ask what thou desirest." And 'Ala-ed-Din replied: "I wish thee to bring me an egg of the rukh to hang from the dome of the kiosk." But when the Marid heard these words his face became terrible, and he was wroth, and shouted with a tremendous voice: "O hin-derer of good deeds, is it not enough for thee that I and all the slaves of the Lamp are at thy service, but thou wishest, moreover, that I bring thee our Lady for thy amusement, to hang her up in the dome of thy kiosk to please thee and thy wife? By God, ye both deserve to be burnt to ashes this instant and scattered to the winds; but as ye were ignorant of this, not knowing its meaning, I pardon you, since ye are innocent. The insult cometh from the accursed magician, brother of the Moorish sorcerer, who pretendeth to be Fatimeh the ascetic, after putting on her dress and slaying her in her cave. And he is come to kill thee in revenge for his brother; and he it was who made thy wife demand this thing of me." Then the Marid vanished. But when 'Ala-ed-Din heard his words his faculties departed and his limbs shook at the Marid's fearful shout. But he plucked up resolution, and went forth from his chamber to his wife's apartments, where he pretended that his head ached, for he knew that Fatimeh was renowned for the mystery of curing all aches. When the Lady Bedr-el-Budur saw him putting his hand to his head and complaining of pain, she asked him the cause, and he answered: "I know not, except that my head aches badly." So she instantly sent for Fatimeh, that she might lay her hand upon his head. And 'Ala-ed-Din said, "Who is Fatimeh ?" And she told him how she had established Fatimeh the ascetic in the palace. So the slave-girls went and brought the accursed Moor. And 'Ala-ed-Din rose to him; and, shewing that he knew nothing of the trick, saluted him as though he were saluting Fatimeh the ascetic, and kissed the hem of his gown, and welcomed him, and said, "O my mistress Fatimeh, I hope thou wilt do me a favour, since I have heard of thy success in curing sickness; and I have a violent pain in my head." Then the accursed Moor hardly believed these words, for it was just what he wanted; but he approached 'Ala-ed-Din to lay his hand on his head and cure his pain. And he laid one hand on him, and putting the other under his dress drew forth a dagger to kill him. But 'Ala-ed-Din was watching him, and waited till he had bared the dagger, when he seized him and took the dagger and plunged it into his heart.