forthright to receive him and embraced and kissed him as though he
were his own son. Then, seating him on his right, he blessed and

prayed for him, as did the wazirs and emirs, the lords of the land and
the grandees of the realm. Presently the King commanded bring the

morning meal, which the attendants served up, and all broke their fast
together, and when they had eaten and drunken their sufficiency and

the tables were removed by the eunuchs, Aladdin turned to the Sultan
and said: "O my lord, would thy Highness deign honor me this day at

dinner in the house of the Lady Badr al-Budur, thy beloved daughter,
and come accompanied by all thy Ministers and grandees of the

reign?" The King replied (and he was delighted with his son-in-law),
"Thou art surpassing in liberality, O my son!"

Then he gave orders to all invited and rode forth with them (Aladdin
also riding beside him) till they reached the pavilion, and as he

entered it and considered its construction, its architecture and its
stonery, all jasper and camelian, his sight was dazed and his wits

were amazed at such grandeur and magnificence of opulence. Then,
turning to the Minister, he thus addressed him: "What sayest thou?

Tell me, hast thou seen in all thy time aught like this amongst the
mighties of earth's monarchs for the abundance of gold and gems we are

now beholding?" The Grand Wazir replied: "O my lord the King, this
be a feat which cannot be accomplished by might of monarchamongst

Adam's sons, nor could the collected peoples of the universal world
build a palace like unto this,- nay, even builders could not be found

to make aught resembling it, save (as I said to thy Highness) by force
of sorcery." These words certified the King that his Minister spake

not except in envy and jealousy of Aladdin, and would stablish in
the royal mind that all this splendor was not made of man, but by

means of magic and with the aid of the black art. So quoth he to
him: "Suffice thee so much, O Wazir. Thou hast none other word to

speak, and well I know what cause urgeth thee to say this say."
Then Aladdin preceded the Sultan till he conducted him to the

upper kiosque, where he saw its skylights, windows, and latticed
casements and jalousies wholly made of emeralds and rubies and other

costly gems, whereat his mind was perplexed and his wits were
bewildered and his thoughts were distraught. Presently he took to

strolling round the kiosque and solacing himself with these sights
which captured the vision, till he chanced to cast a glance at the

window which Aladdin by design had left unwrought and not finished
like the rest. And when he noted its lack of completion, he cried,

"Woe and wellaway for thee, O window, because of thine
imperfection," and, turning to his Minister, he asked, "Knowest thou

the reason of leaving incomplete this window and its framework?" The
Wazir said: "O my lord, I conceive that the want of finish in this

window resulteth from thy Highness having pushed on Aladdin's
marriage, and he lacked the leisure to complete it." Now at that

time Aladdin had gone in to his bride, the Lady Badr al-Budur, to
inform her of her father's presence, and when he returned, the King

asked him: "O my son, what is the reason why the window of this
kiosque was not made perfect?" "O King of the Age, seeing the

suddenness of my wedding," answered he, "I failed to find artists
for finishing it." Quoth the Sultan, "I have a mind to complete it

myself," and quoth Aladdin: "Allah perpetuate thy glory, O thou the
King. So shall thy memory endure in thy daughter's pavilion."

The Sultan forthright bade summon jewelers and goldsmiths, and
ordered them he supplied from the treasury with all their needs of

gold and gems and noble ores, and when they were gathered together, he
commanded them to complete the work still wanting in the kiosque

window. Meanwhile the Princess came forth to meet her sire, the
Sultan, who noticed as she drew near her smiling face, so he

embraced her and kissed her, then led her to the pavilion, and all
entered in a body. Now this was the time of the noonday meal and one

table had been spread for the sovereign, his daughter, and his
son-in-law and a second for the wazirs, the lords of the land, the

grandees of the realm, the chief officers of the host, the
chamberlains and the nabobs. The King took seat between the Princess

and her husband, and when he put forth his hand to the food and tasted
it, he was struck with surprise by the flavor of the dishes and

their savory and sumptuous cooking. Moreover, there stood before him
the fourscore damsels, each and every saying to the full moon, "Rise

that I may seat myself in thy stead!" All held instruments of mirth
and merriment, and they tuned the same and deftly moved their finger

tips and smote the srings into song most musical, most melodious,
which expanded the mourner's heart. Hereby the Sultan was gladdened,

and time was good to him, and for high enjoyment he exclaimed, "In
very sooth the thing is beyond the compass of King and Caesar."

Then they fell to eating and drinking, and the cup went round
until they had drunken enough, when sweetmeats and fruits of sorts and

other such edibles were served, the dessert being laid out in a
different salon, whither they removed and enjoyed of these pleasures

their sufficiency. Presently the Sultan arose that he might see if the
produce of his jewelers and goldsmiths favored that of the pavilion.

So he went upstairs to them and inspected their work and how they had
wrought, but he noted a mighty great difference, and his men were

far from being able to make anything like the rest of Aladdin's
pavilion. They informed him how all the gems stored in the lesser

Treasury had been brought to them and used by them, but that the whole
had proved insufficient. Wherefor he bade open the greater Treasury,

and gave the workmen all they wanted of him. Moreover, he allowed
them, an it sufficed not, to take the jewels herewith" target="_blank" title="ad.用什么；用以">wherewith Aladdin had

gifted him. They carried off the whole and pushed on their labors, but
they found the gems fail them, albeit had they not finished half the

part wanting to the kiosque window. Herewith the King commanded them
to seize all the precious stones owned by the wazirs and grandees of

the realm, but although they did his bidding, the supply still fell
short of their requirements.

Next morning Aladdin arose to look at the jewelers' work and
remarked that they had not finished a moiety of what was wanting to

the kiosque window. So he at once ordered them to undo all they had
done and restore the jewels to their owners. Accordingly they pulled

out the precious stones and sent the Sultan's to the Sultan and the
wazirs' to the wazirs. Then the jewelers went to the King and told him

of what Aladdin had bidden, so he asked them: "What said he to you,
and what was his reason, and wherefore was he not content that the

window be finished, and why did he undo the work ye wrought?" They
answered, "O our lord, we know not at all, but he bade us deface

whatso we had done." Hereupon the Sultan at once called for his horse,
and mounting, took the way pavillonward, when Aladdin, after

dismissing the goldsmiths and jewelers had retired into his closet and
had rubbed the lamp. Hereat straightway its servitor appeared to him

and said: "Ask whatso thou wantest. Thy slave is between thy hands,"
and said Aladdin, "'Tis my desire that thou finish the window which

was left unfinished." The Marid replied, "On my head be it, and also
upon mine eyes!" Then he vanished, and after a little while

returned, saying, "O my lord, verily that thou commandedst me do is
completed." So Aladdin went upstairs to the kiosque and found the

whole window in wholly finished state, and whilst he was he was
still considering it, behold, a castrato came in to him and said: "O

my lord, the Sultan hath ridden forth to visit thee and is passing
through the pavilion gate."

So Aladdin at once went down and received his father-in-law. The
Sultan, on sighting his son-in-law, cried to him: "Wherefore, O my

child, hast thou wrought on this wise and sufferedst not the
jewelers to complete the kiosque window, leaving in the pavilion an

unfinished place?" Aladdin replied: "O King of the Age, I left it
not imperfect save for a design of mine own, nor was I incapable of

perfecting it, nor could I purpose that thy Highness should honor me
with visiting a pavilionwherein was aught of deficiency. And that

thou mayest know I am not unable to make it perfect, let thy
Highness deign walk upstairs with me and see if anything remain to

be done therewith or not." So the Sultan went up with him and,
entering the kiosque, fell to looking right and left, but he saw no

default at all in any of the windows- nay, he noted that all were
perfect. So he marveled at the sight and embraced Aladdin and kissed

him, saying: "O my son, what be this singular feat? Thou canst work in
a single night what in months the jewelers could not do. By Allah, I

deem thou hast nor brother nor rival in this world." Quoth Aladdin: