The young merchant lost no time in waiting on the kazi at his court of justice, whom he thus addressed:  “My lord, I am come to ask your daughter in marriage, of whom I am deeply enamoured.”  Quoth the judge:  “Sir, my daughter is unworthy of the honour you design for her.  But be pleased to accompany me to my dwelling, where we can talk over this matter more at leisure.”  They proceeded thither accordingly, and after partaking of refreshments, the young man repeated his request, giving a true account of his position and prospects, and offering to settle fifteen purses on the young lady.  The kazi expressed his gratification, but doubted whether the offer was made in all seriousness, but when assured that such was the case, he said:  “I no longer doubt your earnestness and sincerity in this affair; it is, however, just possible that your feelings may change after the marriage, and it is but natural that I should now take proper precautions for my daughter’s welfare.  You will not blame me, therefore, if, in addition to the fifteen purses you have offered, I require that five more be paid down previous to the marriage, to be forfeited in case of a divorce.”  “Say ten,” cried the merchant, and the kazi looked more and more astonished, and even ventured to remonstrate with him on his precipitancy, but without effect.  To be brief, the kazi consented, the ten purses were paid down, the legal witnesses summoned, and the nuptial contract signed that very evening; the consummation of the marriage being, much against the will of our lover, deferred till the following day.

When the wedding guests had dispersed, the young merchant was admitted to the chamber of his bride, whom he discovered to be humpbacked and hideous beyond conception!  As soon as it was day, he arose from his sleepless couch and repaired to the public baths, where, after his ablutions, he gave himself up to melancholy reflections.  Mingled with grief for his disappointment was mortification at having been the dupe of what now appeared to him a very shallow artifice, which nothing but his own passionate and unthinking precipitation could have rendered plausible.  Nor was he without some twinges of conscience for the sarcasms which he had often uttered against women, and for which his present sufferings were no more than a just retribution.  Then came meditations of revenge upon the beautiful author of all this mischief; and then his thoughts reverted to the possible means of escape from his difficulties:  the forfeiture of the ten purses, to say nothing of the implacable resentment of the kazi and his relatives; and he bethought himself how he should become the talk of his neighbourhood—­how Malik bin Omar, the jeweller, would sneer at him, and Salih, the barber, talk sententiously of his folly.  At length, finding reflection of no avail, he arose and with slow and pensive steps proceeded to his shop.