As soon as the dyer was gone, the assembly broke up, and the kazi was left a house.  He had been two years married to the daughter of a merchant of Baghdad, whom he had hitherto lived on very amicable terms.  When she heard that he was arranging for a second marriage, she came to him in a great rage.  “How now,” said she, “two hands in one glove! two swords in one scabbard! two wives in one house!  Go, fickle man!  Since the caresses of a young and faithful wife cannot secure your constancy, I am ready to yield my place to my rival and retire to my own family.  Repudiate me—­ return my dowry—­and you shall never see me more.”  “I am glad you have thus anticipated me,” answered the kazi, “for I was somewhat perplexed how to acquaint you of my new marriage.”  So saying, he opened a coffer and took out a purse of five hundred sequins of gold, and putting it into her hands, “There, woman,” said he, “thy dowry is in that purse:  begone, and take with you what belongs to you.  I divorce thee once; I divorce thee twice, three times I divorce thee.  And that thy parents may be satisfied thou art divorced from me, I shall give thee a certificate signed by myself and my nayb.”  This he did accordingly, and his wife went to her father’s house, with her bill of divorce and her dowry.

The kazi then gave orders to furnish an apartment sumptuously for the reception of his bride.  The floor was spread with velvet carpets, the walls were hung with rich tapestry, and couches of gold and silver brocade were placed around the room.  The bridal chamber was decked with caskets filled with the most exquisite perfumes.  When everything was in readiness, the kazi impatiently expected the arrival of his bride, and at last was about to despatch a messenger to the dyer’s when a porter entered, carrying a wooden chest covered with a piece of green taffeta.  “What hast thou brought me there, friend?” asked the kazi.  “My lord,” replied the porter, setting the chest on the floor, “I bring your bride.”  The kazi opened the chest, and discovered a woman of three feet and a half, defective in every limb and feature.  He was horrified at the sight of this object, and throwing the covering hastily over it, demanded of the porter, “What wouldst thou have me do with this frightful creature?” “My lord,” said the porter, “this is the daughter of Omar the dyer, who told me that you had espoused her out of pure inclination.”  “O Allah!” exclaimed the kazi, “is it possible to marry such a monster as this?” Just then, the dyer, well knowing that the kazi must be surprised, came in.  “Thou wretch,” cried the kazi, “how cost thou dare to trifle with me?  In place of this hideous object, send hither your other daughter, whose beauty is beyond comparison; otherwise thou shalt soon know what it is to insult me.”  Quoth the dyer, “My lord, I swear, by Him who out of darkness produced light, that I have no other daughter but this.  I told you repeatedly that she was not for your purpose,