The end of the Six Hundred and Fiftieth Night.

Then she said:—­I have heard, O auspicious King, that the brothers also were gladdened with exceeding gladness to see the Princess Nur al-Nihar recover so suddenly from mortal malady and, presently taking leave of her, they fared to greet their father.  Meanwhile the Eunuchs had reported the whole matter to the Sultan, and when the Princes came before him he rose and embraced them tenderly and kissed them on their foreheads, filled with satisfaction to see them again and to hear from them the welfare of the Princess, who was dear to him as she had been his daughter.  Then the three brothers produced each one the wondrous thing he had brought from his wayfare; and Prince Husayn first showed the Flying Carpet which in the twinkling of an eye had transported them home from far distant exile and said, “For outward show this carpet hath no merit, but inasmuch as it possesseth such wondrous virtue, methinks ’tis impossible to find in all the world aught that can compare to it for rarity.”  Next, Prince Ali presented to the King his Spying Tube and said, “The mirror of Jamshid[FN#330] is as vain and naught beside this pipe, by means whereof all things from East to West and from North to South are made clearly visible to the ken of man.”  Last of all, Prince Ahmad produced the Magical Apple which wondrously saved the dear life of Nur al-Nihar and said, “By means of this fruit all maladies and grievous distempers are at once made whole.”  Thus each presented his rarity to the Sultan, saying, “O our lord, deign examine well these gifts we have brought and do thou pronounce which of them all is most excellent and admirable; so, according to thy promise, he amongst us on whom thy choice may fall shall marry the Princess Nur al-Nihar.”  When the King had patiently listened to their several claims and had understood how each gift took part in restoring health to his niece, for a while he dove deep in the sea of thought and then answered, “Should I award the palm of merit to Prince Ahmad, whose Magical Apple cured the Princess, then should I deal unfairly by the other two.  Albeit his rarity restored her to life and health from mortal illness, yet say me how had he known of her condition save by the virtue of Prince Ali’s Spying Tube?  In like manner, but for the Flying Carpet of Prince Husayn, which brought you three hither in a moment’s space, the Magical Apple would have been of no avail.  Wherefore ’tis my rede all three had like part and can claim equal merit in healing her; for it were impossible to have made her whole if any one thing of the three were wanting; furthermore all three objects are wondrous and marvellous without one surpassing other, nor can I, with aught of reason, assign preference or precedence to any.  My promise was to marry the Lady Nur al-Nihar to him who should produce the rarest of rarities, but although strange ’tis not less true that all are alike in the one essential