about midnight, when suddenly the floor opened and he beheld a most hideous genius named Morhagian rise from the ground, who cried out, “You are a prince, but even if you were the Sultan himself, I would not refrain from taking vengeance for your rashness in entering this house which has been built just above the palace of my eldest daughter.”  At the same time he paced around the cabinet, and struck its walls, when the whole cabinet was reduced to dust so fine that the wind carried it away, and left not a trace of it.  The prince drew his sword, and pursued the genius, who took to flight until he came to a well, into which he plunged [and vanished].  When the prince appeared before his father the Sultan next morning, he was overwhelmed with confusion [not only at what had happened, but on account of his disobedience to his father, who reproached him severely for having disregarded his advice].

The second prince, whose name was Gaiath Eddin (Ghayath al-Din), then requested the Sultan to build him a cabinet constructed entirely of the bones of fishes.  The Sultan ordered it to be built, at great expense.  Prince Gaiath Eddin had no more patience to wait till it was quite finished than his brother Rostam.  He lay down in the cabinet notwithstanding the Sultan’s warnings, but took care to keep his sword by his side The genius Morhagian appeared to him also at midnight, paid him the same compliment, and told him that the cabinet was built over the palace of his second daughter.  He reduced it to dust, and Prince Gaiath Eddin pursued him, sword in hand, to the well, where he escaped; and next day the prince appeared before his father, the Sultan [as crestfallen as his brother].

The third prince, who was named Badialzaman (Badiu’l-Zaman = Rarity of the Age) obtained leave from the Sultan to build a cabinet entirely of rock crystal.  He went to sleep there before it was entirely finished, but without saying anything to the Sultan, as he was resolved to see whether Morhagian would treat him in the same way.  Morhagian arrived at midnight, and declared that the cabinet was built over the palace of his third daughter.  He destroyed the cabinet’ and when the prince seized his sword, Morhagian took to flight.  The prince wounded him three times before he reached the well, but he nevertheless succeeded in escaping.

Prince Badialzaman did not present himself to the Sultan, but went to the two princes, his brothers, and urged them to pursue the genius in the well itself.  The three went together, and the eldest was let down into the well by a rope, but after descending a certain distance, he cried out, and asked to be drawn up a rain.  He excused his failure by saying that he felt a burning heat [and was almost suffocated].  The same thing happened to Prince Gaiath Eddin, who likewise cried out till he was drawn up.  Prince Badialzaman then had himself let down but commanded his brothers not to draw him up again, even if he should cry out.  They let him down, and he cried