is my son and that he loved thee with an exceeding love and was like to lose his life for longing after thee.  So I practised on thee with this device and came to thee with this turban-cloth, which is not thy husband’s, but my son’s.  Now have I accomplished my desire; so do thou trust in me and I will put a trick on thy husband for the setting thee right with him, and thou wilt be obedient to me and to him and to my son."[FN#57] And the wife answered, saying, “It is well.  Do so.”

So the old woman returned to the lover and said to him, “I have skilfully contrived the affair for thee with her; [and now it behoveth us to amend that we have marred].  So go now and sit with the draper and bespeak him of the turban-cloth, [saying, ’The turban-cloth I bought of thee I chanced to burn in two places; so I gave it to a certain old woman, to get mended, and she took it and went away, and I know not her dwelling-place.’] When thou seest me pass by, rise and lay hold of me [and demand of me the turban-cloth], to the intent that I may amend her case with her husband and that thou mayst be even with her.”  So he repaired to the draper’s shop and sat down by him and said to him, “Thou knowest the turban-cloth I bought of thee?” “Yes,” answered the draper, and the other said, “Knowest thou what is come of it?” “No,” replied the husband, and the youth said, “After I bought it of thee, I fumigated myself[FN#58] and it befell that the turban-cloth was burnt in two places.  So I gave it to a woman, whose son, they said, was a fine-drawer, and she took it and went away with it; and I know not her abiding-place.”  When the draper heard this, he misdoubted him [of having wrongly suspected his wife] and marvelled at the story of the turban-cloth, and his mind was set at ease concerning her.

Presently, up came the old woman, whereupon the young man sprang to his feet and laying hold of her, demanded of her the turban-cloth.  Quoth she, “Know that I entered one of the houses and made the ablution and prayed in the place of prayer; and I forgot the turban-cloth there and went out.  Now I know not the house in which I prayed, nor have I been directed[FN#59] thereto, and I go round about every day till the night, so haply I may light on it, for I know not its owner.”  When the draper heard this, he said to the old woman, “Verily, Allah restoreth unto thee vhat which thou hast lost.  Rejoice, for the turban-cloth is with me and in my house.”  And he arose forthright and gave her the turban-cloth, as it was.  She gave it to the young man, and the draper made his peace with his wife and gave her raiment and jewellery, [by way of peace-offering], till she was content and her heart was appeased. [FN#60]

When the king heard his chamberlain’s story, he was confounded and abashed and said to him, ’Abide on thy wonted service and till thy land, for that the lion entered it, but marred it not, and he will never more return thither.’[FN#61] Then he bestowed on him a dress of honour and made him a sumptuous present; and the man returned to his wife and people, rejoicing and glad, for that his heart was set at rest concerning his wife.  Nor,” added the vizier, “O king of the age, is this rarer or more extraordinary than the story of the fair and lovely woman, endowed with amorous grace, with the foul-favoured man.”