She then went to a druggist, where she furnished herself with all manner of sweet-scented waters, cloves, musk, pepper, ginger, and a great piece of ambergris, and several other Indian spices; this quite filled the porter’s basket, and she ordered him to follow her.  They walked till they came to a magnificent house, whose front was adorned with fine columns, and had a gate of ivory.  There they stopped, and the lady knocked softly.

While the young lady and the porter waited for the opening of the gate, the porter made a thousand reflections.  He wondered that such a fine lady should come abroad to buy provisions; he concluded she could not be a slave, her air was too noble, and therefore he thought she must needs be a woman of quality.  Just as he was about to ask her some questions upon this head, another lady came to open the gate, and appeared to him so beautiful, that he was perfectly surprised, or rather so much struck with her charms, that he had nearly suffered his basket to fall, for he had never seen any beauty that equalled her.

The lady who brought the porter with her, perceiving his disorder, and knowing the cause, was greatly diverted, and took so much pleasure in watching his looks, that she forgot the gate was opened.  “Pray, Sister,” said the beautiful portress, “come in, what do you stay for?  Do not you see this poor man so heavy laden, that he is scarcely able to stand,”

When she entered with the porter, the lady who had opened the gate shut it, and all three, after having passed through a splendid vestibule, entered a spacious court, encompassed with an open gallery, which had a communication with several apartments of extraordinary magnificence.  At the farther end of the court there was a platform, richly furnished, with a throne of amber in the middle, supported by four columns of ebony, enriched with diamonds and pearls of an extraordinary size, and covered with red satin embroidered with Indian gold of admirable workmanship.  In the middle of the court there was a fountain, faced with white marble, and full of clear water, which was copiously supplied out of the mouth of a lion of brass.

The porter, though heavy laden, could not but admire the magnificence of this house, and the excellent order in which every thing was placed; but what particularly captivated his attention, was a third lady, who seemed to be more beautiful than the second, and was seated upon the throne just mentioned; she descended as soon as she saw the two others, and advanced towards them:  he judged by the respect which the other ladies showed her, that she was the chief, in which he was not mistaken.  This lady was called Zobeide, she who opened the gate Safie, and she who went to buy the provisions was named Amene.

Zobeide said to the two ladies, when she came to them, “Sisters, do not you see that this honest man is ready to sink under his burden, why do not you ease him of it?” Then Amene and Safie took the basket, the one before and the other behind; Zobeide also assisted, and all three together set it on the ground; then emptied it; and when they had done, the beautiful Amene took out money, and paid the porter liberally.