Noor ad Deen made no answer to all these reproaches, but by his silence seemed to declare he did not repent of what he had done The caliph, surprised at what he had heard, said, “Sir, as far as I see, this beautiful, rare, and accomplished lady, of whom so generously you have made me a present, is your slave?” “It is very true, Kerim,” replied Noor ad Deen, “and thou wouldst be more surprised than thou art now, should I tell thee all the misfortunes that have happened to me upon her account.”  “Ah!  I beseech you, sir,” replied the caliph, still behaving like a fisherman, “oblige me so far as to let me hear part of your story.”

Noor ad Deen, who had already obliged him in several things of more consequence, was so complaisant as to relate the whole story to him.  He began with the vizier his father’s buying the fair Persian for the king of Bussorah, and omitted nothing of what he had done, or what had happened to him, from that time to their arrival at Bagdad, and to the very moment he was talking to him.

When Noor ad Deen had ended his story, “And whither are you going now?” asked the caliph.  “Where Heaven shall direct me,” answered Noor ad Deen.  “If you will believe me,” replied the caliph, “you shall go no farther, but, on the contrary, you must return to Bussorah:  I will write a short letter, which you shall give the king in my name:  you shall see upon the reading it, he will give you a very handsome reception, and nobody will dare to speak against you.”

“Kerim,” said Noor ad Deen, “what thou hast told me is very singular; I never heard that a poor fisherman, as thou art, had any correspondence with a king?” “Be not astonished at that,” replied the caliph:  “you must know, that we both studied together under the same masters, and were always the best friends in the world:  it is true, fortune has not been equally favourable to us; she has made him a king, and me a fisherman.  But this inequality has not lessened our friendship.  He has often expressed a readiness and desire to advance my fortune, but I always refused; and am better pleased with the satisfaction of knowing that he will never deny me whatever I ask for the service and advantage of my friends:  let me do it, and you shall see the success.”

Noor ad Deen consented to what the caliph had proposed; and there being every thing necessary for writing in the hall, the caliph wrote a letter to the king of Bussorah; at the top of which he placed this form, “In the name of the most merciful God,” to shew he would be absolutely obeyed.

“Haroon al Rusheed, son of Mhadi, sends this letter to Zinebi, his cousin.  As soon as Noor ad Deen, son to the late vizier Khacan, the bearer, has delivered you this letter, and you have read it, pull off the royal vestments, put them on his shoulders, and place him in thy seat without fail.  Farewell.”

The caliph folded up the letter, sealed it, and giving it to Noor ad Deen, without saying any thing of what was in it, “Go,” said he, “embark immediately in a vessel that is ready to go off (as there did constantly every day at the same hour); you may sleep when you are aboard.”