The men were moved even to tears at her misfortunes, and said, “We are convinced that thou hast spoken truly.”  They then caught some fawns of the antelope, killed them, and having required an under garment from each of us, dipped it in the blood, after which they broiled the flesh, with which we satisfied our hunger.  Our preservers now bade us farewell, saying, “We intrust you to the protection of the Almighty, who never forsaketh those who are committed to his care;” and then departed from us.  We wandered for ten days in the desert, living on such fruits as we could find, without beholding any signs of population, when, at length, fortunately we reached a verdant spot, abounding in various sorts of excellent vegetables and fruits.  Here also was a cave, in which we resolved to shelter ourselves till a caravan might pass by.  On the fourth day of our arrival one encamped near our asylum.  We did not discover ourselves, but when the caravan marched, speedily followed its track at some distance, and after many days of painful exertion reached this city, where, having taken up our lodging in a serai, we returned thanks to the almighty assister of the distressed innocent for our miraculous escape from death and the perils of the desert.

We must now quit for awhile the unfortunate sultana and her daughters, to learn the adventures of the sultan her husband.  As he drew near his capital, the treacherous vizier, attended by the officers of government and the principal inhabitants of the city, came out to meet him; and both high and low congratulated his safe return from the sacred pilgrimage.

The sultan, as soon as he had alighted at his palace, retired with the vizier alone, and commanded him to relate the particulars of the atrocious conduct of his wife; upon which he said, “My lord, the sultana in your absence despatched to me a slave, desiring me to visit her, but I would not, and I put the slave to death that the secret might be hidden; hoping she might repent of her weakness, but she did not, and repeated her wicked invitation five times.  On the fifth I was alarmed for your honour, and acquainted you of her atrocious behaviour.”

The sultan, on hearing the relation of the vizier, held down his head for some time in profound thought, then lifting it up, commanded the two attendants whom he had despatched with orders to put his wife and children to death to be brought before him.  On their appearance, he said, “What have you done in execution of the charge I gave you?” they replied, “We have performed that which you commanded to be done, and as a testimony of our fidelity, behold these garments dyed with the blood of the offenders!” The sultan took the garments; but the recollection of his beauteous consort, her former affectionate endearments, of the happiness he had enjoyed with her, and of the innocence of his guiltless children, so affected his mind, that he wept bitterly and fainted away.  On his recovery he turned to the vizier, and said, “Is it possible thou canst have spoken the truth?” He replied, “I have.”