At these words apple and slave, the grand vizier, uttered an exclamation of surprise, intermixed with joy, and putting his hand into the child’s bosom, pulled out the apple.  He caused the slave, who was not far off, to be brought immediately, and when he came, “Rascal,” said he, “where hadst thou this apple?” “My lord,” replied the slave, “I swear to you that I neither stole it in your house, nor out of the commander of the faithful’s garden; but the other day, as I was passing through a street where three or four children were at play, one of them having it in his hand, I snatched it from him, and carried it away.  The child ran after me, telling me it was not his own, but belonged mother, who was sick; and that his father, to satisfy her longing, had made a long journey, and brought home three apples, whereof this was one, which he had taken from his mother without her knowledge.  He said all he could to prevail upon me to give it him back, but I refused, and so brought it home, and sold it for two sequins to the little lady your daughter.”

Jaaffier could not reflect without astonishment that the mischievousness of a slave had been the cause of an innocent woman’s death, and nearly of his own.  He carried the slave along with him, and when he came before the caliph, gave the prince an exact account of what the slave had told him, and the chance which led him to the discovery of his crime.

Never was any surprise so great as that of the caliph, yet he could not refrain from falling into excessive fits of laughter.  At last he recovered himself, and with a serious air told the vizier, that since his slave had been the occasion of murder, he deserved an exemplary punishment.  “I must own it,” said the vizier, “but his guilt is not unpardonable:  I remember the wonderful history of a vizier, of Cairo, and am ready to relate it, upon condition that if your majesty finds it more astonishing than that which gives me occasion to tell it, you will be pleased to pardon my slave.”  “I consent,” said the caliph; “but you undertake a hard task, for I do not believe you can save your slave, the story of the apples being so very singular.”  Upon this, Jaaffier began his story thus: 

   The Story of Noor ad Deen Ali and Buddir ad Deen Houssun.

Commander of the faithful, there was formerly a sultan of Egypt, a strict observer of justice, gracious, merciful, and liberal, and his valour made him terrible to his neighbours.  He loved the poor, and protected the learned, whom he advanced to the highest dignities.  This sultan had a vizier, who was prudent, wise, sagacious, and well versed in all sciences.  This minister had two sons, who in every thing followed his footsteps.  The eldest was called Shumse ad Deen Mahummud, and the younger Noor ad Deen Ali.  The latter was endowed with all the good qualities that man could possess.

The vizier their father being dead, the sultan caused them both to put on the robes of a vizier, “I am as sorry,” said he, “as you are for the loss of your father; and because I know you live together, and love one another cordially, I will bestow his dignity upon you conjointly; go, and imitate your father’s conduct.”