Ali, who had arrived some time before Ahmed, asked Houssain how long he had been there? who told him, “Three months;” to which he replied, “Then certainly you have not been very far.”  “I will tell you nothing now,” said prince Houssain, “of where I have been, but only assure you, I was above three months travelling to the place I went to.”  “But then,” replied prince Ali, “you made a short stay there.”  “Indeed, brother,” said prince Houssain, “you are mistaken; I resided at one place above four months, and might have stayed longer.”  “Unless you flew back,” returned Ali again, “I cannot comprehend how you can have been three months here, as you would make me believe.”

“I tell you the truth,” added Houssain, “and it is a riddle which I shall not explain to you, till our brother Ahmed joins us; when I will let you know what rarity I have purchased in my travels.  I know not what you have got, but believe it to be some trifle, because I do not perceive that your baggage is increased.”  “And pray what have you brought?” demanded prince Ali, “for I can see nothing but an ordinary piece of carpeting, with which you cover your sofa; and therefore I think I may return your raillery; and as you seem to make what you have brought a secret, you cannot take it amiss that I do the same with respect to what I have procured.”

“I consider the rarity I have purchased,” replied Houssain, “to excel all others whatever, and should not make any difficulty to shew it you, and make you allow that it is so, and at the same time tell you how I came by it, without being in the least apprehensive that what you have got is to be preferred to it:  but it is proper that we should wait till our brother Ahmed arrives, when we may communicate our good fortune to each other.”

Prince All would not enter into a dispute with prince Houssain on the preference he gave his rarity, but was persuaded, that if his perspective glass was not preferable, it was impossible it should be inferior to it; and therefore agreed to stay till prince Ahmed arrived, to produce his purchase.

When prince Ahmed joined his brothers, they embraced with tenderness, and complimented each other on the happiness of meeting together at the same place they had set out from.  Houssain, as the eldest brother, then assumed the discourse, and said to them, “Brothers, we shall have time enough hereafter to entertain ourselves with the particulars of our travels.  Let us come to that which is of the greatest importance for us to know; and as I do not doubt you remember the principal motive which engaged us to travel, let us not conceal from each other the curiosities we have brought, but shew them, that we may do ourselves justice beforehand, and judge to which of us the sultan our father may give the preference.