The sultan and the bridegroom having taken leave of the shekh, returned to the palace, where all was now gladness for the safe return of the princess.  The marriage was consummated, and the young man was so happy with his bride, that he did not quit the haram for seven days.  On the eighth, the sultan ordered public rejoicings to be made, and invited all the inhabitants of the city to feast at the royal cost; causing it to be proclaimed, that no one, either rich or poor, should for three days presume to eat at home, light a fire, or burn a lamp in his own house, but all repair to the nuptial festival of the daughter of the sultan.  Ample provision was made for all comers in the courts of the palace, and the officers of the household attended day and night to serve the guests according to their quality.  During one of the nights of this grand festival, the sultan being anxious to know if his proclamation was generally obeyed, resolved to walk through the city in disguise.  Accordingly he and his vizier, in the habit of dervishes of Persia, having quitted the palace privately, began their excursion, and narrowly examined several streets.  At length they came to a close alley, in one of the houses of which they perceived a light, and heard the sound of voices.  When they had reached the door, they heard a person say to another, “Our sultan understands not how to treat properly, nor is he liberal, since the poor have it not in their option to partake of the costly feast he has prepared for his daughter’s nuptials.  He should have distributed his bounty among the wretched, who dare not presume to enter the palace in their ragged garments, by sending it to their home.”

The sultan, upon hearing this, said to the vizier, “We must enter this house;” and knocked at the door, when a person cried out, “Who is there?” “Guests,” replied the sultan.  “You shall be welcome to what we have,” answered the person, and opened the door.  On entering, the sultan beheld three mean-looking old men, one of whom was lame, the second broken-backed, and the third wry-mouthed.  He then inquired the cause of their misfortunes; to which they answered, “Our infirmities proceeded from the weakness of our understandings.”  The sultan upon this replied in a whisper to his vizier, that at the conclusion of the festival he should bring the three men to his presence, in order that he might learn their adventures.

When they had tasted of their homely fare, the sultan and vizier rose up, and having presented the three maimed companions with a few deenars, took leave and departed.  They strolled onwards.  It was now near midnight when they reached a house in which, through a lattice, they could perceive three girls with their mother eating a slender meal; during which, at intervals, one of them sung, and the other two laughed and talked.  The sultan resolved to enter the house, and commanded the vizier to knock at the door, which he did; when one of the sisters cried out,