“Let him stay,” said Amina, who had before proved herself his friend.  “It is only just, as he has given us so much amusement.”

“If you wish it, my sister,” replied Zobeida; “but if he does, I must make a new condition.  Porter,” she continued, turning to him, “if you remain, you must promise to ask no questions about anything you may see.  If you do, you may perhaps hear what you don’t like.”

This being settled, Amina brought in supper, and lit up the hall with a number of sweet smelling tapers.  They then sat down again at the table, and began with fresh appetites to eat, drink, sing, and recite verses.  In fact, they were all enjoying themselves mightily when they heard a knock at the outer door, which Sadie rose to open.  She soon returned saying that three Calenders, all blind in the right eye, and all with their heads, faces, and eyebrows clean shaved, begged for admittance, as they were newly arrived in Bagdad, and night had already fallen.  “They seem to have pleasant manners,” she added, “but you have no idea how funny they look.  I am sure we should find their company diverting.”

Zobeida and Amina made some difficulty about admitting the new comers, and Sadie knew the reason of their hesitation.  But she urged the matter so strongly that Zobeida was at last forced to consent.  “Bring them in, then,” said she, “but make them understand that they are not to make remarks about what does not concern them, and be sure to make them read the inscription over the door.”  For on the door was written in letters of gold, “Whoso meddles in affairs that are no business of his, will hear truths that will not please him.”

The three Calenders bowed low on entering, and thanked the ladies for their kindness and hospitality.  The ladies replied with words of welcome, and they were all about to seat themselves when the eyes of the Calenders fell on the porter, whose dress was not so very unlike their own, though he still wore all the hair that nature had given him.  “This,” said one of them, “is apparently one of our Arab brothers, who has rebelled against our ruler.”

The porter, although half asleep from the wine he had drunk, heard the words, and without moving cried angrily to the Calender, “Sit down and mind your own business.  Did you not read the inscription over the door?  Everybody is not obliged to live in the same way.”

“Do not be so angry, my good man,” replied the Calender; “we should be very sorry to displease you;” so the quarrel was smoothed over, and supper began in good earnest.  When the Calenders had satisfied their hunger, they offered to play to their hostesses, if there were any instruments in the house.  The ladies were delighted at the idea, and Sadie went to see what she could find, returning in a few moments laden with two different kinds of flutes and a tambourine.  Each Calender took the one he preferred, and began to play a well-known air, while the ladies sang the words of the song.  These words were the gayest and liveliest possible, and every now and then the singers had to stop to indulge the laughter which almost choked them.  In the midst of all their noise, a knock was heard at the door.