of yonder oriel [FN#513] is not completed?” “O King of the Age,” replied Alaeddin, “by reason of the haste made with the bridal, the craftsmen might not avail to [FN#514] finish it.”  Quoth the Sultan to him, “It is my wish to finish it myself.”  And Alaeddin answered, saying, “God prolong thy glory, O King; so shall there remain unto thee a remembrance [FN#515] in thy daughter’s palace.”

Accordingly the Sultan bade straightway fetch jewellers and goldsmiths and commanded to give them from the treasury all that they needed of gold and jewels and [precious] metals; so they came and he bade them do that which was wanting of the lattice-work of the [unfinished] oriel. [FN#516] Meanwhile, the Lady Bedrulbudour came out to receive her father the Sultan, and when she came up to him and he saw her smiling-faced he embraced her and kissed her and taking her [by the hand], went in with her to her pavilion.  So they entered all, for that it was the appointed time of the morning-meal and they had set one table for the Sultan and the Lady Bedrulbudour and Alaeddin and another for the Vizier and the officers of state and grandees of the realm and captains and chamberlains and deputies.  The Sultan sat between his daughter, the Lady Bedrulbudour, and his son-in- law Alaeddin, and when he put his hand to the food and tasted it, wonder took him at the richness of the meats and the exquisiteness of their seasonings. [FN#517] Now there stood before them fourscore damsels, each as it were she said to the full moon, “Rise, so I may sit in thy place;” and in each one’s hand was an instrument of mirth and music.  So they tuned their instruments and touched their strings and struck up with plaintive [FN#518] airs that dilated the mourning heart. [FN#519] The Sultan was cheered and the time was pleasant to him and he rejoiced and said, " Verily, Kings and Kaisers would fail of [FN#520] this thing;”

Then they fell to eating and drinking and the cup went round among them till they had taken their sufficiency, when there came sweetmeats [FN#521] and various kinds of fruits and so forth; and these were laid in another saloon.  So they removed thither and took their fill of those dainties; after which the Sultan arose, that he might see if the work of the jewellers and goldsmiths likened that of the palace.  So he went up to them and viewed their work and how they wrought and saw that they were far from availing to do work like that [of the rest] of Alaeddin’s palace. [FN#522] Moreover [FN#523] they told him that all they found in his treasury they had brought and it sufficed not; whereupon he bade open the Great Treasury and give them what they needed and that, if it sufficed not, they should take that which Alaeddin had given him.  So they took all the jewels assigned them by the Sultan and wrought with them, but found that these also sufficed them not, nor might they complete withal the half of that which lacked of the lattice work of the oriel; [FN#524] whereupon the Sultan bade take all the jewels which should be found with the Viziers and chiefs of the state; and accordingly they took them all and wrought therewith; but this also sufficed not.