The caliph Haroun Alraschid was very well satisfied with these strange stories, and declared publicly his astonishment at what he had heard.  Having satisfied his curiosity, he thought himself obliged to give some marks of grandeur and generosity to the calender princes, and also to give the three ladies some proofs of his bounty.  He himself, without making use of his minister the grand vizier, said to Zobeide, Madam, did not this fairy, that showed herself to you in the shape of a serpent, and imposed such a rigorous command upon you, tell you where her place of abode was? or rather did she not promise to see you, and restore those bitches to their natural shape?  Commander of the faithful, answered Zobeide, I forgot to tell your majesty, that the fairy left with me a bundle of hair, saying withal that her presence would one day stand me in stead; and then, if I only burnt two tufts of this hair, she would be with me in a moment, though she were beyond mount Caucasus.  Madam, says the caliph, where is the bundle of hair?  She answered, Ever since that time, I have had such a particular care of it, that I always carry it about with me:  Upon which she pulled it out, opened the case a little where it was, and showed it him.  Well, then, said the caliph, let us make the fairy come hither; you could not call her in a better time, for I long to see her.  Zobeide having consented to it, fire was brought in, and she threw the whole bundle of hair into it.  The Palace began to shake at that very instant, and the fairy appeared before the caliph in the shape of a lady very richly dressed.  Commander of the faithful, said she to the prince, you see I am ready to come and receive your commands.  The lady that gave me this call by your order, did me a particular piece of service:  to make my gratitude appear, I revenged her of her sisters’ inhumanity by changing them into bitches; but, if your majesty command, I shall restore them to their former shape.  Handsome fairy, said the caliph, you cannot do me a greater pleasure; vouchsafe them that favour, and after that I will find out some means to comfort them for their hard penance; But, besides, I have another boon to ask in favour of this lady who has had such cruel usage from an unknown husband; and as you undoubtedly know a great many things, we have reason to believe you cannot, be ignorant of this; oblige me with the name of this unfeeling fellow, who could not be contented to exercise his cruelty upon her person, but has also most unjustly taken from her all the substance she had I only wonder that such an unjust and inhuman action could be performed in spite of my authority, and not come to my ears.  To serve your majesty, answered the fairy, I will restore the two bitches to their former state, and cure the lady of her scars, so that it will never appear she was so beaten; after which I will tell you who it was that did it.  The caliph sent for the two bitches from Zobeide’s house, and when they