Have you renounced all those whims and fancies which the devil had put into your head?” “Indeed, mother,” replied Abou Hassan, very rationally and calmly, and in a tone expressive of his grief for the excesses he had been transported to against her, “I acknowledge my error, and beg of you to forgive the execrable crime which I have been guilty of towards you, and which I detest.  I ask pardon also of my neighbours whom I have abused.  I have been deceived by a dream; but by so extraordinary a one, and so like to truth, that I venture to affirm any other person, to whom such a thing might have happened, would have been guilty of as great or greater extravagancies; and I am this instant so much perplexed about it, that while I am speaking I can hardly persuade myself but that what befell me was matter of fact, so like was it to what happens to people who are broad awake.  But whatever it was, I do, and shall always regard it as a dream and an illusion.  I am convinced that I am not that shadow of a caliph and commander of the faithful, but Abou Hassan your son, the son of a person whom I always honoured till that fatal day, the remembrance of which will cover me with confusion, and whom in future I shall honour and respect all my life as I ought.”

At this rational declaration, the tears of sorrow and affliction which the mother of Abou Hassan had so long shed were changed into those of joy.  “My son!” cried she, transported with pleasure, “my satisfaction and comfort to hear you talk so reasonably is inexpressible:  and it gives me as much joy as if I had brought you into the world a second time; but I must tell you my opinion of this adventure, and observe one thing which you may not have noticed; the stranger whom you brought home the evening before your illness to sup with you went away without shutting your chamber-door after him, as you desired; which I believe gave the devil an opportunity to enter, and throw you into the horrible illusion you have been in:  therefore, my son, you ought to return God thanks for your deliverance, and beseech him to keep you from falling again into the snares of the evil spirit.”

“You have found out the source of our misfortunes,” answered Abou Hassan.  “It was that very night I had this dream which turned my brain.  I bade the merchant expressly to shut the door after him; and now I find he did not do it.  I am persuaded, as well as you, the devil finding it open came in, and filled my head full of these fancies.  The people of Moussul, from whence this merchant came, may not know how we at Bagdad are convinced from experience that the devil is the cause of troublesome dreams when we leave our chamber-doors open.  But since, mother, you see I am, by the grace of God, so well recovered, for God’s sake get me out of this horrible place, which will infallibly shorten my days if I stay here any longer.”  The mother, glad to hear her son was so well cured of his foolish imagination of being caliph, went immediately to the keeper, and assuring him that he was very sensible and well, he came, examined, and released him in her presence.