“You are very troublesome and importunate,” replied Abou Hassan, rubbing his eyes; “I am not the commander of the faithful, but Abou Hassan; I know it well, and you shall not persuade me otherwise.”  “We do not know that Abou Hassan you majesty speaks of, nor desire to know him,” answered the lady; “but we know you to be the commander of the believers, and you cannot persuade us to the contrary.”

Abou Hassan looking about, and finding himself in the same hall, attributed all he saw and heard to such a dream as he had had before, and greatly feared the dreadful consequences.  “Allah have mercy on me!” said he, lifting up his hands and eyes, like a man who knew not where he was; “I commit myself into his hands.  I cannot doubt, after what I have seen, but that the devil, who came into my chamber, possesses me, and fills my imagination full of all these visions.”

The caliph, who saw him all the time, and heard these exclamations, began to shake so heartily, that he had much difficulty to forbear bursting into loud laughter.

Abou Hassan laying himself down again, and shutting his eyes, the same lady said, “Commander of the faithful, since your majesty does not rise, after we have, according to our duty, informed you it is day, and the dispatch of business requires your presence, we shall use the liberty you give us in such cases.”  Then taking him by one arm, and calling to one of the other ladies to do the same by the other, they lifted him up, and carried him into the middle of the hall, where they seated him, and all taking hands, danced and skipped round him while the music played and sounded loudly in his ears.

Abou Hassan was in inexpressible perplexity, and exclaimed, “What! am I indeed caliph, and commander of the faithful!” And in his uncertainty, would have said more, but the music was so loud, that he could not be heard.  At last he made a sign to String of Pearls and Morning Star, two of the ladies who were dancing, that he wanted to speak with them; upon which they forbore, and went to him.  “Do not lie now,” said he, “but tell me truly who I am?”

“Commander of the faithful,” replied Morning Star, “your majesty means either to surprise us, by asking this question, as if you did not know that you are commander of the faithful, and vicar on earth of the prophet of God, master of both worlds, that whereon we now are and that to come after death, or else you must have had some extraordinary dream that has made you forget who you are; which may well be, considering that your majesty has slept longer than ordinary; however, if you will give me leave, I will refresh your memory with what passed yesterday.”  She then told him how he went to council, punished the imaum, and the four old men, and had sent a present by his grand vizier of a thousand pieces of gold to the mother of one Abou Hassan; what he did in the inner part of the palace, and what passed at the three meals which he took in the three halls, adding, “In