Alla ad Deen’s mother returned home much more gratified than she had expected, since she had met with a favourable answer, instead of the refusal and confusion she had dreaded.  From two circumstances Alla ad Deen, when he saw his mother returning, judged that she brought him good news; the one was, that she returned sooner than ordinary; and the other, the gaiety of her countenance.  “Well, mother,” said he, “may I entertain any hopes, or must I die with despair?” When she had pulled off her veil, and had seated herself on the sofa by him, she said to him, “Not to keep you long in suspense, son, I will begin by telling you, that instead of thinking of dying, you have every reason to be well satisfied.”  Then pursuing her discourse, she told him, that she had an audience before everybody else which made her come home so soon; the precautions she had taken lest she should have displeased the sultan, by making the proposal of marriage between him and the princess Buddir al Buddoor, and the condescending answer she had received from the sultan’s own mouth; and that as far as she could judge, the present had wrought a powerful effect.  “But when I least expected it,” said she, “and he was going to give me an answer, and I fancied a favourable one, the grand vizier whispered him in the ear, and I was afraid might be some obstacle to his good intentions towards us, and so it happened, for the sultan desired me to come to audience again this day three months.”

Alla ad Deen thought himself the most happy of all men at hearing this news, and thanked his mother for the pains she had taken in the affair, the good success of which was of so great importance to his peace.  Though from his impatience to obtain the object of his passion, three months seemed an age, yet he disposed himself to wait with patience, relying on the sultan’s word, which he looked upon to be irrevocable.  But all that time he not only counted the hours, days, and weeks, but every moment.  When two of the three months were past, his mother one evening going to light the lamp, and finding no oil in the house, went out to buy some, and when she came into the city, found a general rejoicing.  The shops, instead of being shut up, were open, dressed with foliage, silks, and carpeting, every one striving to show their zeal in the most distinguished manner according to his ability.  The streets were crowded with officers in habits of ceremony, mounted on horses richly caparisoned, each attended by a great many footmen.  Alla ad Deen’s mother asked the oil-merchant what was the meaning of all this preparation of public festivity.”  Whence came you, good woman,” said he, “that you don’t know that the grand vizier’s son is to marry the princess Buddir al Buddoor, the sultan’s daughter, to-night?  She will presently return from the baths; and these officers whom you see are to assist at the cavalcade to the palace, where the ceremony is to be solemnized.”