Quoth Dunyazad, "O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do
tell us some of thy pleasant tales," whereupon Shahrazad replied,
"With love and good will."--It hath reached me, O King of the
Age, that Alaeddin's mother, having come the earliest of all,
found means of entering without any addressing her or offering to
lead her to the presence; and she ceased not standing there until
the Divan ended, when the Sultan arose and withdrew into the
palace and the others all went about their business. And when she
saw the throne empty and the King passing into his Harem, she
also wended her ways and returned home. But as soon as her son
espied her, bowl in hand, he thought that haply something
untoward had befallen her, but he would not ask of aught until
such time as she had set down the bowl, when she acquainted him
with that which had occurred and ended by adding,
"Alhamdolillah,--laud to the Lord!--O my child, that I found
courage enough and secured for myself standing place in the levee
this day; and, albe I dreaded to bespeak the King yet
(Inshallah!) on the morrow I will address him. Even to-day were
many who, like myself, could not get audience of the Sultan. But
be of good cheer, O my son, and to-morrow needs must I bespeak
him for thy sake; and what happened not may happen." When
Alaeddin heard his parent's words, he joyed with excessive joy;
and, although he expected the matter to be managed hour by hour,
for excess of his love and longing to the Lady Badr al-Budur, yet
he possessed his soul in patience. They slept well that night and
betimes next morning the mother of Alaeddin arose and went with
her bowl to the King's court which she found closed. So she asked
the people and they told her that the Sultan did not hold a levee
every day but only thrice in the se'nnight; wherefor she