agree that the tail must have been cut off, it being the custom
of camels at such times to whisk their tails and scatter the dung
abroad. So 'twas evident to us that the camel had lost his tail.
But as for our saying that the load was half Halwa and half
Hamiz, we saw on the place where the camel had knelt the flies
gathering in great numbers while on the other were none: so the
case was clear to us (as flies settle on naught save the sugared)
that one of the panniers must have contained sweets and the other
sours." Hearing this the Sultan said to the Cameleer, "O man,
fare thee forth and look after thy camel; for these signs and
tokens prove not the theft of these men, but only the power of
their intellect and their penetration."[FN#11] And when the
Cameleer heard this, he went his ways. Presently the Sultan
cleared a place in the Palace and allotted to it the Princes for
their entertainment: he also directed they be supplied with a
banquet and the eunuchs did his bidding. But when it was eventide
and supper was served up, the trio sat down to it purposing to
eat; the eldest, however, having hent in hand a bannock of bread
exclaimed, "By Allah, verily this cake was baked by a woman in
blood, to wit, one with the menses." The cadet tasting a bit of
kid exclaimed, "This kid was suckled by a bitch"; and the
youngest exclaimed, "Assuredly this Sultan must be a son of
shame, a bastard." All this was said by the youths what while the
Sultan had hidden himself in order to hear and to profit by the
Princes' words. So he waxed wroth entered hastily crying, "What
be these speeches ye have spoken?" They replied, "Concerning all
thou hast heard enquire within and thou wilt find it wholly
true." The Sultan then entered his women's apartments and after
inquisition found that the woman who had kneaded the bread was
sick with her monthly courses. He then went forth and summoned