there shall not again befall thee that which befell yesternight."
Then he returned to his pavilion and sent at once for the Vizier,
who came and stood before him, awaiting his commands; and the
Sultan said to him, "O Vizier, how deemest thou of this affair?
Most like thy son hath told thee what happened to him and to my
daughter." "O King of the Age," answered the Vizier, "I have not
seen my son or yesterday or to-day." Whereupon the Sultan
acquainted him with all that his daughter the Lady Bedrulbudour
had told him and said to him, "It is now my will that thou
enquire of thy son the truth of the case, for it may be my
daughter knoweth not for fright what happened to her, though
methinketh her tale is all true." So the Vizier arose and sending
for his son, asked him of all that the Sultan had told him, if it
were true or not. Whereupon, "O my father the Vizier," replied
the youth, "[God] preserve the Lady Bedrulbudour from
leasing! [FN#410] Indeed, all she saith is true and these two
nights past have been for us the sorriest of nights, instead of
being nights of pleasance and delight. Marry, that which befell
me was yet worse, for that, instead of sleeping with my bride in
bed, I lay in the draught-house, a place dark and frightful,
noisome of smell and accursed, and my ribs were straitened
[FN#411] with cold." Brief, he told the Vizier all that had
befallen him and ultimately said to him; "Dear [FN#412] my father,
I beseech thee speak with the Sultan that he release me from this
marriage. True, it is great honour for me to be the Sultan's
son-in-law, more by token that the love of the Lady Bedrulbudour
hath gotten possession of my vitals, but I cannot avail to endure
one more night like the two that are past."

When [FN#413] the Vizier heard his son's words, he grieved and was