and disappearing, returned after a little and said to him, "O my
lord, that whereof thou commandedst me I have performed." So
Alaeddin went up to the belvedere [FN#526] and found all its
lattices [FN#527] perfect; and whilst he was viewing them, behold
the [chief] eunuch [FN#528] came in to him and said to him, "O my
lord, the Sultan cometh to visit thee and is at the palace-door."
So he came down forthright and went to meet the Sultan,
who [FN#529] said to him, when he saw him, "Wherefore, O my son,
hast thou done thus, and why sufferedst thou not the jewellers
complete the lattice-work of the oriel, [FN#530] so there might
not remain a place in thy palace [FN#531] defective?" "O King of
the Age," answered Alaeddin, "I left it not imperfect but of my
free will, nor did I lack of ableness to complete it. However, I
could not brook that Thy Grace should honour me [with thy
presence] in a palace [FN#532] wherein there was somewhat lacking;
wherefore, so thou mayst know that it was not for lack of
ableness that I left it uncomplete, [FN#533] let Thy Grace go up
and see the lattice-work of the kiosk, [FN#534] an there be aught
lacking thereto."

The Sultan accordingly went up to the pavilion [FN#535] and
entering the kiosk, [FN#536] viewed it right and left and saw no
manner defect in its lattices, but found them all perfect;
whereat he was astounded and embracing Alaeddin, fell a-kissing
him and saying, "O my son, what is this extraordinary thing? In
one night thou dost a work wherefrom the jewellers would fail in
months! By Allah, methinketh thou hast not thy fellow [FN#536] in
the world!" Quoth Alaeddin, "God prolong thy life and perpetuate
thy continuance! Thy slave is not worthy of this praise." "By
Allah, O my son," rejoined the Sultan, "thou deservest all