chief thereof. Alaeddin set out with his host and fared on till
he drew near the enemy, whose troops were exceeding many; where
upon he drew his sword and fell upon them and there befell battle
and slaughter and sore was the stress of the mellay; but Alaeddin
broke them and routed them and slew the most part of them.
Moreover, he plundered their goods and possessions and gat him
spoil beyond count or reckoning, wherewith he returned in
triumph, [having gained] a great victory, and entered the city,
which had adorned itself for him of its joy in him. The Sultan
came out to meet him and give him joy and embraced him and kissed
him, and there was high festival holden in the kingdom and great
rejoicing. Then the Sultan and Alaeddin betook themselves to the
latter's palace; [FN#542] whereupon his bride, the Lady
Bedrulbudour, came out to meet him, rejoicing in him, and kissed
him between the eyes, and he went in with her to her
pavilion; [FN#543] whither after a little came the Sultan and they
sat down and the slave-girls brought sherbets. [FN#544] So they
drank and the Sultan commanded that all the realm should be
decorated for Alaeddin's victory over the enemy; whilst it became
[a saying] with the commons and the troops and the folk, all of
them, "Allah in heaven and Alaeddin on earth." and they loved him
yet more, having regard not only to the excess of his bounty and
munificence, but to his knightly prowess, in that he had done
battle for the kingdom and had routed the enemy.

So much for Alaeddin, and now to return to the Mangrabin
enchanter. When he returned to his country, he abode all this
time, bewailing that which he had endured of toil and stress, so
he might compass the lamp, yet had his travail all been wasted
and the morsel had escaped from his hand, after it had reached