lord, promised her largesse galore, an she did her utmost
endeavour in the matter; whereupon, "O my lord," answered she,
"be easy; I will accomplish unto thee thy desire beyond thy wish;
for that under my hand are damsels unpeered in grace and
goodliness and all of them daughters of men of condition." But, O
King of the time, [FN#100] the old woman had no knowledge of the
affair of the mirror.

Then she arose and went out to go round about in the city and to
run along its ways, [FN#101] seeking [FN#102] the girl for Prince
Zein ul Asnam, and whenassoever she saw a fair damsel,
accomplished in beauty, she proceeded to bring her to Mubarek;
but, when he looked at her in the mirror, he would see her image
troubled exceedingly and would leave her; so that the old woman
brought him all the damsels of Cairo, but there was not found
among them one whose image in the mirror was clear; wherefore he
bethought him to go to Baghdad, since he found not one in Cairo
who pleased him [or] who was a clean maid, like as the King of
the Jinn had enjoined him. So he arose and equipping himself,
[set out and] journeyed, he and Zein ul Asnam, till they came to
the city of Baghdad, where they hired them a magnificent palace
amiddleward the city and took up their abode therein. There the
chief men of the city used to come to them every day and sat at
their table, even to the comer and goer by night and by
day. [FN#103] Moreover, when there remained aught from their
table, they distributed it to the poor and the afflicted and all
the strangers in the mosques [FN#104] would come and eat with
them. So the report was noised abroad in the land of their
generosity and bounty and they became in high repute and fair
fame throughout all Baghdad, nor did any talk but of Zein ul