he was not angered at her words, but laughed, opened the
handkerchief forthright and proffered him the dish of jewels.
When the Sultan saw the jewels (and indeed, whenas she raised the
handkerchief from them, the Divan became as it were all illumined
with lamp-clusters and candlesticks), he was amazed and
confounded at their radiance and fell a-marvelling at their
lustre and bigness and beauty; and [FN#370] he said, "Never saw I
the like of these jewels for beauty and bigness and perfection,
nor methinketh is one of them found in my treasuries." Then he
turned to his Vizier and said to him, "How sayst thou, O Vizier?
Sawest thou ever in thy life the like of these magnificent
jewels?" "Never, O our lord the Sultan," replied the Vizier,
"nor, methinketh, is the least of those which be here found in
the treasuries of our lord the King." Quoth the Sultan, "Doth not
he who giveth me these jewels deserve to be bridegroom to my
daughter Bedrulbudour? Marry, by what I see, meseemeth none is
worthier of her than he."

When the Vizier heard the Sultan's words, his tongue was tied for
despite and he was overcome with exceeding chagrin, forasmuch as
the King had promised him that he would marry his daughter to his
son; so, after a little, he said to him, "O King of the age, Thy
Grace condescended to promise me [FN#371] that the Lady
Bedrulbudour should be my son's; wherefore it behoveth thine
exalted highness appoint a delay of three months, [FN#372] and God
willing, my son's present shall be greater than this." The King,
for all he knew that this was a thing whereto the Vizier might
not avail, no, nor the greatest King, [FN#373] nevertheless
exercised his clemency [FN#374] and granted him the delay he
sought; then, turning to the old woman, he said to her, "Go to