making your son happy in marriage with the princess my daughter.
But as I cannot marry her without some further valuable
consideration from your son, you may tell him, I will fulfill my
promise as soon as he shall send me forty trays of massive gold,
full of the same sort of jewels you have already made me a
present of, and carried by the like number of black slaves, who
shall be led by as many young and handsome white slaves, all
dressed magnificently. On these conditions I am ready to bestow
the princess my daughter upon him; therefore, good woman, go and
tell him so, and I will wait till you bring me his answer."

Alla ad Deen's mother prostrated herself a second time before the
sultan's throne, and retired. In her way home, she laughed within
herself at her son's foolish imagination. "Where," says she, "can
he get so many large gold trays, and such precious stones to fill
them? Must he go again to that subterraneous abode, the entrance
into which is stopped up, and gather them off the trees? But
where will he get so many such slaves as the sultan requires? It
is altogether out of his power, and I believe he will not be much
pleased with my embassy this time." When she came home, full of
these thoughts, she said to her son, "Indeed, child, I would not
have you think any farther of your marriage with the princess.
The sultan received me very kindly, and I believe he was well
inclined to you; but if I am not much deceived the grand vizier
has made him change his mind, as you will guess from what I have
to tell you. After I had represented to his majesty that the
three months were expired, and begged of him to remember his
promise, I observed that he whispered with his grand vizier
before he gave me his answer." She then gave her son an exact
account of what the sultan had said to her, and the conditions on