Then he read the scroll and found in
it a record of the dates of Noureddin's marriage with the
Vizier's daughter of Bassora, his going in to her, her conception
and the birth of Bedreddin Hassan, and the history of his
brother's life till his death. At this he wondered and was moved
to joy and comparing the dates with those of his own marriage and
the birth of his daughter the Lady of Beauty, found that they
agreed in all respects. So he took the scroll and carrying it to
the Sultan, told him the whole story from first to last, at which
the King wondered and commanded the case to be at once set down
in writing. The Vizier abode all that day awaiting his nephew,
but he came not; and when seven days were past and he could learn
nothing of him, he said, "By Allah, I will do a thing that none
has done before me!" So he took pen and ink and paper and drew a
plan of the bride-chamber, showing the disposition of all the
furniture therein, as that the alcove was in such a place, this
or that curtain in another, and so on with all that was in the
room. Then he folded the paper and laid it aside, and causing all
the furniture to be taken up and stored away, took Bedreddin's
purse and turban and clothes and locked them up with an iron
padlock, on which he set a seal, against his nephew's coming. As
for the Lady of Beauty, she accomplished the months of her
pregnancy and bore a son like the full moon, resembling his
father in beauty and grace.
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