" At this Bedreddin wondered and mourned for
himself, till the Vizier said to him, "Of what art thou
thinking?" "I was thinking of crack-brains like unto thee,"
answered Bedreddin, "for hadst thou any sense, thou wouldst not
treat me thus." Quoth the Vizier, "It behoves me to punish thee,
lest thou do the like again." And Bedreddin said, "Verily, my
offence were over-punished by the least of what thou hast already
done to me." "It avails not," answered Shemseddin; "I must
crucify thee." All this time the carpenter was shaping the cross,
whilst Bedreddin looked on; and thus they did till nightfall,
when the Vizier took him and clapped him in the chest, saying,
"The thing shall be done tomorrow." Then he waited till he knew
Bedreddin to be asleep, when he mounted and taking the chest up
before him, rode into the town to his own house, where he
alighted and said to his daughter, the Lady of Beauty, "Praised
be God who hath reunited thee with thy cousin! Arise and order
the house as it was on thy wedding-night." So the servants arose
and lit the candles, whilst the Vizier took out his plan of the
bride chamber and directed them what to do, till they had set
everything in its place, so that whoever saw it would not doubt
but it was the very night of the wedding. Then he made them lay
Bedreddin's turban on the stool, where he had left it, and his
trousers and purse under the mattress, and bade his daughter
undress herself and go to bed, as on the wedding-night, adding,
"When he comes in to thee, say to him, 'Thou has tarried long in
the wardrobe,' and call him to lie with thee and hold him in
converse till the morning, when we will explain the whole matter
to him.
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