to his feet and laying hold of her, demanded of her the
turban-cloth. Quoth she, "Know that I entered one of the houses
and made the ablution and prayed in the place of prayer; and I
forgot the turban-cloth there and went out. Now I know not the
house in which I prayed, nor have I been directed[FN#59] thereto,
and I go round about every day till the night, so haply I may
light on it, for I know not its owner." When the draper heard
this, he said to the old woman, "Verily, Allah restoreth unto
thee vhat which thou hast lost. Rejoice, for the turban-cloth is
with me and in my house." And he arose forthright and gave her
the turban-cloth, as it was. She gave it to the young man, and
the draper made his peace with his wife and gave her raiment and
jewellery, [by way of peace-offering], till she was content and
her heart was appeased. [FN#60]

When the king heard his chamberlain's story, he was confounded
and abashed and said to him, 'Abide on thy wonted service and
till thy land, for that the lion entered it, but marred it not,
and he will never more return thither.'[FN#61] Then he bestowed
on him a dress of honour and made him a sumptuous present; and
the man returned to his wife and people, rejoicing and glad, for
that his heart was set at rest concerning his wife. Nor," added
the vizier, "O king of the age, is this rarer or more
extraordinary than the story of the fair and lovely woman,
endowed with amorous grace, with the foul-favoured man."

When the king heard the vizier's speech, he deemed it goodly and
it pleased him; so he bade him go away to his house, and there he
abode his day long.