and ask me
boldly what you wish."

"Commander of the faithful," replied Abou Hassan, "how great
soever my tortures may have been, they are all blotted out of my
remembrance, since I understand my sovereign lord and master had
a share in them. I doubt not in the least of your majesty's
bounty; but as interest never governed me, and you give me
liberty to ask a favour, I beg that it may be that of having
access to your person, to enjoy the happiness of admiring, all my
lifetime, your virtues."

This proof of disinterestedness in Abou Hassan confirmed the
esteem the caliph had entertained for him. "I am pleased with
your request," said he, "and grant you free access to my person
at all times and all hours." At the same time he assigned him an
apartment in the palace, and, in regard to his pension, told him,
that he would not have him apply to his treasurer, but come
always to him for an order upon him, and immediately commanded
his private treasurer to give him a purse containing a thousand
pieces of gold. Abou Hassan made a low prostration, and the
caliph left him to go to council.

Abou Hassan took this opportunity to go and inform his mother of
his good fortune, and that what had happened was not a dream; for
that he had actually been caliph, had acted as such, and received
all the honours; and that she had no reason to doubt of it, since
he had this confirmed by the caliph himself.

It was not long before this story of Abou Hassan was spread
throughout Bagdad, and carried into all the provinces both far
and near, without the omission of a single circumstance.

The new favourite Abou Hassan was always with the caliph; for, as
he was a man of a pleasant temper, and created mirth wherever he
went by his wit and drollery, the caliph formed no party of
diversion without him, and sometimes carried him to visit his
consort Zobeide, to whom he had related his story. Zobeide, who
observed that every time he came with the caliph, he had his eyes
always fixed upon one of her slaves, called Nouzhatoul-aouadat,
resolved to tell the caliph of it. "Commander of the faithful,"
said she one day, "you do not observe that every time Abou Hassan
attends you in your visits to me, he never keeps his eyes off
Nouzhatoul-aouadat, and makes her blush, which is almost a
certain sign that she entertains no aversion for him. If you
approve of it, we will make a match between them."

"Madam," replied the caliph, "you remind me of what I