g kindly heard all that the princes
had to say in favour of their rarities, without interrupting
them, and being well informed of what had happened in relation to
the princess Nouronnihar's cure, remained some time silent,
considering what answer he should make. At last he broke silence,
and said to them in terms full of wisdom, "I would declare for
one of you, my children, if I could do it with justice; but
consider whether I can? It is true, Ahmed, the princess my niece
is obliged to your artificial apple for her cure: but let me ask
you, whether you could have been so serviceable to her if you had
not known by Ali's tube the danger she was in, and if Houssain's
carpet had not brought you to her so soon? Your tube, Ali,
informed you and your brothers that you were likely to lose the
princess your cousin, and so far she is greatly obliged to you.
You must also grant, that the knowledge of her illness would have
been of no service without the artificial apple and the carpet.
And as for you, Houssain, the princess would be very ungrateful
if she did not show her sense of the value of your carpet, which
was so necessary a means towards effecting her cure. But
consider, it would have been of little use, if you had not been
acquainted with her illness by Ali's tube, or if Ahmed had not
applied his artificial apple. Therefore, as neither the carpet,
the ivory tube, nor the artificial apple has the least preference
to the other articles, but as, on the contrary, their value has
been perfectly equal, I cannot grant the princess to any one of
you; and the only fruit you have reaped from your travels is the
glory of having equally contributed to restore her to health.

"As this is the case," added the sultan, "you see that I must
have recourse to other means to determine me with certainty in
the choice I ought to make; and as there is time enough between
this and night, I will do it to-day. Go and procure each of you a
bow and arrow, repair to the plain where the horses are
exercised; I will soon join you, and will give the princess
Nouronnihar to him who shoots the farthest.

"I do not, however, forget to thank you all in general, and each
in particular, for the present you have brought me. I have many
rarities in my collection already, but nothing that comes up to
the miraculous properties of the carpet, the ivory tube, and the
artificial apple, which shall have the first places among them,
and shall be preserved carefully