the door?" and they replied, "We are dervishes, and
entreat to be your guests." She exclaimed, "What can you want at
such a late hour, and where did you lodge last night?" They
answered, "Our quarters are at a certain serai, but we have lost
our way, and are fearful of being apprehended by the officers of
police. Let your kindness then induce you to open the door, and
afford us shelter for the remainder of the night: it will be a
meritorious act in the eye of heaven." The mother overhearing
what was said, ordered the door to be opened.

When they were admitted, the old lady and her daughters rose up,
received them respectfully, and having seated them, placed
refreshments before them, of which they partook, and were
delighted with their treatment. At length the sultan said,
"Daughters, you cannot but know of the royal proclamation; how
comes it that you alone of all the inhabitants of the city have
disobeyed it by having lights in your house after the first watch
of the night?" Upon this the youngest sister replied, "Good
dervish, even the sultan should not be obeyed but in his
reasonable commands, and as this proclamation against lighting
our lamps is tyrannical, it ought not to be complied with,
consistently with the law of scripture; for the Koraun says,
'Obedience to a creature in a criminal matter, is a sin against
the Creator.' The sultan (may God pardon him!) acts against
scripture, and obeys the dictates of Satan. We three sisters,
with our good mother, make it a rule to spin every night a
certain quantity of cotton, which in the morning we dispose of,
and of the price of our labour we lay out a part in provisions,
and the remainder in a new supply of materials for working to
procure us a subsistence."

The sultan now whispered to his vizier, saying, "This damsel
astonishes me by her answers; endeavour to think of some question
that may perplex her." "My lord," replied the vizier, "we are
here in the characters of strangers and dervishes as their
guests: how then can we presume to disturb them by improper
questions?" The sultan still insisted upon his addressing them:
upon which, the vizier said to the ladies, "Obedience to the
sultan's orders is incumbent upon all subjects." "It is true he
is our sovereign," exclaimed the youngest sister, "but how can he
know whether we are starving or in affluence?" "Suppose," replied
the vizier, "he should send for you to the presence, and question
you concerning your dis