denying them
the asylum they requested.

The caliph was well pleased to be thus informed of what he
desired to know; and publicly expressed his admiration of what he
had heard.

The caliph having satisfied his curiosity, thought himself
obliged to shew his generosity to the calender princes, and also
to give the three ladies some proof of his bounty. He himself,
without making use of his minister, the grand vizier, spoke to
Zobeide. "Madam, did not this fairy, that shewed herself to you
in the shape of a serpent, and imposed such a rigorous command
upon you, tell you where her place of abode was? Or rather, did
she not promise to see you, and restore those bitches to their
natural shape?"

"Commander of the faithful," answered Zobeide, "I forgot to tell
your majesty that the fairy left with me a bundle of hair,
saying, that her presence would one day be of use to me; and
then, if I only burnt two tufts of this hair, she would be with
me in a moment, though she were beyond mount Caucasus." "Madam,"
demanded the caliph, "where is the bundle of hair?" She answered,
"Ever since that time I have been so careful of it, that I always
carry it about me." Upon which she pulled it out, opened the case
which contained it, and shewed it to him. "Well then," said the
caliph, "let us bring the fairy hither; you could not call her in
a better time, for I long to see her."

Zobeide having consented, fire was brought in, and she threw the
whole bundle of hair into it. The palace at that instant began to
shake, and the fairy appeared before the caliph in the form of a
lady very richly dressed.

"Commander of the faithful," said she to the prince, "you see I
am ready to receive your commands. The lady who gave me this call
by your order did me essential service. To evince my gratitude, I
revenged her of her sisters' inhumanity, by changing them to
bitches; but if your majesty commands me, I will restore them to
their former shape."

"Generous fairy," replied the caliph, "you cannot do me a greater
pleasure; vouchsafe them that favour, and I will find some means
to comfort them for their hard penance. But besides, I have
another boon to ask in favour of that lady, who has had such
cruel usage from an unknown husband. As you undoubtedly know all
things, oblige me with the name of this barbarous wretch, who
could not be contented to exercise his outrageous and unmanly
cruelty upon her person, but has also most unjustly taken from