d took him [again] into favour.

When Alaeddin found himself released and saw the Sultan sitting, he went
up to him and said to him, "O my lord, since Thy Grace hath bountifully
vouchsafed me my life, [577] favour me [yet farther] and tell me the
manner of my offence." "O traitor," replied the Sultan, "till [but] now
I knew not thine offence;" then, turning to the Vizier, he said to
him, "Take him, that he may see from the windows where his palace is."
Accordingly the Vizier took him and Alaeddin looked from the windows in
the direction of his palace and finding the place swept and clear, like
as it was before he built the palace thereon, neither seeing any
trace of the latter, he was amazed and bewildered, unknowing what had
happened. When he returned, the King said to him, "What hast thou seen?
Where is thy palace and where is my daughter, my heart's darling and
mine only one, than whom I have none other?" And Alaeddin answered him,
saying, "O King of the Age, I have no knowledge thereof, neither know I
what hath befallen." And the Sultan said to him, "Know, O Alaeddin, that
I have pardoned thee, so thou mayst go and look into this affair and
make me search for my daughter; and do not thou present thyself but with
her; nay, an thou bring her not back to me, as my head liveth, I will
cut off thine." "Hearkening and obedience, O King of the Age," replied
Alaeddin. "Grant me but forty days' grace, and an I bring her not after
that time, cut off my head and do what thou wilt." Quoth [578] the
Sultan to him, "I grant thee, according to thy request, the space of
forty days; but think not to flee from my hand, for that I will fetch
thee back, though thou wert above the clouds, not to say upon the face
of the earth." "O my lord the Sultan," rejoined Alaeddin, "as I said
to Thy Grace, an I bring her not to thee in this space of time, I will
present myself before thee, that thou mayst cut off my head."

Now the commons and the folk, one and all, when they saw Alaeddin,
rejoiced in him with an exceeding joy and were glad for his deliverance;
but the ignominy which had befallen him and shame and the exultation of
the envious had bowed down his head; so he went forth and fell to going
round about the city, perplexed anent his case and unknowing how all
this had happened. He abode in the city two days in the woefullest
of case, knowing not how he should do to find his palace and the Lady
Bedrulbudour, his bride, what while certain