you afford us lodging till daylight when we will go about our business and you need not expect from us aught save respect and honourable treatment." Now when the mother heard this, she pitied them and bade one daughter open the door. So the damsel threw it open and the Sultan and Wazir entered and salam'd and sat down to converse together; but the King gazed upon the sisters and marvelled at their beauty and their loveliness, and said in his mind, "How cometh it that these maidens dwell by themselves unmated and they in such case?" So quoth he to them, "How is it ye lack husbands, you being so beautiful, and that ye have not a man in the house?" Quoth the youngest, "O Darwaysh, hold thy tongue[FN#132] nor ask us of aught, for our story is wondrous and our adventures marvellous. But 'ware thy words and shorten thy speech; verily hadst thou been the Sultan and thy companion the Wazir an you heard our history haply ye had taken compassion upon our case." Thereupon the King turned to the Minister and said, "Up with us and wend we our ways; but first do thou make sure of the place and affix thy mark upon the door." Then the twain rose up and fared forth but the Wazir stood awhile and set a sign upon the entrance and there left his imprint; after which the twain returned to the Palace. Presently the youngest sister said to her mother, "By Allah, I fear lest the Darwayshes have made their mark upon our door to the end that they may recognise it by day; for haply the twain may be the King and his Minister." "What proof hast thou of this?" asked the mother, and the daughter answered, "Their language and their questioning which were naught save importunity!" And saying this she went to the door where she found the sign and mark. Now besides the two houses to the right and to the left were fifteen doors, so the girl marked them all with the same mark set by the Wazir.[FN#133] But when Allah had caused the day to dawn, the King said to the Minister, "Go thou and look at the sign and make sure of it." The Wazir went as he was commanded by the Sultan, but he found all the doors marked in the same way, whereat he marvelled and knew not nor could he distinguish the door he sought. Presently he returned and reported the matter of the door-marks to the King who cried, "By Allah, these girls must have a curious history! But when the bride-feast is finished we will enquire into the case of the three men who are weak-witlings and then we will consider that of the damsels who are not." As soon as the thirtieth feast-day passed by, he invested with robes of honour all the Lords of his land and the high Officers of his estate and matters returned to their customed course. Then he sent to summon the three men who had professed themselves weak of wits and they were brought into the presence, each saying of himself, "What can the King require of us?" When they came before him he bade them be seated and they sat; then he said to them, "My requirement is that ye relate to