For the love of heaven, sister, said Dinarzade, before it was day, if you be not asleep, tell us how the two black bitches were brought to their former shape, and what became of the three calenders. --I will satisfy your curiosity, said Scheherazade. Then addressing her discourse to Schahriar, she pursued it thus: Sir, the caliph having satisfied his curiosity, thought himself obliged to give some marks of grandeur and generosity to the calender princes, and also to give the three ladies some proofs of his bounty. He himself, without making use of his minister, the grand vizier, spoke to Zobeide: Madam, this fairy, that shewed herself to you in the shape of a serpent, and imposed such a rigorous command upon you, did she not 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 withal, 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, said the caliph, where is the bundle of hair? She answered, ever since that time, I have had such a particular care of it, that I always carry it about me. Upon which she pulled it out, just opened the case where it was, and showed it to him. Well then, said the caliph, let us make the fairy come hither; you could not call her in a better time, for I long to see her. Zobeide having consented to it, fire was brought in, and she threw the whole bundle of hair into it. The palace began to shake at that very instant, and the fairy appeared before the caliph, in the shape of a lady very richly dressed. Commander of the faithful, said she to the prince, you see I am ready to come and receive your commands. The lady who gave me this call by your order did me a particular piece of service; to make my gratitude appear, I revenged her of her sisters inhumanity by changing them into bitches; but if your majesty commands it, I will restore them to their former shape. Handsome fairy, said the caliph, you cannot do me a greater pleasure; vouchsafe them that favour, and after that 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; and as you undoubtedly know a great many things, we have reason to believe that you cannot be ignorant of this. Oblige me with the name of this barbarous fellow, who could not be contented to exercise his barbarous cruelty upon her person, but has also most unjustly taken from her all her substance. I only wonder how such an unjust and inhuman action could be performed in spite of my authority, and not come to my ears.