“To-day the sultan ordered one of his grooms to be brought to him, who is very much deformed, and so ugly it is impossible to look at him without terror; and after having commanded Schemseddin Mohammed to give his consent to the marriage of his daughter with this horrible slave, he had the contract drawn up, and signed by witnesses in his presence. The preparations for these curious nuptials are now completed, and at this moment all the slaves of the grandees of the Egyptian court are at the door of a bath, each with a torch in his hand; they are waiting for hunchback, the groom, who is in the bath, to come out, that they may lead him to his bride, who is already dressed for his reception. At the time I left Cairo the ladies were assembled to conduct her in her nuptial ornaments to the hall, where she is to receive her deformed bridegroom, and where she is now expecting him. I saw her; and assure you, that it is impossible to view her without admiration.” When the fairy had ceased speaking, the genius replied, that he could not believe it possible for the beauty of this damsel to surpass that of the youth before them. “I will not dispute with you,” said the fairy; “I will only say, that he deserves to marry the charming lady, who is destined for the groom; and I think we should perform an action worthy of ourselves, were we to oppose the injustice of the sultan, and to substitute this young man for the slave.”--“You reason justly,” resumed the genius, “and you cannot conceive how much I admire you for this idea; I consent; let us counteract the vengeance of the sultan, console an afflicted father, and make his daughter as happy as she now conceives herself to be miserable. I will omit nothing to make this project succeed, and I am persuaded, that on your part you will not be sparing in your exertions; I take upon me to carry this youth to Cairo, without waking him, and I leave to you the care of the disposal of him after we have executed our enterprise.” After the genius and the fairy had concerted together what they should do, the former gently raised Bedreddin, and transported him through the air with an inconceivable swiftness, and placed him at the door of a public apartment adjoining the bath from whence the groom was to come, accompanied by the slaves who were waiting for him.