Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
Princess Badrou'l-Budour
Source
No, there was not a third night similar to the two calamitous ones for the newlyweds.
And the goals that Aladdin set are all reached: the princess is no longer married to the vizier's son and she is still a virgin.
ON THE TWENTY-THIRD NIGHT
Sheherazade said:
Princess Badrou'l-Budour said: "Have pity on me, O my father, and make your hearing and your heart sympathize with my sorrows and my emotion!" And the sultan, whose heart was pitiful, and who no longer felt the arousing presence of his wife, leaned over to his daughter, and kissed and cuddled her, and soothed her dear soul. Then he said to her: "And now, my daughter, calm your mind and refresh your eyes! Tell your father in all confidence, in details, the incidents which put you, this night, in such a state of emotion and terror!" And the princess, her head in the care of her father, told, without forgetting anything, all the unfortunate things that had happened to her during the two nights she had just spent, and ended her story by adding: "And then, O my beloved father, it is even better that you question the son of the vizier, so that he can confirm my words to you!”
And the sultan, hearing the story of this strange adventure, was at the extreme limit of perplexity, shared the sorrow of his daughter, and felt his eyes wet with tears, so much he loved her. And he said to her: “Certainly! my daughter, it is I alone who am the cause of all the annoying things that happen to you since I married you to a stupid boy who does not know how to defend you and protect you from these singular adventures. Because, in truth, it is your happiness that I wanted, by this marriage, and not your misfortune and your decline! But, by Allah! I'm going to call the vizier and his son, the moron, right away and ask them to explain all these things! But, however that may be, you can be completely at ease, my daughter! because these facts will not be repeated any more, I swear it to you by the life of my head!" Then he left her in the care of his wives, and returned to his chambers, seething with anger.
And immediately he summoned his grand vizier; and as soon as the vizier presented himself in front of him, he shouted out to him: “Where is your son, the moron? And what did he tell you about the events of the past two nights? The grand-vizier, amazed, answered: “I do not know, O great king, what it is about! My son has said nothing to me that can explain to me the anger of our king! But, if you allow me, I will immediately go find him and interrogate him!" And the sultan said: “Go! And come back soon to bring me the answer!" And the grand-vizier, his nose very elongated, went out, bending his back, and went in search of his son, whom he found in the hammam washing from the filth which covered him. And he cried out to him, “O son of a bitch, why have you hidden the truth from me? If you don't let me know the facts of the last two nights right away, this day will be your last!" And the son lowered his head and answered: “Alas! O my father, only shame has prevented me until now from revealing to you the unfortunate adventures of these two nights, and the unspeakable treatment that I suffered, without having the possibility of defending myself, or even of knowing how and by the power of what enemy forces all this happened to us both, in our bed!" And he told his father the whole story, in detail, without forgetting anything. But there is no point in repeating it. And he added: “As for me, O my father, I prefer death to such a life! And, before you, I make the triple oath of final divorce from the sultan's daughter! So I beg you to go and find the sultan, and have him accept the declaration of nullity of my marriage with his daughter Badrou'l-Boudour! Because it is the only way to see this mistreatment stop and to have peace of mind! And then I can fall asleep in my bed, instead of spending my nights in the toilets!"
On hearing these words of his son, the grand-vizier was very saddened. His life's wish had been to see his son married to the sultan's daughter, and it cost him dearly to renounce this great honor. Although convinced of the necessity of divorce under such conditions, he said to his son: “Certainly, O my son! it is not possible to endure any more such treatment. But think of what you are going to leave by this divorce! Isn't it better to be patient for another night, during which we will all watch around the nuptial chamber, with the eunuchs armed with sabers and clubs? What do you say, my son?" He replied: “Do what you please, O my father the grand-vizier! As for me, I am determined not to enter this tar room again!"
So the vizier left his son and went to find the king. And he stood before him, bowing his head. And the king asked him, "What have you to say to me?" He replied: "By the life of our master, what Princess Badrou'l-Budour has said is very true! But it's not my son's fault! In any case, O great king, the princess must not remain exposed to new troubles because of my son. And, if you allow it, it is better if the two spouses now live separated by divorce!" And the king said: “By Allah! You're right. But if my daughter's husband were not your son, it would have been by death that I would have delivered my daughter from him! Let them be divorced!" And immediately the sultan gave the necessary orders to put an end to the public rejoicings, in the palace as in the city and throughout the whole kingdom of China; and he proclaimed the divorce of his daughter Badrou'l-Boudour from the son of the grand-vizier, making it clear that nothing had been consummated, and that the pearl remained virgin and imperforated.
— At this point in her narration, Scheherazade saw the morning appear and quietly fell silent.
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