Page:Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp.djvu/171

127 mother arose and went with the dish to the Sultan’s Divan, but found it closed; so she asked the folk and they said to her, “The Sultan holdeth a Divan but thrice a week;” wherefore she was compelled to return home. Then she proceeded to go every day, and whenas she found the Divan open, she would stand before the door, till it broke up, when she would return home; and whiles she went and found the Divan closed. On this wise she abode a week’s space and the Sultan saw her at each Divan; so, when she went on the last day [of the week] and stood, according to her wont, before the Divan, till it was ended, but could not muster courage to enter or say aught, the Sultan arose and entering the harem, turned to his chief Vizier, who was with him, and said to him, “O Vizier, these six or seven days past I have seen yonder old woman come hither at every Divan and I note that she still carrieth somewhat under her veil. Hast thou any knowledge of her, O Vizier, and knowest thou what is