n of the sultan's heart, so numerous and distinct had been
the dreams which pointed out the unhappy Omar as her son. When her
sorrow had a little abated, she reflected on the means of convincing
her husband of his mistake. This was indeed difficult, for he who had
passed himself off as her son, had presented the dagger, the token of
recognition, and had, moreover, as she learned, become acquainted with
so much of Omar's early life from the lips of the prince himself, as
to be able to play his part without betraying himself.

She called to her the men who had attended the sultan to the pillar
El-Serujah, in order to have the whole matter exactly laid before her,
and then took counsel with her most trusty female slaves. She chose,
and in a moment rejected, this means and that; at length, Melechsalah,
an old and cunning Circassian, spoke.

"If I have heard rightly, honored mistress, the one who bore this
dagger called him whom thou holdest to be thy son, a crazy tailor,
Labakan?"

"Yes, it is so," answered the sultana; "but what wilt thou make of
that?"

"What think you," proceeded the slave, "of this impostor's having
stitched his own name upon your son? If this be so, we have an
excellent way of catching the deceiver, which I will impart to you in
private."

The sultana gave ear to her slave, and the latter whispered to her a
plan which seemed to please her, for she immediately got ready to go
to the sultan. The sultana was a sensible woman, and knew not only
the weak side of her husband, but also the way to take advantage of
it. She seemed therefore to give up, and to be willing to acknowledge
her son, only offering one condition: the sultan, whom the outbreak
between himself and his wife had grieved, agreed thereto, and she
said:--

"I would fain have from each a proof of his skill; another, perhaps,
would have them contend in riding, in single conflict, or in hurling
spears: but these are things which every one can do; I will give them
something which will require both knowledge and dexterity. It shall be
this; each shall make a caftan, and a pair of pantaloons, and then
will we see at once who can make the finest ones."

The sultan laughingly answered, "Ah! thou hast hit on a fine
expedient! Shall my son contend with a mad tailor, to see who can make
the best caftan? No! that cannot be." The sultana, however, cried out,
that he had already agreed to the condition, and her husband, who was
a man of his word,