till one day it chanced that he left the Divan and returning home，dismissed Ahmed ed Denef and his men and sat down with his wife，who lighted the candles and went out of the room upon an occasion. Presently，he heard a great cry and running in haste to see what was the matter，found that it was his wife who had cried out. She was lying prone on the groudn and when he put his hand to her breast，he found her dead. Now her fathers house faced that of Alaeddin，and he，hearing her cry out，came in and said，What is the matter，O my lord Alaeddin？O my father，'answered he，may thy head outlive thy daughter Zubeideh！But the honour we owe the dead is to bury them.'So，on the morrow，they buried her in the earth and her husband and father condoled with each other. Moreover，Alaeddin put on mourning apparel and absented himself from the Divan，abiding tearful-eyed and sorrowful-hearted. After awhile，the Khalif said to Jaafer，O Vizier，what is the cause of Alaeddins absence from the Divan？O Commander of the Faithful，'answered Jaafer，he is in mourning for his wife Zubeideh；and the Khalif said，It behoves us to pay him a visit of condolence.'I hear and obey，'replied Jaafer. So they took horse and riding to Alaeddins house，came in upon him with their attendants，as he sat at home；whereupon he rose to receive them and kissed the earth before the Khalif，who said to him，May God abundantly make good thy loss to thee！'May He preserve thee to us，O Commander of the Faithful！'answered Alaeddin. Then said the Khalif，O Alaeddin，why hast thou absented thyself from the Divan？And he replied，Because of my mourning for my wife Zubeideh，O Commander of the Faithful.'Put away grief from thee，'rejoined the prince. She is dead and gone to the mercy of God the Most High，and mourning will avail thee nothing.'But Alaeddin said，O Commander of the Faithful，I shall never leave mourning for her till I die and they bury me by her side.'Quoth Haroun，With God is compensation for every loss，and neither wealth nor device can deliver from death. God bless him who said：
Every son of woman，how long soeer his life be，Must one day be carried upon the bulging bier.
How shall he have pleasure in life or hold it goodly，He unto whose cheeks the dust must soon adhere？
Then，when he had made an end of condoling with him，he charged him not to absent himself from the Divan and returned to his palace. On the morrow，Alaeddin mounted and riding to the court，kissed the ground before the Khalif，who rose from the throne，to greet and welcome him，and bade him take his appointed place in the Divan saying，O Alaeddin，thou art my guest to-night.'So presently he carried him into his seraglio and calling a slave-girl named Cout el Culoub，said to her，Alaeddin had a wife called Zubeideh，who used to sing to him and solace him of care and trouble；but she is gone to the mercy of God the Most High，and now I desire that thou play him an air of thy rarest fashion on the lute，that he may be diverted from his grief and mourning.'So she rose and made rare music；and the Khalif said to Alaeddin，What sayst thou of this damsels voice？O Commander of the Faithful，answered he，Zubeidehs voice was the finer；but she is rarely skilled in touching the lute，and her playing would make a rock dance.'Doth she please thee？
asked the Khalif. Yes，O Commander of the Faithful，'answered Alaeddin，and Haroun said，By the life of my head and the tombs of my forefathers，she is a gift from me to thee，she and her waiting-women！'Alaeddin thought that the Khalif was jesting with him；but，on the morrow，he went in to Cout el Culoub and said to her，I have given thee to Alaeddin；whereat she rejoiced，for she had seen and loved him. Then the Khalif returned to the Divan and calling porters，said to them，Set Cout el Culoub and her waiting-women in a litter and carry them，together with her goods，to Alaeddins house.'So they did as he bade them and left her in the upper chamber of Alaeddins house，whilst the Khalif sat in the hall of audience till the close of the day，when the Divan broke up and he retired to his harem.
