“Your will should answer that, my lord!” was her reply.
Then the fairy prince gave command that the gates of the palace should be opened and, when the chamberlain entered, servants approached to conduct him up the stairs into the palace.
The host commanded that the chamberlain’s clothes of state should be removed before entering his presence. Accordingly, the chamberlain was conducted to another room; but when he attempted to remove his turban, behold! it could not be loosened from his head. [[151]]
He sat down in astonishment at this strange matter. And the servants went to their master, with news that the prince’s chamberlain could not take off his turban!
“What manner of man is this, that he cannot remove his turban?” cried the fairy prince, in assumed anger. “Put the fellow without!”
So they led the chamberlain to the gates of the palace, when, as he stooped to put on his shoes, behold! his turban fell from his head!
“Well, well!” he said to himself, as he picked it up. “You are a great fellow! You could not take off your turban when inside the palace; why do you remove it when you are outside?”
So he threw the troublesome thing upon the ground, hastened to where the clown was standing, and, in a low tone that could not be heard by those standing near, told him his story. This caused the curiosity of these two to increase greatly.
Let us return to the prince.
After he had sent the chamberlain to bring the clown and neither of them had returned, he called the lord of the treasury and commanded him to find the two and bring them, straightway, into his presence.