The slave whispered her plan in the Sultana’s ear, and the mistress approved so well of it that she prepared herself at once to go into the Sultan’s presence.
The Sultana was a wise woman, well knowing the Sultan’s weak points and how to take advantage of them, and so she pretended to yield her opinion and to be willing to accept the false son, merely making one condition. The Sultan, who regretted the anger he had shown towards his wife, readily agreed to let her make her own condition.
“Well,” said she, “we will set the two claimants a task. Anyone can manage a horse or throw a spear; but I have hit upon something more difficult. We will see which of them shall make the best caftan and a pair of trousers.”
The Sultan laughed good-naturedly: “And so my son is to compete with your crazy tailor,” he said. “Well, be it as you will, but if the tailor makes ever so fine a caftan I will not own him as a son.”
The Sultan went to his son and begged him to gratify the whim of his mother who wished for a caftan made by the hands of her son. Labakan laughed for joy. If it only depended on that, he thought, then the Sultana would very speedily be well pleased with him.
Two rooms had been prepared, one for the prince, the other for the tailor, and there they were to give proof of their skill, and each was given a piece of silk, scissors, needles and thread. The Sultan was very curious as to what sort of a thing his son’s caftan would look like.
The Sultana felt nervous and her heart beat anxiously lest her plan should prove a failure.
Two days were allowed the young men in which to complete their task, and on the third day the Sultan sent for his wife and as soon as she had joined him he ordered the two young men to be brought in and to bring their caftans with them.
The slave whispered her plan in the Sultana’s ear. (P. [100].)