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In the evening came a litter from the palace, and with it a letter from the Sultan, commanding that Lallakalla should come, and bidding Ashimullah to expect his four wives the next day. Accordingly Ashimullah, having divorced Lallakalla according to the formalities of the law, set her in the litter, and she, being brought to the palace, was soon visited by the Sultan, who was full of curiosity to see her. But, when he entered, he gave a loud cry of surprise. For, behold, the hair on Lallakalla’s head was red. But then he smiled and said to her:

“Take off the wig, my daughter.”

“I obey,” said she, “but I pray you to look away while I obey.”

So the Sultan looked away, and, when he turned again, her hair was golden.

“Take that off also,” said the Sultan, turning his head away. And when he looked again her hair was coal-black.

“Take that off also,” said the Sultan.

“I obey,” said Lallakalla, and the Sultan turned away.

“Now,” said he, “I will behold your own brown hair,” and he turned to her. But again he cried out in surprise and horror. For there was no brown hair on Lallakalla’s head, but her head was bare and shaven as clean as the ball of ivory on the staff that the Sultan carried.

“Heaven forbid,” said Lallakalla meekly, “that I should come to the Light of the Universe with hair of the color that he hates; for he chose every color sooner than my poor color. Therefore I have left the brown hair for Ashimullah, for he loves it, and I have brought my lord the colors that my lord loves.” And with this she laid the three wigs of black hair, of golden, and of ruddy at the Sultan’s feet, and stood herself before him with her shaven poll.

Then the Sultan, seeing that Lallakalla looked very ludicrous with her shaven poll, burst out laughing. And he came and took her by the hand, and said to her:

“Behold a woman who loves her husband better than her beauty, and to be his wife rather than mine! Return, then, to Ashimullah and be his wife again.”

“My lord,” said she, “suffer me also to take back with me the other wives of Ashimullah,” and she pointed to the heads of hair that lay upon the ground.

“Take them,” said he, laughing. “And since Ashimullah has already four wives and yet will give me no wife, why, neither will I give Ashimullah any wives. But he shall have the four wives that he had before, and all the city shall hear of the beauty and the virtue of Ashimullah’s wives.”

So Lallakalla went home in great joy, and put on her own hair, which she had fashioned into a wig, and went in to Ashimullah. And they dwelt happily together, there being no differences in their household, save in the color of Lallakalla’s hair from day to day. But the Sultan raised a pillar of many-colored marble, black and gold, brown and red, and inscribed it, “To the Virtues of the Wives of Ashimullah the Vizier.” And henceforward none troubled Ashimullah concerning his wives.

Hassan, however, was most justly put to death.