Then said he to one of his slaves'HarkyeMesoudtake this thy lord and show him the two houses in such a place. Whichever pleases him of themgive him the key of it and come back.'So I went with the slavetill we came to a place where stood three housesside by sidenew and shut up. He opened the first and the secondand I looked at them；after which he said to me'Of which of them shall I give thee the key？'To whom does yon large house belong？'asked I. 'To us，'answered he；and I said'Open itthat I may view it.'Quoth he'Thou hast no call to it.'Wherefore？'asked I；and he'Because it is hauntedand none lodges there but in the morning he is a dead man；nor do we use to open the doorto take out the corpse，but mount the roof of one of the other two houses and take it up thence. For this reasonmy master has abandoned the house and says'I will never again give it to any one.'Quoth I，'Open itthat I may view it；'and I said in myself'This is what I seek. I will pass the night there and in the morning be a dead man and be at peace from this miserable plight of mine.'
So he opened it and I entered and found it a splendid house，without its like；and I said to the slave'I will have none other than this house；give me the key.'But he answered'I will not give thee this key till I consult my master，'and going to the lattersaid to him'The Egyptian merchant saith，'I will lodge in none but the great house.'
When the merchant heard thishe rose and coming to Alisaid to him'O my lordthou hast no need of this house.'But he replied'I will lodge in none other than this；for I care nothing for this saying.'Then，'said the other，'write me an acknowledgment thatif aught happen to theeI am not responsible.'So be it，'answered Ali；whereupon the merchant fetched an assessor from the Cadi's court and taking of him the prescribed acknowledgmentdelivered him the key，which he took and entered the house. The merchant sent him bedding by a slavewho spread it for him on the bench behind the door and went away. Presently Ali went into the inner court and seeing there a well with a bucketlet down the latter and drew waterwith which he made the ablution and prayed the obligatory prayers. Then he sat awhiletill the merchant's slave brought him the evening meal from his master's house，together with a lampa candle and candlesticka basin and ewer and a gugglet；after which he left him and returned home.