There once lived in Baghdad a poor porter who had never married. One day, as he was standing in the street leaning on his basket, a beautiful lady came toward him. She was dressed in rich silk, gold-threaded cloth, and fine shoes.
She lifted her veil and said gently,"Take up your basket and follow me."
The porter was stunned by her beauty. He quickly lifted his basket and followed her.
She first stopped at a wine seller's shop and bought fine wine. Then she went to a fruit shop and bought apples, oranges, peaches, limes, flowers, and sweet-smelling herbs. After that she bought meat from the butcher, nuts and dried fruit from a grocer, and sweet pastries from a sweet shop. Then she bought perfume, incense, candles, and finally olives, cheese, and pickles.
With every stop, the basket grew heavier, but the porter was too happy to complain.
At last she stopped at a great mansion with tall gates decorated with gold.
Another beautiful woman opened the door. Inside was a third lady, even more lovely than the first two.
The three women took the basket from the porter, placed all the goods neatly inside, and gave him two gold coins, telling him to go.
But the porter did not move.
He stared at them and said,"I have never seen three women so beautiful. Yet you are alone without any men. A house needs four pillars to stand. Let me be your fourth."
The women laughed. But they warned him:
"You may stay only if you never ask questions about what does not concern you."
The porter agreed.
They sat together, drank wine, sang, and laughed. The porter felt as if he was in paradise.
As night came, three strange men arrived at the door. They were wandering dervishes — all three had shaved heads and were blind in one eye. They were allowed to enter under the same rule: no questions.
Soon after that, three merchants arrived — but they were actually the Caliph Harun al-Rashid, his minister Ja'afar, and his guard, dressed in disguise. They too were allowed in.
Music was played. Wine flowed. Then something strange happened.
Two black dogs were brought in. The eldest woman beat them, then kissed them and cried.
One of the women sang beautiful, sad songs — and when she did, she tore her clothes and fainted. The Caliph saw scars on her body from beatings.
Everyone was confused.
The Caliph wanted answers.
But the women had warned them: no questions.
Still, the guests could not hold back. They demanded to know the truth.
The lady of the house became furious and called in armed servants to bind the men.
Then she said:
"You will live only if you tell your stories."
The porter was told to go first.
He told how he had simply carried the lady's basket and ended up here.
The woman laughed and said,"Go free."
But the porter refused to leave until he heard the others' stories.
Then one of the one-eyed dervishes stepped forward…
One of the one-eyed dervishes stepped forward and bowed.
"O noble lady," he said,"I was not born blind. I lost my eye in a terrible and strange adventure. I was once a prince, son of a great king."
He began his tale.
The Caliph sat in silence for a long moment after hearing the eldest lady's story.His eyes were filled with amazement, anger, and sorrow all at once.
Then he turned to the two black dogs.
"By God," he said, "never have I heard treachery so cruel. These two betrayed the sister who fed them, clothed them, and saved them from ruin."
He ordered Ja'afar to bring them forward.
The Jinniyah, who had turned them into dogs, appeared before the Caliph and said:
"These two women betrayed their sister and murdered an innocent man out of jealousy. I punished them by turning them into dogs and forcing them to suffer what they caused."
The Caliph bowed his head.
"You judged with justice."
Then he turned to the eldest lady.
"You are innocent. Your patience and loyalty saved you."
He ordered that the two dogs be freed from their punishment.
The Jinniyah lifted her spell, and the dogs turned back into women—broken, ashamed, and trembling.
The Caliph looked at them and said:
"Your sister showed you mercy when the world abandoned you. You repaid her with murder and betrayal. If not for divine justice, you would deserve death."
They wept and fell at their sister's feet.
She, being kind-hearted, forgave them.
Then the Caliph turned to the other two women in the house.
"Now tell me your stories."
And so the night continued, filled with tales of wonder, sorrow, and fate.