1. The story is set in an ancient Arab kingdom where the king, named Iskandar, holds a contest to find a wife after being single. He chooses a poor woman named Aisha. 2. Aisha exploits the kingdom's wealth for her own gain and leads a wasteful life. When the king raises taxes, the people revolt against him and Aisha. 3. The people take revenge on Aisha by stoning her to death. The king then holds another contest to find an intelligent wife, and chooses a woman named Hadija.