some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that the Maghrabi
wizard said to Alaeddin, “No one of created beings hath enjoyed the
sights _thou_ art about to see. But when thou art rested, arise and seek
some wood-chips and fuel sticks[87] which be small and dry, wherewith we
may kindle a fire: then will I show thee, O son of my brother, matters
beyond the range of matter.”[88] Now, when the lad heard these words, he
longed to look upon what his uncle was about to do and, forgetting his
fatigue, he rose forthright and fell to gathering small wood-chips and
dry sticks, and continued until the Moorman cried to him, “Enough, O son
of my brother!” Presently the Magician brought out from his
breast-pocket a casket which he opened, and drew from it all he needed
of incense; then he fumigated and conjured and adjured, muttering words
none might understand. And the ground straightway clave asunder after
thick gloom and quake of earth and bellowings of thunder. Hereat
Alaeddin was startled and so affrighted that he tried to fly; but, when
the African Magician saw his design, he waxed wroth with exceeding
wrath, for that without the lad his work would profit him naught, the
hidden hoard which he sought to open being not to be opened save by
means of Alaeddin. So noting this attempt to run away, the Magician
arose and raising his hand smote Alaeddin on the head a buffet so sore
that well nigh his back-teeth were knocked out, and he fell swooning to
the ground. But after a time he revived by the magic of the Magician,
and cried, weeping the while, “O my uncle, what have I done that
deserveth from thee such a blow as this?” Hereat the Maghrabi fell to
soothing him, and said, “O my son, ’tis my intent to make thee a man;
therefore, do thou not gainsay me, for that I am thine uncle and like
unto thy father. Obey me, therefore, in all I bid thee, and shortly thou
shalt forget all this travail and toil whenas thou shalt look upon the
marvel-matters I am about to show thee.” And soon after the ground had
cloven asunder before the Maroccan it displayed a marble slab wherein
was fixed a copper ring. The Maghrabi, striking a geomantic table[89]
turned to Alaeddin, and said to him, “An thou do all I shall bid thee,
indeed thou shalt become wealthier than any of the kings, and for this
reason, O my son, I struck thee, because here lieth a hoard which is
stored in thy name; and yet thou designedst to leave it and to levant.
But now collect thy thoughts, and behold how I opened earth by my spells
and adjurations.”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day, and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that the Maghrabi,
the Magician, said to Alaeddin, “O my son, now collect thy thoughts!
under yon stone wherein the ring is set lieth the treasure wherewith I
acquainted thee: so set thy hand upon the ring and raise the slab, for
that none other amongst the folk, thyself excepted, hath power to open
it, nor may any of mortal birth, save thyself, set foot within this
Enchanted Treasury which hath been kept for thee. But ’tis needful that
thou learn of me all wherewith I would charge thee; nor gainsay e’en a
single syllable of my words. All this, O my child, is for thy good; the
hoard being of immense value, whose like the kings of the world never
accumulated, and do thou remember that ’tis for thee and me.” So poor
Alaeddin forgot his fatigue and buffet and tear-shedding, and he was
dumbed and dazed at the Maghrabi’s words and rejoiced that he was fated
to become rich in such measure that not even the Sultans would be richer
than himself. Accordingly, he cried, “O my uncle, bid me do all thou
pleasest, for I will be obedient unto thy bidding.” The Maghrabi
replied, “O my nephew, thou art to me as my own child and even dearer,
for being my brother’s son and for my having none other kith and kin
except thyself; and thou, O my child, art my heir and successor.” So
saying, he went up to Alaeddin and kissed him and said, “For whom do I
intend these my labours? Indeed, each and every are for thy sake, O my
son, to the end that I may leave thee a rich man and one of the very
greatest. So gainsay me not in all I shall say to thee, and now go up to
yonder ring and uplift it as I bade thee.” Alaeddin answered, “O uncle
mine, this ring is over heavy for me: I cannot raise it single-handed,
so do thou also come forward and lend me strength and aidance towards
uplifting it, for indeed I am young in years.” The Moorman replied, “O
son of my brother, we shall find it impossible to do aught if I assist
thee, and all our efforts would be in vain. But do thou set thy hand
upon the ring and pull it up, and thou shalt raise the slab forthright,
and in very sooth I told thee that none can touch it save thyself. But
whilst haling at it cease not to pronounce thy name and the names of thy
father and mother, so ’twill rise at once to thee nor shalt thou feel
its weight.” Thereupon the lad mustered up strength and girt the loins
of resolution and did as the Maroccan had bidden him, and hove up the
slab with all ease when he pronounced his name and the names of his
parents, even as the Magician had bidden him. And as soon as the stone
was raised he threw it aside.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-fifth Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that after Alaeddin
had raised the slab from over the entrance to the Hoard there appeared
before him a Sardáb, a souterrain, whereunto led a case of some twelve
stairs and the Maghrabi said, “O Alaeddin, collect thy thoughts and do
whatso I bid thee to the minutest detail nor fail in aught thereof. Go
down with all care into yonder vault until thou reach the bottom and
there shalt thou find a space divided into four halls,[90] and in each
of these thou shalt see four golden jars[91] and others of virgin or and
silver. Beware, however, lest thou take aught therefrom or touch them,
nor allow thy gown or its skirts even to brush the jars or the walls.
Leave them and fare forwards until thou reach the fourth hall without
lingering for a single moment on the way; and, if thou do aught contrary
thereto thou wilt at once be transformed and become a black stone. When
reaching the fourth hall thou wilt find therein a door which do thou
open, and pronouncing the names thou spakest over the slab, enter
therethrough into a garden adorned everywhere with fruit-bearing trees.
This thou must traverse by a path thou wilt see in front of thee
measuring some fifty cubits long, beyond which thou wilt come upon an
open saloon[92] and therein a ladder of some thirty rungs. And thou
shalt also see hanging from its ceiling,”——And Shahrazad was surprised
by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that the Maghrabi,
the Magician, fell to teaching Alaeddin how he should descend into the
Hoard and continued, “On reaching the saloon thou shalt there find a
Lamp hanging from its ceiling; so mount the ladder and take that Lamp
and place it in thy breast-pocket after pouring out its contents; nor
fear evil from it for thy clothes because its contents are not common
oil.[93] And on return thou art allowed to pluck from the trees whatso
thou pleasest, for all is thine so long as the Lamp is in thy hand.” Now
when the Moorman ended his charge to Alaeddin, he drew off a
seal-ring[94] and put it upon the lad’s forefinger saying, “O my son,
verily this signet shall free thee from all hurt and fear which may
threaten thee, but only on condition that thou bear in mind all I have
told thee.[95] So arise straightway and go down the stairs,
strengthening thy purpose and girding the loins of resolution: moreover
fear not for thou art now a man and no longer a child. And in shortest
time, O my son, thou shalt win thee immense riches and thou shalt become
the wealthiest of the world.” Accordingly, Alaeddin arose and descended
into the souterrain, where he found the four halls, each containing four
jars of gold and these he passed by, as the Maroccan had bidden him,
with the utmost care and caution. Thence he fared into the garden and
walked along its length until he entered the saloon, where he mounted
the ladder and took the Lamp which he extinguished, pouring out the oil
which was therein, and placed it in his breast-pocket. Presently,
descending the ladder he returned to the garden where he fell to gazing
at the trees whereupon sat birds glorifying with loud voices their Great
Creator. Now he had not observed them as he went in, but all these trees
bare for fruitage costly gems; moreover each had its own kind of growth
and jewels of its peculiar sort; and these were of every colour, green
and white; yellow, red and other such brilliant hues and the radiance
flashing from these gems paled the rays of the sun in forenoon sheen.
Furthermore the size of each stone so far surpassed description that no
King of the Kings of the world owned a single gem equal to the larger
sort nor could boast of even one half the size of the smaller kind of
them.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-seventh Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Alaeddin walked
amongst the trees and gazed upon them and other things which surprised
the sight and bewildered the wits; and, as he considered them, he saw
that in lieu of common fruits the produce was of mighty fine jewels and
precious stones,[96] such as emeralds and diamonds; rubies, spinels and
balasses, pearls and similar gems astounding the mental vision of man.
And forasmuch as the lad had never beheld things like these during his
born days nor had reached those years of discretion which would teach
him the worth of such valuables (he being still but a little lad), he
fancied that all these jewels were of glass or chrystal. So he collected
them until he had filled his breast-pockets and began to certify himself
if they were or were not common fruits, such as grapes, figs and such
like edibles. But seeing them of glassy substance, he, in his ignorance
of precious stones and their prices, gathered into his breast-pockets
every kind of growth the trees afforded; and, having failed of his
purpose in finding them food, he said in his mind, “I will collect a
portion of these glass fruits for playthings at home.” So he fell to
plucking them in quantities and cramming them in his pokes and
breast-pockets till these were stuffed full; after which he picked
others which he placed in his waist-shawl and then, girding himself
therewith, carried off all he availed to, purposing to place them in the
house by way of ornaments and, as hath been mentioned, never imagining
that they were other than glass. Then he hurried his pace in fear of his
uncle, the Maghrabi, until he had passed through the four halls and
lastly on his return reached the souterrain where he cast not a look at
the jars of gold, albeit he was able and allowed to take of the contents
on his way back. But when he came to the souterrain-stairs[97] and clomb
the steps till naught remained but the last; and, finding this higher
than all the others, he was unable alone and unassisted, burthened
moreover as he was, to mount it. So he said to the Maghrabi, “O my
uncle, lend me thy hand and aid me to climb;” but the Moorman answered,
“O my son, give me the Lamp and lighten thy load; belike ’tis that
weigheth thee down.” The lad rejoined, “O my uncle, ’tis not the Lamp
downweigheth me at all; but do thou lend me a hand and as soon as I
reach ground I will give it to thee.” Hereat the Maroccan, the Magician,
whose only object was the Lamp and none other, began to insist upon
Alaeddin giving it to him at once; but the lad (forasmuch as he had
placed it at the bottom of his breast-pocket and his other pouches being
full of gems bulged outwards)[98] could not reach it with his fingers to
hand it over, so the wizard after much vain persistency in requiring
what his nephew was unable to give, fell to raging with furious rage and
to demanding the Lamp whilst Alaeddin could not get at it.——And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-eighth Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Alaeddin could
not get at the Lamp so as to hand it to his uncle the Maghrabi, that
false felon, so the Magician waxed foolish with fury for that he could
not win to his wish. Yet had the lad promised truthfully that he would
give it up as soon as he might reach ground, without lying thought or
ill-intent. But when the Moorman saw that he would not hand it over, he
waxed wroth with wrath exceeding and cut off all his hopes of winning
it; so he conjured and adjured and cast incense amiddlemost the fire,
when forthright the slab made a cover of itself, and by the might of
magic lidded the entrance; the earth buried the stone as it was
aforetime and Alaeddin, unable to issue forth, remained underground. Now
the Sorcerer was a stranger, and, as we have mentioned, no uncle of
Alaeddin’s, and he had misrepresented himself and preferred a lying
claim, to the end that he might obtain the Lamp by means of the lad for
whom this Hoard had been upstored. So the Accursed heaped the earth over
him and left him to die of hunger. For this Maghrabi was an African of
Afrikíyah proper, born in the Inner Sunset-land, and from his earliest
age upwards he had been addicted to witchcraft and had studied and
practised every manner of occult science, for which unholy lore the city
of Africa[99] is notorious. And he ceased not to read and hear lectures
until he had become a past-master in all such knowledge. And of the
abounding skill in spells and conjurations which he had acquired by the
perusing and the lessoning of forty years, one day of the days he
discovered by devilish inspiration that there lay in an extreme city of
the cities of China, named Al-Kal’ás,[100] an immense Hoard, the like
whereof none of the Kings in this world had ever accumulated: moreover,
that the most marvellous article in this Enchanted Treasure was a
wonderful Lamp which, whoso possessed, could not possibly be surpassed
by any man upon earth, either in high degree or in wealth and opulence;
nor could the mightiest monarch of the universe attain to the
all-sufficiency of this Lamp with its might of magical means.——And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-ninth Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that when the
Maghrabi assured himself by his science and saw that this Hoard could be
opened only by the presence of a lad named Alaeddin, of pauper family
and abiding in that very city, and learnt how taking it would be easy
and without hardships, he straightway and without stay or delay equipped
himself for a voyage to China (as we have already told), and he did what
he did with Alaeddin fancying that he would become Lord of the Lamp. But
his attempt and his hopes were baffled and his work was clean wasted;
whereupon, determining to do the lad die, he heaped up the earth, over
him by gramarye to the end that the unfortunate might perish, reflecting
that “The live man hath no murtherer.”[101] Secondly, he did so with the
design that, as Alaeddin could not come forth from underground, he would
also be impotent to bring out the Lamp from the souterrain. So presently
he wended his ways and retired to his own land, Africa, a sadder man and
disappointed of all his expectations. Such was the case with the Wizard;
but as regards Alaeddin when the earth was heaped over him, he began
shouting to the Moorman whom he believed to be his uncle, and praying
him to lend a hand that he might issue from the souterrain and return to
earth’s surface; but, however loudly he cried, none was found to reply.
At that moment he comprehended the sleight which the Maroccan had played
upon him, and that the man was no uncle but a liar and a wizard. Then
the unhappy despaired of life, and learned to his sorrow that there was
no escape for him; so he fell to beweeping with sore weeping the
calamity had befallen him; and after a little while he stood up and
descended the stairs to see if Allah Almighty had lightened his
grief-load by leaving a door of issue. So he turned him to the right and
to the left but he saw naught save darkness and four walls closed upon
him, for that the Magician had by his magic locked all the doors and had
shut up even the garden, wherethrough the lad erst had passed, lest it
offer him the means of issuing out upon earth’s surface, and that he
might surely die. Then Alaeddin’s weeping waxed sorer, and his wailing
louder whenas he found all the doors fast shut, for he had thought to
solace himself awhile in the garden. But when he felt that all were
locked, he fell to shedding tears and lamenting like unto one who hath
lost his every hope, and he returned to sit upon the stairs of the
flight whereby he had entered the souterrain.——And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Thirtieth Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell us
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Alaeddin sat
down upon the stair of the vault weeping and wailing and wanting all
hopes. But it is a light matter for Allah (be He exalted and extolled!)
whenas He designeth aught to say, “Be” and it becometh; for that He
createth joy in the midst of annoy; and on this wise it was with
Alaeddin. Whilst the Maghrabi, the Magician, was sending him down into
the souterrain he set upon his finger by way of gift, a seal-ring and
said, “Verily this signet shall save thee from every strait an thou fall
into calamity and ill shifts of time; and it shall remove from thee all
hurt and harm, and aid thee with a strong arm whereso thou mayest be
set.”[102] Now this was by destiny of God the Great, that it might be
the means of Alaeddin’s escape; for whilst he sat wailing and weeping
over his case and cast away all hope of life, and utter misery
overwhelmed him, he rubbed his hands together for excess of sorrow, as
is the wont of the woeful; then, raising them in supplication to Allah,
he cried, “I testify that there is no God save Thou alone, The Most
Great, the Omnipotent, the All-conquering, Quickener of the dead,
Creator of man’s need and Granter thereof, Resolver of his difficulties
and duresse and Bringer of joy not of annoy. Thou art my sufficiency and
Thou art the Truest of Trustees. And I bear my witness that Mohammed is
Thy servant and Thine Apostle and I supplicate Thee, O my God, by his
favour with Thee to free me from this my foul plight.” And whilst he
implored the Lord and was chafing his hands in the soreness of his
sorrow for that had befallen him of calamity, his fingers chanced rub
the Ring when, lo and behold! forthright its Familiar rose upright
before him and cried, “Adsum; thy slave between thy hands is come! Ask
whatso thou wantest, for that I am the thrall of him on whose hand is
the Ring, the Signet of my lord and master.” Hereat the lad looked at
him and saw standing before him a Márid like unto an Ifrít[103] of our
lord Solomon’s Jinns. He trembled at the terrible sight; but, hearing
the Slave of the Ring say, “Ask whatso thou wantest, verily, I am thy
thrall, seeing that the signet of my lord be upon thy finger,” he
recovered his spirits and remembered the Moorman’s saying when giving
him the Ring. So he rejoiced exceedingly and became brave and cried, “Ho
thou, Slave of the Lord of the Ring, I desire thee to set me upon the
face of earth.” And hardly had he spoken this speech when suddenly the
ground clave asunder and he found himself at the door of the Hoard and
outside it in full view of the world. Now for three whole days he had
been sitting in the darkness of the Treasury underground and when the
sheen of day and the shine of sun smote his face he found himself unable
to keep his eyes open; so he began to unclose the lids a little and to
close them a little until his eyeballs regained force and got used to
the light and were purged of the noisome murk.——And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-first Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do tell me
some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Alaeddin,
issuing from the Treasury, opened his eyes after a short space of time
and saw himself upon earth’s surface, the which rejoiced him
exceedingly, and withal he was astounded at finding himself without the
Hoard-door whereby he had passed in when it was opened by the Maghrabi,
the Magician; especially as the adit had been lidded and the ground had
been smoothed, showing no sign whatever of entrance. Thereat his
surprise increased until he fancied himself in another place, nor was
his mind convinced that the stead was the same until he saw the spot
whereupon they had kindled the fire of wood-chips and dried sticks, and
where the African Wizard had conjured over the incense. Then he turned
him rightwards and leftwards and sighted the gardens from afar and his
eyes recognised the road whereby he had come. So he returned thanks to
Allah Almighty who had restored him to the face of earth and had freed
him from death after he had cut off all hopes of life. Presently he
arose and walked along the way to the town, which now he well knew,
until he entered the streets and passed on to his own home. Then he went
in to his mother and on seeing her, of the overwhelming stress of joy at
his escape and the memory of past affright and the hardships he had
borne and the pangs of hunger, he fell to the ground before his parent
in a fainting-fit. Now his mother had been passing sad since the time of
his leaving her and he found her moaning and crying about him; however
on sighting him enter the house she joyed with exceeding joy, but soon
was overwhelmed with woe when he sank upon the ground swooning before
her eyes. Still,[104] she did not neglect the matter or treat it
lightly, but at once hastened to sprinkle water upon his face and after
she asked of the neighbours some scents which she made him snuff up. And
when he came round a little, he prayed her to bring him somewhat of food
saying, “O my mother ’tis now three days since I ate anything at all.”
Thereupon she arose and brought him what she had by her; then, setting
it before him, said, “Come forward, O my son; eat and be cheered[105]
and, when thou shalt have rested, tell me what hath betided and affected
thee, O my child; at this present I will not question thee for thou art
aweary in very deed.”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-second Night,