some of thy pleasant tales,” whereupon Shahrazad replied, “With love and
good will.”——It hath reached me, O King of the Age, that Alaeddin ate
and drank and was cheered and after he had rested and had recovered
spirits he cried, “Ah, O my mother, I have a sore grievance against thee
for leaving me to that accursed wight who strave to compass my
destruction and designed to take my life.[106] Know thou that I beheld
Death with mine own eyes at the hand of this damned wretch, whom thou
didst certify to be my uncle; and, had not Almighty Allah rescued me
from him, I and thou, O my mother, had been cozened by the excess of
this Accursed’s promises to work my welfare, and by the great show of
affection which he manifested to us. Learn, O my mother, that this
fellow is a sorcerer, a Moorman, an accursed, a liar, a traitor, a
hypocrite;[107] nor deem I that the devils under the earth are damnable
as he. Allah abase him in his every book! Hear then, O my mother, what
this abominable one did, and all I shall tell thee will be soothfast and
certain. See how the damned villain brake every promise he made,
certifying that he would soon work all good with me; and do thou
consider the fondness which he displayed to me and the deeds which he
did by me; and all this only to win his wish, for his design was to
destroy me; and Alhamdolillah—laud to the Lord—for my deliverance.
Listen and learn, O my mother, how this Accursed entreated me.” Then
Alaeddin informed his mother of all that had befallen him (weeping the
while for stress of gladness); how the Maghrabi had led him to a hill
wherein was hidden the Hoard and how he had conjured and fumigated,
adding,[108] “After which, O my mother, mighty fear gat hold of me when
the hill split and the earth gaped before me by his wizardry; and I
trembled with terror at the rolling of thunder in mine ears and the murk
which fell upon us when he fumigated and muttered spells. Seeing these
horrors I in mine affright designed to fly; but, when he understood mine
intent he reviled me and smote me a buffet so sore that it caused me
swoon. However, inasmuch as the Treasury was to be opened only by means
of me, O my mother, he could not descend therein himself, it being in my
name and not in his; and, for that he is an ill-omened magician, he
understood that I was necessary to him and this was his need of
me.”——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-third 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
acquainted his mother with all that had befallen him from the Maghrabi,
the Magician, and said, “After he had buffetted me, he judged it
advisable to soothe me in order that he might send me down into the
Enchanted Treasury; and first he drew from his finger a Ring which he
placed upon mine. So I descended and found four halls all full of gold
and silver which counted as naught, and the Accursed had charged me not
to touch aught thereof. Then I entered a mighty fine flower-garden
everywhere bedecked with tall trees whose foliage and fruitage
bewildered the wits, for all, O my mother, were of vari-coloured glass,
and lastly I reached the Hall wherein hung this Lamp. So I took it
straightway and put it out[109] and poured forth its contents.” And so
saying Alaeddin drew the Lamp from his breast-pocket and showed it to
his mother, together with the gems and jewels which he had brought from
the garden; and there were two large bag-pockets full of precious
stones, whereof not one was to be found amongst the kings of the world.
But the lad knew naught anent their worth deeming them glass or crystal;
and presently he resumed, “After this, O mother mine, I reached the
Hoard-door carrying the Lamp and shouted to the accursed Sorcerer, which
called himself my uncle, to lend me a hand and hale me up, I being
unable to mount of myself the last step for the over-weight of my
burthen. But he would not and said only:—First hand me the Lamp! As,
however, I had placed it at the bottom of my breast-pocket and the other
pouches bulged out beyond it, I was unable to get at it and said:—O my
uncle, I cannot reach thee the Lamp, but I will give it to thee when
outside the Treasury. His only need was the Lamp and he designed, O my
mother, to snatch it from me and after that slay me, as indeed he did
his best to do by heaping the earth over my head. Such then is what
befel me from this foul Sorcerer.” Hereupon Alaeddin fell to abusing the
Magician in hot wrath and with a burning heart and crying, “Well-away! I
take refuge from this damned wight, the ill-omened, the wrong-doer, the
forswearer, the lost to all humanity, the arch-traitor, the hypocrite,
the annihilator of ruth and mercy.”——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-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 when Alaeddin’s
mother heard his words and what had befallen him from the Maghrabi, the
Magician, she said, “Yea, verily, O my son, he is a miscreant, a
hypocrite who murthereth the folk by his magic; but ’twas the grace of
Allah Almighty, O my child, that saved thee from the tricks and the
treachery of this accursed Sorcerer whom I deemed to be truly thine
uncle.”[110] Then, as the lad had not slept a wink for three days and
found himself nodding, he sought his natural rest, his mother doing on
like wise; nor did he awake till about noon on the second day. As soon
as he shook off slumber he called for somewhat of food being sore
anhungered, but said his mother, “O my son, I have no victual for thee
inasmuch as yesterday thou atest all that was in the house. But wait
patiently a while: I have spun a trifle of yarn which I will carry to
the market-street and sell it and buy with what it may be worth some
victual for thee.” “O my mother,” said he, “keep your yarn and sell it
not; but fetch me the Lamp I brought hither that I may go vend it and
with its price purchase provaunt, for that I deem ’twill bring more
money than the spinnings.” So Alaeddin’s mother arose and fetched the
Lamp for her son; but, while so doing, she saw that it was dirty
exceedingly; so she said, “O my son, here is the Lamp, but ’tis very
foul: after we shall have washed it and polished it ’twill sell better.”
Then, taking a handful of sand she began to rub therewith, but she had
only begun when appeared to her one of the Jánn whose favour was
frightful and whose bulk was horrible big, and he was gigantic as one of
the Jabábirah.[111] And forthright he cried to her, “Say whatso thou
wantest of me? Here am I, thy Slave and Slave to whoso holdeth the Lamp;
and not I alone, but all the Slaves of the Wonderful Lamp which thou
hendest in hand.” She quaked and terror was sore upon her when she
looked at that frightful form and her tongue being tied she could not
return aught reply, never having been accustomed to espy similar
semblances.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
[Illustration]
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-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 Alaeddin’s
mother could not of her terror return a reply to the Márid; nay she fell
to the ground oppressed by her affright.[112] Now her son was standing
afar off and he had already seen the Jinní of the Ring which he had
rubbed within the Treasury; so when he heard the Slave speaking to his
parent, he hastened forwards and snatching the Lamp from her hand, said,
“O Slave of the Lamp, I am anhungered and ’tis my desire that thou fetch
me somewhat to eat and let it be something toothsome beyond our means.”
The Jinni disappeared for an eye-twinkle and returned with a mighty fine
tray and precious of price, for that ’twas all in virginal silver and
upon it stood twelve golden platters of meats manifold, and dainties
delicate, with bread snowier than snow; also two silvern cups and as
many black jacks[113] full of wine clear-strained and long-stored. And
after setting all these before Alaeddin, he evanished from vision.
Thereupon the lad went and sprinkled rose water upon his mother’s face
and caused her snuff up perfumes pure and pungent and said to her when
she revived, “Rise, O mother mine, and let us eat of these meats
wherewith Almighty Allah hath eased our poverty.” But when she saw that
mighty fine silvern tray she fell to marvelling at the matter and quoth
she, “O my son, who be this generous, this beneficent one who hath
abated our hunger-pains and our penury? We are indeed under obligation
to him and, meseemeth, ’tis the Sultan who, hearing of our mean
condition and our misery, hath sent us this food-tray.” Quoth he, “O my
mother, this be no time for questioning: arouse thee and let us eat for
we are both a-famished.” Accordingly, they sat down to the tray and fell
to feeding when Alaeddin’s mother tasted meats whose like in all her
time she had never touched; so they devoured them with sharpened
appetites and all the capacity engendered by stress of hunger; and,
secondly, the food was such that marked the tables of the Kings. But
neither of them knew whether the tray was or was not valuable, for never
in their born days had they looked upon aught like it. As soon as they
had finished the meal (withal leaving victual enough for supper and eke
for the next day), they arose and washed their hands and sat at chat,
when the mother turned to her son and said, “Tell me, O my child, what
befel thee from the Slave, the Jinní, now that Alhamdolillah—laud to the
Lord!—we have eaten our full of the good things wherewith He hath
favoured us and thou hast no pretext for saying to me, ‘I am
anhungered.’” So Alaeddin related to her all that took place between him
and the Slave what while she had sunk upon the ground aswoon for sore
terror; and at this she, being seized with mighty great surprise, said,
“’Tis true; for the Jinns do present themselves before the Sons of
Adam[114] but I, O my son, never saw them in all my life and meseemeth
that this be the same who saved thee when thou wast within the Enchanted
Hoard.” “This is not he, O my mother: this who appeared before thee is
the Slave of the Lamp!” “Who may this be, O my son?” “This be a Slave of
sort and shape other than he; that was the Familiar of the Ring and this
his fellow thou sawest was the Slave of the Lamp thou hentest in
hand.”——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-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 Alaeddin said,
“Verily, O my mother, the Jinni who appeared to thee was the Slave of
the Lamp.” And when his parent heard these words she cried, “There!
there![115] so this Accursed, who showed himself to me and went nigh
unto killing me with affright, is attached to the Lamp.” “Yes,” he
replied, and she rejoined, “Now I conjure thee, O my son, by the milk
wherewith I suckled thee, to throw away from thee this Lamp and this
Ring; because they can cause us only extreme terror and I especially can
never abear a second glance at them. Moreover all intercourse with them
is unlawful, for that the Prophet (whom Allah save and assain!) warned
us against them with threats.” He replied, “Thy commands, O my mother,
be upon my head[116] and mine eyes; but, as regards this saying thou
saidest, ’tis impossible that I part or with Lamp or with Ring. Thou
thyself hast seen what good the Slave wrought us whenas we were
famishing; and know, O my mother, that the Maghrabi, the liar, the
Magician, when sending me down into the Hoard, sought nor the silver nor
the gold wherewith the four halls were fulfilled, but charged me to
bring him only the Lamp (naught else), because in very deed he had
learned its priceless value; and, had he not been certified of it, he
had never endured such toil and trouble nor had he travelled from his
own land to our land in search thereof; neither had he shut me up in the
Treasury when he despaired of the Lamp which I would not hand to him.
Therefore it besitteth us, O my mother, to keep this Lamp and take all
care thereof nor disclose its mysteries to any; for this is now our
means of livelihood and this it is shall enrich us. And likewise as
regards the Ring, I will never withdraw it from my finger, inasmuch as
but for this thou hadst nevermore seen me on life; nay I should have
died within the Hoard underground. How then can I possibly remove it
from my finger? And who wotteth that which may betide me by the lapse of
Time, what trippings or calamities or injurious mishaps wherefrom this
Ring may deliver me? However, for regard to thy feelings I will stow
away the Lamp nor ever suffer it to be seen of thee hereafter.” Now when
his mother heard his words and pondered them she knew they were true and
said to him, “Do, O my son, whatso thou willest; for my part I wish
never to see them nor ever sight that frightful spectacle I erst
saw.”——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-seventh Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, “O sister mine, an thou be not 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 and his
mother continued eating of the meats brought them by the Jinni for two
full told days till they were finished; but when he learned that nothing
of food remained for them, he arose and took a platter of the platters
which the Slave had brought upon the tray. Now they were all of the
finest gold but the lad knew naught thereof; so he bore it to the Bazar
and there, seeing a man which was a Jew, a viler than the Satans[117],
offered it to him for sale. When the Jew espied it he took the lad aside
that none might see him, and he looked at the platter and considered it
till he was certified that is was of gold refined. But he knew not
whether Alaeddin was acquainted with its value or he was in such matters
a raw laddie;[118] so he asked him, “For how much, O my lord, this
platter?” and the other answered, “Thou wottest what be its worth.” The
Jew debated with himself as to how much he should offer, because
Alaeddin had returned him a craftsman-like reply; and he thought of the
smallest valuation; at the same time he feared lest the lad, haply
knowing its worth, should expect a considerable sum. So he said in his
mind, “Belike the fellow is an ignoramus in such matters nor is ware of
the price of the platter.” Whereupon he pulled out of his pocket a
dinar, and Alaeddin eyed the gold piece lying in his palm and hastily
taking it went his way; whereby the Jew was certified of his customer’s
innocence of all such knowledge, and repented with entire repentance
that he had given him a golden dinar in lieu of a copper carat,[119] a
bright-polished groat. However, Alaeddin made no delay but went at once
to the baker’s where he bought him bread and changed the ducat; then,
going to his mother, he gave her the scones and the remaining small coin
and said, “O my mother, hie thee and buy thee all we require.” So she
arose and walked to the Bazar and laid in the necessary stock; after
which they ate and were cheered. And whenever the price of the platter
was expended, Alaeddin would take another and carry it to the accursed
Jew who bought each and every at a pitiful price; and even this he would
have minished but, seeing how he had paid a dinar for the first, he
feared to offer a lesser sum, lest the lad go and sell to some rival in
trade and thus he lose his usurious gains. Now when all the golden
platters were sold, there remained only the silver tray whereupon they
stood; and, for that it was large and weighty, Alaeddin brought the Jew
to his house and produced the article, when the buyer, seeing its size
gave him ten dinars and these being accepted went his ways. Alaeddin and
his mother lived upon the sequins until they were spent; then he brought
out the Lamp and rubbed it and straightway appeared the Slave who had
shown himself aforetime.—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-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 the Jinni, the
Slave of the Lamp, on appearing to Alaeddin said, “Ask, O my lord,
whatso thou wantest for I am thy Slave and the thrall of whoso hath the
Lamp;” and said the lad, “I desire that thou bring me a tray of food
like unto that thou broughtest me erewhiles, for indeed I am famisht.”
Accordingly, in the glance of an eye the Slave produced a similar tray
supporting twelve platters of the most sumptuous, furnished with
requisite cates; and thereon stood clean bread and sundry glass
bottles[120] of strained wine. Now Alaeddin’s mother had gone out when
she knew he was about to rub the Lamp that she might not again look upon
the Jinni; but after a while she returned and, when she sighted the tray
covered with silvern[121] platters and smelt the savour of the rich
meats diffused over the house, she marvelled and rejoiced. Thereupon
quoth he, “Look, O my mother! Thou badest me throw away the Lamp, see
now its virtues;” and quoth she, “O my son, Allah increase his[122]
weal, but I would not look upon him.” Then the lad sat down with his
parent to the tray and they ate and drank until they were satisfied;
after which they removed what remained for use on the morrow. As soon as
the meats had been consumed, Alaeddin arose and stowed away under his
clothes a platter of the platters and went forth to find the Jew,
purposing to sell it to him; but by fiat of Fate he passed by the shop
of an ancient, jeweller, an honest man and a pious who feared Allah.
When the Shaykh saw the lad, he asked him saying, “O my son, what dost
thou want? for that times manifold have I seen thee passing hereby and
having dealings with a Jewish man; and I have espied thee handing over
to him sundry articles; now also I fancy thou hast somewhat for sale and
thou seekest him as a buyer thereof. But thou wottest not, O my child,
that the Jews ever hold lawful to them the good of Moslems,[123] the
Confessors of Allah Almighty’s unity, and, always defraud them;
especially this accursed Jew with whom thou hast relations and into
whose hands thou hast fallen. If then, O my son, thou have aught thou
wouldest sell show the same to me and never fear, for I will give thee
its full price by the truth of Almighty Allah.” Thereupon Alaeddin
brought out the platter which when the ancient goldsmith saw, he took
and weighed it in his scales and asked the lad saying, “Was it the
fellow of this thou soldest to the Jew?” “Yes, its fellow and its
brother,” he answered, and quoth the old man, “What price did he pay
thee?” Quoth the lad, “One dinar.”——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-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 the ancient
goldsmith, hearing from Alaeddin how the Jew used to give only one dinar
as the price of the platter, cried, “Ah! I take refuge from this
Accursed who cozeneth the servants of Allah Almighty!” Then, looking at
the lad, he exclaimed, “O my son, verily yon tricksy Jew hath cheated
thee and laughed at thee, this platter being pure silver and virginal. I
have weighed it and found it worth seventy dinars; and, if thou please
to take its value, take it.” Thereupon the Shaykh counted out to him
seventy gold pieces, which he accepted and presently thanked him for his
kindness in exposing the Jew’s rascality. And after this, whenever the
price of a platter was expended, he would bring another, and on such
wise he and his mother were soon in better circumstances; yet they
ceased not to live after their olden fashion as middle class folk[124]
without spending on diet overmuch or squandering money. But Alaeddin had
now thrown off the ungraciousness of his boyhood; he shunned the society
of scapegraces and he began to frequent good men and true, repairing
daily to the market-street of the merchants and there companying with
the great and the small of them, asking about matters of merchandise and
learning the price of investments and so forth; he likewise frequented
the Bazars of the Goldsmiths and the Jewellers[125] where he would sit
and divert himself by inspecting their precious stones and by noting how
jewels were sold and bought therein. Accordingly, he presently became
ware that the tree-fruits, wherewith he had filled his pockets what time
he entered the Enchanted Treasury, were neither glass nor chrystal but
gems rich and rare; and he understood that he had acquired immense
wealth such as the Kings never can possess. He then considered all the
precious stones which were in the Jewellers’ Quarter, but found that
their biggest was not worth his smallest. On this wise he ceased not
every day repairing to the Bazar and making himself familiar with the
folk and winning their loving will;[126] and enquiring anent selling and
buying, giving and taking, the dear and the cheap, until one day of the
days when, after rising at dawn and donning his dress he went forth, as
was his wont, to the Jewellers’ Bazar; and, as he passed along it he
heard the crier crying as follows: “By command of our magnificent
master, the King of the Time and the Lord of the Age and the Tide, let
all the folk lock up their shops and stores and retire within their
houses, for that the Lady Badr al-Budúr[127], daughter of the Sultan,
designeth to visit the Hammám; and whoso gainsayeth the order shall be
punished with death-penalty and be his blood upon his own neck!” But
when Alaeddin heard the proclamation, he longed to look upon the King’s
daughter and said in his mind, “Indeed all the lieges talk of her beauty
and loveliness and the end of my desires is to see her.”——And Shahrazad
was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Fortieth 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 fell
to contriving some means whereby he might look upon the Princess Badr
al-Budúr and at last judged best to take his station behind the
Hammam-door whence he might see her face as she entered.[128]
Accordingly, without stay or delay he repaired to the Baths before she
was expected and stood a-rear of the entrance, a place whereat none of
the folk happened to be looking. Now when the Sultan’s daughter had gone
the rounds of the city and its main streets and had solaced herself by
sight-seeing, she finally reached the Hammam and whilst entering she
raised her veil, when her face rose before sight as it were a pearl of
price or a sheeny sun, and she was as one of whom the describer sang:—
Magic Kohl enchanteth the glances so bright of her: ✿ We pluck roses in
posies from cheeks rosy bright of her:
Of night’s gloomiest hue is the gloom of the hair of her ✿ And her
bright brow uplighteth the murks of the night of her.[129]