Chapter 6

Whilst he was thus supplicating God and wringing his hands in the excess of his affliction for that which had befallen him of calamity, he chanced to rub upon the ring, and immediately, behold, a genie [266] rose up before him and said to him, "Here am I; thy slave is before thee. Seek whatsoever thou wilt, for that I am his slave who hath the ring in hand, the ring of my lord." [267] Alaeddin looked and saw a Marid, [268] as he were of the Jinn of our lord Solomon, standing before him, and shuddered at his frightful aspect; but, when he heard the genie say to him, "Seek whatsoever thou wilt, for that I am thy slave, since the ring of my lord is on thy hand," he took heart and bethought him of the Maugrabin's speech to him, whenas he gave him the ring. So he rejoiced exceedingly and took courage and said to him, "O slave of the lord of the ring, I will of thee that thou bring me out upon the face of the earth." Hardly had he made an end of that his speech when, behold, the earth opened and he found himself without, at the door of the treasure, to wit, upon the surface of the earth.

Now, he had been three days under the earth, sitting in the treasure in the dark; so, when the light of day smote on his face and the rays of the sun, he might not unclose his eyes, but took to opening them little by little and shutting them again till they became stronger and grew used to the light and were cleared of the darkness. Then, [269] seeing himself upon the surface of the earth, he rejoiced exceedingly, but marvelled to find himself overagainst the entrance of the treasure, whereby he went down, whenas the Maugrabin enchanter opened it; and now the stone was shut down and the earth levelled, nor was there any sign therein of a door. So he redoubled in wonderment and thought himself otherwhere; nor was he assured that he was in the very place, till he saw whereas they had kindled the fire of sticks and brushwood and whereas the Maugrabin enchanter had made his fumigations and conjurations. Then he turned right and left and saw the gardens afar off and looked at the way and knew it for that by which they had come. So he gave thanks to God the Most High, who had brought him out on the earth's face and had delivered him from death, after he had given up hope of life. Then he arose and fared homeward, by the way which he knew, till he came to the city and entering, betook himself to their house and went in to his mother. When he saw her, he fell down before her, of the greatness of the joy which possessed him for his deliverance, and swooned away for the affright and the weariness which he had suffered, more by token that he was weak with hunger.

Now his mother had been woebegone since he left her and sat wailing and weeping for him; so, when she saw him come in to her, she rejoiced in him with an exceeding joy, but grief overwhelmed her, whenas she saw him fall aswoon upon the earth. However, she wasted no time in vain lamentation, but hastened to sprinkle water on his face and sought of her neighbours somewhat of perfumes, to which she made him smell. When he was a little recovered, he prayed her bring him somewhat to eat, saying to her, "O my mother, these three days past I have eaten nothing." So she arose and setting before him that which she had ready, said to him, "Rise, O my son, eat and restore thyself; and when thou art rested, tell me what hath happened to thee and what calamity hath befallen thee. I will not question thee now, because thou art weary." So, [270] when he had eaten and drunken and had refreshed himself and was rested and restored, he said to her, "Alack, mother mine, I have a sore grief against thee in that thou leftest me to yonder accursed man, who strove for my destruction. Indeed, he sought to kill me; nay, I saw death face to face from that accursed wretch, whom thou deemedst mine uncle, and but for God the Most High, who delivered me from him, [I had perished]. Marry, both I and thou, O my mother, suffered ourselves to be deluded by him after the measure of that which the accursed promised to do with me of good and of the love which he professed for me. Know, then, O my mother, that this man is an accursed Maugrabin enchanter, a liar, a deceiver, an impostor and a hypocrite; methinketh the devils that be under the earth are not his match, may God put him to shame in every book! [271] Hear, O my mother, what this accursed did; nay, all I shall tell thee is truth and soothfastness. Do but see the villain's duplicity; bethink thee of the promises he made me that he would do me all manner of good [272] and the love he professed to me, and how he did all this that he might accomplish his purpose; nay, his intent was to kill me, and praised be God for my deliverance! Hearken, O my mother, and learn what this accursed one did."

Then he told her all that had befallen him from the time of his leaving her, weeping the while for excess of joy; how the Maugrabin brought him to the hill, wherein was the treasure, and how he conjured and fumigated. "And indeed. O my mother," said he, "there overcame me exceeding fear, whenas the hill clove in sunder and the earth opened before me by his enchantments; and I quaked with terror at the voice of the thunder which I heard and the darkness which befell of his spells and fumigations, and of my dismay at these portents, I would have fled. When he saw me offer to flee, he reviled me and smote me, dealing me a buffet which caused me swoon for pain [273] but, inasmuch as the treasure was opened and he could not go down into it himself, seeing he had opened it by my means and that it was in name and not for him, he knew, being a foul sorcerer, that it might [only] be achieved through me and that this adventure was [reserved] for me. [274] Accordingly [275] he applied himself to make his peace with me, that he might send me down into the treasure, now it was opened, and attain his object by my means; and when he sent me down, he gave me a ring, which he had on his hand, and put it on my finger. So I descended into the treasure and found four chambers, all full of gold and silver and the like; but this all was nothing and the accursed one charged me take nought thereof. Thence I entered a magnificent garden, [276] all full of high trees, whose fruits ravished the wits, O my mother, for that they were all of various-coloured crystal, [277] and I fared on till I came to the pavilion [278] wherein was this lamp; whereupon I took it forthright and quenching it, poured out that which was therein."

[So saying,] he pulled out the lamp from his sleeve and showed it to his mother. Moreover, he showed her the jewels which he had brought from the garden. Now there were two great purses [279] full of these jewels, whereof not one was to be found with the kings of mankind; and Alaeddin knew not their value, but thought that they were glass or crystal. "Then, O my mother," continued he, "after I had fetched the lamp and had gone forth [the garden] and came to the door of the treasure, I cried out to the accursed Maugrabin, who feigned himself my uncle, to give me his hand and pull me up, for I was laden with things which weighed me down, so that it was not possible for me to mount alone. However, he would not give me his hand, but said to me, 'Reach me the lamp that is with thee, and after I will give thee my hand and pull thee up.' I, seeing that I had put the lamp within my sleeve and the purses atop [280] of it, could not reach it to give it to him and said to him, 'O my-uncle, I cannot give thee the lamp. When I come up, I will give it to thee.' But he would not help me up; nay, he would e'en have the lamp, and his intent was to take it from me and turn back the earth over me and destroy me, even as he did with me in the end. This, then, O my mother, was what befell me from that foul wizard." And he told her all that had passed between them from first to last and fell to reviling the Maugrabin with all rancour and heat of heart, saying, "Out on this accursed one, this foul sorcerer, this hard-hearted oppressor, this inhuman, perfidious, hypocritical villain, lacking [281] all mercy and ruth!"

When [282] Alaeddin's mother heard her son's speech and that which the accursed Maugrabin did with him, she said to him, "Yea, verily, O my son, he is a misbeliever and a hypocrite, who destroyeth folk with his sorcery; but glory [283] to God the Most High, who hath delivered thee from the perfidy and guile of this accursed sorcerer, of whom I thought that he was in very deed thine uncle." Now, Alaeddin had passed three days without sleep and found himself drowsy; so he [withdrew to his chamber and] slept. His mother did likewise and Alaeddin ceased not to sleep till next day, [284] near noontide, when he awoke and immediately sought somewhat to eat, for that he was anhungred; and his mother said to him, "O my son, I have nought to give thee to eat, for that all I had by me thou atest yesterday. But wait awhile; I have here a little yarn by me and I am going down to the market, so I may sell it and buy thee withal somewhat thou mayst eat." "O my mother," rejoined Alaeddin, "keep the yarn and sell it not; but give me the lamp which I brought home, so I may arise and sell it and with its price buy somewhat we may eat. Methinketh it will fetch more than the yarn." So she arose and fetched the lamp; but, finding it exceeding dirty, she said to him, "O my son, this lamp is dirty, and if we wash it and furbish it, it will sell for a better price." Accordingly she took a little sand and fell to scouring the lamp withal; but scarce had she begun to rub it when there appeared to her one of the Jinn, foul of favour and monstrous of make as he were of the giants, and said to her, "Say what thou wilt of me. Here am I, thy slave and the slave of whoso hath in his hand the lamp; and not I alone, but all the slaves of the wonderful lamp that is in thy hand." When she saw his frightful aspect, she trembled and fear get hold upon her and her tongue was tied, nor could she return an answer, for that she was not used to look upon apparitions like unto this; so [285] she fell down aswoon of her terror.

Now Alaeddin her son was standing afar off and he had seen the slave of the ring which he had rubbed in the treasure; so, when he heard the genie's speech to his mother, he hastened to take the lamp from her hand and said to him, "O slave of the lamp, I am hungry; my will is that thou bring me somewhat I may eat, and be it somewhat good past conceit." [286] The genie was absent the twinkling of an eye and [returning,] brought him a great costly tray of sheer silver, whereon were twelve platters of various kinds and colours [287] of rich meats and two silver cups and two flagons [288] of clarified old wine and bread whiter than snow; all which he set before him and disappeared. So Alaeddin arose and sprinkled rosewater on his mother's face and made her smell to strong [289] perfumes; whereupon she revived and he said to her, "Rise, O my mother, so we may eat of this food that God the Most High hath vouchsafed us." [290] When she saw the great silver tray, she marvelled and said to Alaeddin, "O my son, who is the generous, the bountiful one that hath sought out our hunger [291] and our poverty? Indeed, we are beholden to him. [292] Apparently the Sultan hath heard of our case and our wretchedness and hath sent us this tray." "O my mother," answered Alaeddin, "this is no time for questioning; rise, so we may eat, for we are anhungred."

So they arose and sitting down to the tray, proceeded to eat, whilst Alaeddin's mother tasted food such as she had never in all her life eaten. And they ate diligently [293] with all appetite, for stress of hunger, more by token that the food [was such as] is given to kings, nor knew they if the tray were precious or not, for that never in their lives had they seen the like of these things. When they had made an end of eating and were full (and there was left them, over and above what sufficed them, [enough] for the evening-meal and for the next day also), they arose and washing their hands, sat down to talk; whereupon Alaeddin's mother turned to her son and said to him, "O my son, tell me what befell of [294] the genie, now that, praised be God, we have eaten of His bounty and are satisfied and thou hast no pretext for saying to me, 'I am anhungred.'" So he told her all that had passed between himself and the genie, whenas she fell down aswoon of her affright; whereat exceeding wonderment took her and she said to him, "It is true, then, [295] that the Jinn appear to the sons of Adam, though I, O my son, in all my days, I have never seen them, and methinketh this is he who delivered thee, whenas thou west in the treasure." "Nay, O my mother," answered he, "this was not he; he who appeared to thee is the slave of the lamp." "How so, [296] O my son?" asked she; and he said, "This slave is other of make than that. That was the servant of the ring and this thou sawest is the slave of the lamp which was in thy hand." When [297] his mother heard this, "Well, well!" cried she. "Then the accursed who appeared to me and came nigh to kill me for affright is of the lamp?" "Ay is he," answered Alaeddin; and she said to him, "I conjure thee, O my son, by the milk thou suckedst of me, that thou cast away from thee both lamp and ring, for that they will be to us a cause of exceeding fear and I could not endure to see them [298] a second time; nay, their commerce is forbidden unto us, for that the prophet (whom God bless and keep) warneth us against them." [299] "O my mother," answered Alaeddin, "thy speech is on my head and eyes; [300] but, as for this that thou sayest, it may not be that I should cast away either the lamp or the ring; nay, thou seest that which it [301] did with us of good, whenas we were anhungred, and know, O my mother, that the lying Maugrabin enchanter, what time I went down into the treasure, sought nought of gold nor of silver, whereof the four places were full, but charged me bring him the lamp and that only, for that he knew the greatness of its virtues; [302] and except he knew it to be exceeding of might, he had not toiled and travailed and come from his land to this in quest of it, nor had he shut the treasure on me, whenas he failed of the lamp, seeing I gave it him not. Wherefore, O my mother, it behoveth us keep this lamp and guard it with all care, for that this is our support and this it is shall enrich us; and it behoveth us show it not unto any. On like wise, as for the ring, it may not be that I should put it off from my finger, forasmuch as, but for this ring, thou hadst not seen me again on life; nay, I had died under the earth within the treasure; so how can I put it off from my hand and who knoweth what may happen to me in time to come of error or calamity or shift of the shifts of mischance, from which the ring might deliver me? However, of regard for thy wish, I will lay up the lamp and let thee not see it henceforth." When his mother heard his words and pondered them, she saw them to be just and true and said to him, "O my son, do what thou wilt. For my part, I wish never to see them nor ever again to behold that loathsome aspect [303] which I saw [but now]."

Alaeddin [304] and his mother abode two days eating of the food which the genie had brought, and when it was finished and he knew that there was left them nothing to eat, he arose and taking a platter of those which the slave had brought on the tray (now they were of fine gold, but Alaeddin knew it not) went with it to the market, where a Jew, a man viler than devils themselves, accosted [305] him and he gave him the platter. When the Jew saw it, he took Alaeddin aside, so none might see him, and examining the platter, found it of fine gold, [306] but knew not if Alaeddin was ware of its worth or if he was ignorant thereof; so he said to him, "How much, O my lord, for this platter?" And Alaeddin answered him, saying, "Thou knowest how much it is worth." The Jew was perplexed how much he should give Alaeddin for the platter, by reason of his having made him an adroit answer, and bethought himself to give him little, but feared lest he should be aware of its value and debated with himself if he should give him much. Then said he in himself, "Most like he knoweth not its value;" so he brought out of his pocket a gold diner and gave it to him. When Alaeddin saw the diner in his hand, he took it and went off in haste, whereby the Jew knew that the lad was unaware of the value of the plate and repented him sore that he had given him a gold diner and not a carat of three-score: [307]

Meanwhile Alaeddin tarried not, but went forthright to the baker and bought of him bread and changed the diner; then, returning to his mother, he gave her the bread and the rest of the money and said to her, "O my mother, go and buy us what we need." So she arose and going to the market, bought all that they needed and they ate and were cheered. Then, whenassoever the price of a platter was spent, Alaeddin would take another and carry it to the Jew; on which wise the accursed Jew bought them all of him for a small matter and would fain also have reduced the price; but, since he had given him a diner the first time, he feared to offer him less, lest the lad should go and sell to another [308] and he lose that excessive profit. Accordingly, Alaeddin ceased not to sell him platter after platter till he had sold them all and there was left him only the tray whereon they had been; then, for that it was big and heavy, he went and fetched the Jew to the house and brought out to him the tray. When he saw it and noted its bigness, he gave Alaeddin ten diners, which he took, and the Jew went his way.

Alaeddin and his mother lived upon the ten diners till they came to an end; then he arose and bringing out the lamp, rubbed it, whereupon the slave of the lamp, to wit, the genie whom he had seen before, appeared to him and [309] said to him, "Seek what thou wilt, O my lord, for that I am thy slave and the slave of whoso hath with him the lamp." Quoth Alaeddin, "It is my will that thou bring me a tray of food like unto that which thou broughtest me erewhen, for that I am hungry;" and the slave brought him, in the twinkling of an eye, a tray like unto that which he had brought him before, and on it twelve magnificent platters full of rich meats, together with flagons [310] of clarified wine and bread of the finest. Now Alaeddin's mother, when she knew that her son was minded to rub the lamp, had gone out, so she might not see the genie again; but, after a little, she came in to him and seeing the tray full of silver platters, whilst the whole house reeked with the fragrance of the rich meats, marvelled and rejoiced; and Alaeddin said to her, "O my mother, thou badest me throw away the lamp. See now its uses." "O my son," answered she, "may God prosper him; [311] but fain would I not see him." Then they sat down to the tray and ate and drank till they were satisfied, laying up that which remained with them against the morrow.

Then, when that which was with them of food was finished, Alaeddin arose and taking one of the platters under his clothes, went in quest of the Jew, so he might sell it to him; but, as chance willed it, he passed by the shop of a goldsmith, an honest, pious man, who feared God. When the latter saw Alaeddin, he accosted him and said to him, "O my son, what wilt thou? This many a time have I seen thee pass hereby and betake thyself to such an one, a Jew, and I have seen thee give him certain things. Nay, methinketh even now thou hast somewhat with thee and art seeking him, so thou mayst sell it to him. But thou knowest not, O my son, that the good of the Muslims, believers in the unity of God the Most High, is lawful spoil in the eyes of Jews; nay, they still cheat the Muslims and especially this accursed one with whom thou dealest and into whose hands thou hast fallen. Wherefore, O my son, an thou have with thee aught thou wouldst sell, show it to me and fear nothing, for that, by the truth of God the Most High, I will give thee its price." Accordingly, Alaeddin brought out the platter to the old man, who took it and weighing it in his scales, said to him, "Was it the like of this thou usest to sell to the Jew?" "Ay," replied Alaeddin, "its like and its brother." "And how much," asked the goldsmith, "useth he to give thee to its price?" And Alaeddin said, "He useth to give me a diner."

When [312] the goldsmith heard this, "Out on this accursed one," cried he, "who fleeceth the servants of God the Most High!" Then he looked at Alaeddin and said to him, "O my son, this Jew is a cheat, who hath cheated thee and laughed at thee, for that the silver of this thy platter is pure and fine; and I have weighed it and find its worth threescore diners and ten; so, an it please thee take its price, take [it]." Accordingly, he counted out to him seventy diners and he took them and thanked him for his kindness, in that he had shown him the Jew's trickery. Thenceforward, whenassoever the price of one platter was spent, he would carry another to the old goldsmith, and on this wise he and his mother increased in substance; but they ceased not to live at their sufficiency, [313] midwise [betwixt rich and poor], [314] without excessive spending [315] or squandering. As for Alaeddin, he left idleness and the commerce of striplings and took to consorting with grown men; [316] nay, he would go every day to the market of the merchants and sit with the great and the small of them and question of the ways and fashions of commerce and the prices of articles of merchandise [317] and otherwhat. He used also to go to the market of the goldsmiths and the market of the jewellers, and there he would sit and look upon the different kinds of jewels and see them bought and sold; whereby he became aware that the fruits of the trees, wherewith he had filled the purses, [318] whenas he was in the treasure, were neither glass nor crystal, but jewels, and knew that he had happened upon great wealth, such as kings might nowise compass. Moreover, he noted all the jewels that were in the jewellers' market, but saw not [among] the biggest [of them] one to match with the smallest of those he had at home.

He ceased not to go daily to the market of the jewellers and to clap up acquaintance with the folk, making friends with them and questioning them of buying and selling and giving and taking and dear and cheap, till, one day of the days, he arose in the morning and donning his clothes, went forth, intending, as of wont, for the jewellers' market; but, as he went, he heard the crier proclaiming aloud on this wise, "By commandment of the Lord of Beneficence, the king of the age and monarch of the time and the tide, let all the folk shut their shops and stores and enter their houses, for that the Lady Bedrulbudour, daughter of the Sultan, purposeth to go to the bath, and whoso transgresseth the commandment, his punishment shall be death and his blood be on his own head." [319] When Alaeddin heard this proclamation, he longed to look upon the Sultan's daughter and said in himself, "All the folk talk of her grace and goodliness, and the uttermost of my desire is to see her." So [320] he cast about for a device how he might contrive to see the Lady Bedrulbudour and him-seemed he were best stand behind the door of the bath, that he might see her face, as she entered. Accordingly he betook himself to the bath, awhile in advance, and posted himself behind the door, whereas none of the folk might see him.