the good things wherewith He hath favored us and thou hast no pretext

for saying to me, 'I am a-hungered."' So Aladdin related to her all
that took place between him and the slave what while she had sunk upon

the ground a-swoon 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, 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 hendest in hand." And when his parent heard
these words she cried: "There! there! 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 a-bear 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 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 traveled 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 frightfulspectacle I
erst saw."

Aladdin 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 bazaar and there, seeing a man which was a Jew, a

viler than the Satans, 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 it was of
gold refined. But he knew not whether Aladdin was acquainted with

its value or he was in such matters a raw laddie, 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 Aladdin had returned him a craftsmanlike

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 Aladdin eyed the
gold piece lying in his palm and, hastilytaking 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, a
bright-polished groat.

However, Aladdin 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 bazaar and laid in the necessary stock,
after which they ate and were cheered. And whenever the price of the

platter was expended, Aladdin would take another and carry it to the
accursed Jew, who brought 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,
Aladdin 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.

Aladdin 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 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 of strained wine. Now

Aladdin'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 platters and smelt the savor of the rich meats diffused over

the house, she marveled 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 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, Aladdin 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 jeweler, an honest man and a pious

who feared Allah. When the Sheikh 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, 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 Aladdin 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." The ancient
goldsmith, hearing from Aladdin how the Jew used to give only one

dinar as the price of the platter, cried, "Ah! I take refuge from this