Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp

by Unknown

There [144] was [once] in a city of the cities of China a man, a tailor and poor, and he had a son by name Alaeddin, who was perverse and graceless from his earliest childhood. When he came to ten years of age, his father would fain have taught him his own craft, for that, because he was poor, he could not spend money upon him to have him taught [another] trade or art [145] or the like; [146] so he carried him to his shop, that he might teach him his craft of tailoring; but, forasmuch as the lad was perverse and wont still to play with the boys of the quarter, [147] he would not sit one day in the shop; nay, he would watch his father till such time as he went forth the place to meet a customer or on some other occasion, when he would flee forth incontinent and go out to the gardens with the good-for-nothing lads like himself. This, then, was his case, [148] and he would not obey his parents, nor would he learn a craft. His father sickened of his grief and chagrin for his son's perversity and died, whilst Alaeddin abode on that his wise. When his mother saw that her husband had departed this life [149] and that her son was a scapegrace and a good-for-nought, she sold the shop and all she found therein and fell to spinning cotton and feeding herself and her graceless son Alaeddin with her toil. The latter, seeing himself quit of his father's danger, [150] redoubled in his gracelessness and his perversity and would not abide in their house save eating-whiles; and his poor wretched mother supported him [151] by the spinning of her hands till he came to fifteen years of age.

One [152] day of the days, as he sat in the street, playing with the vagabond boys, behold, a Maugrabin [153] dervish came up and stopping to look at the lads, singled out Alaeddin from his comrades and fell to gazing upon him and straitly considering his favour. Now this dervish was from the land of Hither Barbary [154] and he was an enchanter who would cast mountain upon mountain with his sorcery and was skilled to boot in physiognomy. [155] When he had well considered Alaeddin, he said in himself, "Certes, this boy is he whom I seek and he it is in quest of whom I came forth from my country." So he took one of the lads apart and asked him of Alaeddin, whose son he was, and questioned him of all his affairs; after which he went up to Alaeddin and taking him aside, said to him, "Harkye, boy, art thou not the son of such an one the tailor?" And he answered him, saying "Yes, O my lord; but my father died awhile agone." When the Maugrabin magician heard this, he threw himself upon Alaeddin and embracing him, fell to kissing him and weeping, that his tears ran down upon his cheek.

Alaeddin was astonished at the Maugrabin's behaviour; so he asked him and said to him, "What is the cause of thy weeping, O my lord, and whence knewest thou my father?" The Maugrabin answered him, in a mournful, broken voice, [156] saying, "How, O my son, canst thou ask me this question, after telling me that thy father, my brother, is dead, for thy father was [indeed] my brother [157] and I am newly come from my country and was rejoicing exceedingly, after this my strangerhood, of my expectation that I should see him and solace myself with him; [158] and now thou tellest me that he is dead! Marry, blood discovered unto me that [159] thou wast the son of my brother, and indeed I knew thee from amongst all the lads; although thy father, when I left him, was not yet married. And [160] now, O my son Alaeddin," continued he, "I have lost my consolation [161] and my joy in thy father, my brother, whom I had hoped, after my strangerhood, to see ere I died; but separation hath afflicted me in him [162] and there is no fleeing from that which is [163] nor is there any resource against the ordinance of God the Most High."

Then he took Alaeddin and said to him, "O my son, I have no comfort but in thee [164] and thou art [to me] in the stead of thy father, since thou art his successor and whoso leaveth [165] Alaeddin kissed his hand and hastened home, running in his joy, to his mother and entered, contrary to his wont, for that he was not used to go in to her save at eating-times. So he went in to her, rejoicing, and said to her, "O my mother, I bring thee glad news of my uncle, in that he is come back from his absence, and he saluteth thee." "O my son," quoth she, "meseemeth thou makest mock of me. Who is thine uncle and whence hast thou an uncle on life?" And he said to her, "O my mother, why didst thou tell me that I had no uncles and no kinsfolk on life? Indeed, this man is my uncle and he embraced me and kissed me, weeping, and bade me tell thee of this." And she answered him, saying, "Yes, O my son, I knew thou hadst an uncle, but he is dead and I know not that thou hast a second uncle."

As [166] for the Maugrabin enchanter, he went forth at dawn and fell to searching for [167] Alaeddin, for that he might not brook parting from him; [168] and as he went about in the thoroughfares of the city, he came upon the lad, who was playing with the vagabonds, as of his wont. So he went up to him and taking him by the hand, embraced him and kissed him; then he brought out of his purse two diners and said to Alaeddin, "Go to thy mother and give her these two diners and say to her, 'My uncle would fain sup with us; so take these two diners and make a good supper.' But first show me once more the way to your house." "On my head and eyes, O my uncle," answered Alaeddin and foregoing him, showed him the way to the house. Then the Maugrabin left him and went his way, whilst Alaeddin returned home and telling his mother [what had passed], gave her the two diners and said to her, "My uncle would fain sup with us." So she arose forthright and went out to the market, where she bought all that was needful and returning home, borrowed of her neighbours that which she required of platters and the like and proceeded to make ready for supper.

When the time of the evening-meal came, she said to Alaeddin, "O my son, the supper [169] is ready and maybe shine uncle knoweth not the way to the house. Go thou and meet him." And he answered her with "Hearkening and obedience." But, whilst they were in talk, behold, there came a knocking at the door; whereupon Alaeddin went out and opening, found the Maugrabin enchanter, and with him a slave bearing wine and fruits. So he brought them in and the slave went his way, whilst the Maugrabin entered and saluted Alaeddin's mother; then he fell a-weeping and said to her, "Where is the place in which my brother was wont to sit?" She pointed him to her husband's sitting-place, whereupon he went thither and prostrating himself, fell to kissing the earth and saying, "Alas, how scant is my delight and how sorry my fortune, since I have lost thee, O my brother and apple [170] of mine eye!" And the abode on this wise, weeping and lamenting, till Alaeddin's mother was certified that he was in earnest and that he was like to swoon of the excess of his wailing and his lamentation. So she came to him and raised him from the ground, saying, "What profiteth it that thou shouldst kill thyself?" And [171] she proceeded to comfort him and made him sit down.

Then, before she laid the table, the Maugrabin fell to relating to her [his history] and said to her, "O wife of my brother, let it not amaze thee that in all thy days thou never sawest me neither knewest of me in my late brother's lifetime, for that I left this country forty years agone and became an exile from my native land. I journeyed to the lands of Hind and Sind and all the country of the Arabs and coming presently into Egypt, sojourned awhile in the magnificent city [of Cairo], which is the wonder of the world. [172] Ultimately I betook myself to the land of Hither Barbary [173] and sojourned there thirty years' space, [174] till one day of the days, as I sat, [175] O wife of my brother, I bethought me of my country and my native place and of my late brother and longing waxed on me to see him and I fell a-weeping and lamenting over my strangerhood and distance from him. In fine, my yearning for him importuned me till I resolved to journey to this country, the which was the falling-place of my head [176] and my native land, that I might see my brother. And I said in myself, "O man, how long wilt thou be an exile [177] from thy country and thy native place, whenas thou hast an only brother and no more? Arise and journey and look upon him ere thou die. Who knoweth the calamities of fate and the vicissitudes of the days? Sore pity 'twere that thou shouldst die and not see thy brother. Moreover, Allah (praised be He) hath given thee abundant wealth and it may be thy brother is in poor case and straitened, and thou wilt help him, an [178] thou see him." So I arose forthright and equipped myself for travel; then, reciting the Fatiheh [179], I took horse, after the Friday prayer, and came, after many hardships and fatigues,—which I suffered, till the Lord (to whom belong might and majesty) protected [me],—to this city. I entered it and as I went about its thoroughfares the day before yesterday, I saw my brother's son Alaeddin playing with the boys; and by Allah the Great, O wife of my brother, when I saw him, my heart crave to him, for that blood yearneth unto blood, and my soul foreboded me he was my brother's son. At his sight I forgot all my toils and troubles and was like to fly for joy; then, when he told me that my late brother had departed to the mercy of God the Most High, I swooned away for stress of grief and chagrin; and most like he hath told thee of that which overcame me. [180] But I comforted myself somewhat with Alaeddin, who standeth in stead of [181] the departed, for that whoso leaveth [182] dieth not."

Then, [183] when he saw her weeping at this speech, he turned to Alaeddin, by way of making her forget the mention of her husband and feigning to comfort her, so he might the better accomplish his device upon her, and said to him, "O my son Alaeddin, what hast thou learned of crafts and what is thy business? Hast thou learned thee a trade whereby thou mayst live, thou and thy mother?" At this Alaeddin was confounded and abashed and hung down his head, bowing it to the ground, whilst his mother said to the Maugrabin, "How? By Allah, he knoweth nought at all! So graceless a lad I never saw. All day long he goeth about with the vagabond boys of the quarter like himself; nay, his father, woe is me, died not but of his chagrin concerning him; and now, as for me, my case is woeful. I spin cotton and toil night and day, to earn two cakes of bread, that we may eat them together. This, then, is his condition, O my brother-in-law, and by thy life, he cometh not in to me save at eating-times, and I am thinking to bolt the door of my house and not open to him and let him go seek his living for himself, for that I am grown an old woman and have no strength left to toil and provide for the maintenance of a fellow like this. [184] By Allah, I get mine own livelihood, I that need one who shall maintain me." [185]

Therewithal the Maugrabin turned to Alaeddin and said to him, "How is this, O son of my brother? It is a disgrace to thee to go vagabonding about in this abjection. This befitteth not men like thee. Thou art gifted with understanding, O my son, and the child of [reputable] folk; [186] I and it is a shame upon thee that thy mother, who is an old woman, should toil for thy maintenance, now thou art grown a man. Nay, it behoveth thee get thee some means whereby thou mayst maintain thyself, O my son. See, by God's grace, (praised be He) here in our city be masters of crafts, nowhere is there a place more abounding in them: choose, then, the craft which pleaseth thee and I will establish thee therein, so that, when thou growest up, O my son, thou mayst find thee thy craft whereby thou shalt live. Belike thou hast no mind to thy father's trade; so choose other than it. Tell me the craft which pleaseth thee and I will help thee in all that is possible, O son of my brother." Then, seeing that Alaeddin was silent and answered him nothing, he knew that he had no mind to any craft at all and recked of nothing but vagabondage and said to him, "O son of my brother, be not abashed at me; [187] if so be withal [188] thou caress not to learn a trade, I will open thee a merchant's shop of the costliest stuffs and thou shalt make thyself acquainted with [189] the folk [190] and shalt give and take and sell and buy and become known in the city."

When Alaeddin heard these words of his uncle the Maugrabin, to wit, that it was his intent to make him a merchant, [191] a trader, [192] he rejoiced exceedingly, well knowing that all merchants' apparel is neat and elegant; [193] so he looked at the Maugrabin and smiled and bowed his head, as who should say, "I am content." The [194] magician, seeing him smile, knew that he was content to be a merchant and said to him, "Since thou art content that I should make thee a merchant and open thee a shop, be a man, O son of my brother, and to-morrow, God willing, I will take thee first to the market and let cut thee an elegant suit of clothes such as merchants wear; and after that I will look thee out a shop and perform my promise to thee." Now Alaeddin's mother was in some little doubt as to the Maugrabin; but, when she heard his promise to her son that he would open him a shop as a merchant with stuffs and capital and what not else, she concluded that he was in very deed her brother-in-law, inasmuch as a stranger would not do thus with her son. So she fell to admonishing her son and exhorting him to put away ignorance and folly from his head and be a man, and bade him still yield obedience to his uncle, as he were his father, and apply himself to make up the time which he had wasted in idleness [with] those who were like him, after which she arose and laying the table, spread the evening-meal and they all sat down and fell to eating and drinking, whilst the Maugrabin talked with Alaeddin upon matters of merchandry and the like. Then, when he saw that the night was far spent, [195] he arose and went to his lodging, promising to return in the morning and take Alaeddin, so he might let cut him a merchant's suit.