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[FN#114] 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 wiliest 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.

     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,[FN#115] 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 Alaeddin was acquainted with its value or he was in such matters a raw laddie,[FN#116] so he asked him, “For how much, O my lord, this platter?” and the