the stones and their radiance and excess of lightning like glance; and her wits were bewildered thereat; only she was not certified of their value being really of the enormous extent she had been told.  Withal she reflected that possibly her son might have spoken aright when he declared that their like was not to be found with the Kings.  Then Alaeddin turned to her and said, “Thou hast seen, O my mother, that this present intended for the Sultan is magnificent, and I am certified that it will procure for thee high honour with him and that he will receive thee with all respect.  And now, O my mother, thou hast no excuse; so compose thy thoughts and arise; take thou this bowl and away with it to the palace.”  His mother rejoined, “O my son, ’tis true that the present is high-priced exceedingly and the costliest of the costly; also that according to thy word none owneth its like.  But who would have the boldness to go and ask the Sultan for his daughter, the Lady Badr al-Badur?  I indeed dare not say to him, ‘I want thy daughter!’ when he shall ask me, ‘What is thy want?’ for know thou, O my son, that my tongue will be tied.  And, granting that Allah assist me and I embolden myself to say to him, ’My wish is to become a connection of thine through the marriage of thy daughter, the Lady Badr al-Budur, to my son Alaeddin,’ they will surely decide at once that I am demented and will thrust me forth in disgrace and despised.  I will not tell thee that I shall thereby fall into danger of death, for ’twill not only be I but thou likewise.  However, O my son, of my regard for thine inclination, I needs must embolden myself and hie thither; yet, O my child, if the King receive me and honour me on account of the gift and enquire of me what thou desirest,”—­And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

      When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-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 said to her son, “And in reply I ask of him that which thou desirest in the matter of thy marriage with his daughter, how shall I answer him an he ask me, as is man’s wont, What estates hast thou, and what income?  And perchance, O my son, he will question me of this before questioning me of thee.”  Alaeddin replied, " ’tis not possible that the Sultan should make such demand what time he considereth the jewels and their magnificence; nor is it meet to think of such things as these which may never occur.  Now do thou but arise and set before him this present of precious stones and ask of him his daughter for me, and sit not yonder making much of the difficulty in thy fancy.  Ere this thou hast learned, O mother mine, that the Lamp which we possess hath become to us a stable income and that whatso I want of it the same is supplied to me; and