One [FN#152] day of the days, as he sat in the street, playing with the vagabond boys, behold, a Maugrabin [FN#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 [FN#154] and he was an enchanter who would cast mountain upon mountain with his sorcery and was skilled to boot in physiognomy. [FN#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, [FN#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 [FN#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; [FN#158] and now thou tellest me that he is dead!  Marry, blood discovered unto me that [FN#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 [FN#160] now, O my son Alaeddin,” continued he, “I have lost my consolation [FN#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 [FN#162] and there is no fleeing from that which is [FN#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 [FN#163] but in thee [FN#164] and thou art [to me] in the stead of thy father, since thou art his successor and whoso leaveth [a successor] is not dead, O my son.”  With this he put his hand [to his pocket] and bringing out ten diners, gave them to Alaeddin, saying, “O my son, where is your house and where is thy mother, my brother’s wife?” So Alaeddin took him and showed him the way to their house; and the magician said to him, “O my son, take these monies and give them to thy mother and salute her on my behalf and tell her that thine uncle is come back from his strangerhood; and God willing, to-morrow I will come visit you, so I may