Then, [FN#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. [FN#184] By Allah, I get mine own livelihood, I that need one who shall maintain me.” [FN#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; [FN#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; [FN#187] if so be withal [FN#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 [FN#189] the folk [FN#190] and shalt give and take and sell and buy and become known in the city.”