Now his mother had been woebegone since he left her and sat wailing and weeping for him; so, when she saw him come in to her, she rejoiced in him with an exceeding joy, but grief overwhelmed her, whenas she saw him fall aswoon upon the earth.  However, she wasted no time in vain lamentation, but hastened to sprinkle water on his face and sought of her neighbours somewhat of perfumes, to which she made him smell.  When he was a little recovered, he prayed her bring him somewhat to eat, saying to her, “O my mother, these three days past I have eaten nothing.”  So she arose and setting before him that which she had ready, said to him, " Rise, O my son, eat and restore thyself; and when thou art rested, tell me what hath happened to thee and what calamity hath befallen thee.  I will not question thee now, because thou art weary.”  So, [FN#270] when he had eaten and drunken and had refreshed himself and was rested and restored, he said to her, “Alack, mother mine, I have a sore grief against thee in that thou leftest me to yonder accursed man, who strove for my destruction.  Indeed, he sought to kill me; nay, I saw death face to face from that accursed wretch, whom thou deemedst mine uncle, and but for God the Most High, who delivered me from him, [I had perished].  Marry, both I and thou, O my mother, suffered ourselves to be deluded by him after the measure of that which the accursed promised to do with me of good and of the love which he professed for me.  Know, then, O my mother, that this man is an accursed Maugrabin enchanter, a liar, a deceiver, an impostor and a hypocrite; methinketh the devils that be under the earth are not his match, may God put him to shame in every book! [FN#271] Hear, O my mother, what this accursed did; nay, all I shall tell thee is truth and soothfastness.  Do but see the villain’s duplicity; bethink thee of the promises he made me that he would do me all manner of good [FN#272] and the love he professed to me, and how he did all this that he might accomplish his purpose; nay, his intent was to kill me, and praised be God for my deliverance!  Hearken, O my mother, and learn what this accursed one did.”

Then he told her all that had befallen him from the time of his leaving her, weeping the while for excess of joy; how the Maugrabin brought him to the hill, wherein was the treasure, and how he conjured and fumigated.  “And indeed.  O my mother,” said he, “there overcame me exceeding fear, whenas the hill clove in sunder and the earth opened before me by his enchantments; and I quaked with terror at the voice of the thunder which I heard and the darkness which befell of his spells and fumigations, and of my dismay at these portents, I would have fled.  When he saw me offer to flee, he reviled me and smote me, dealing me a buffet which caused me swoon for pain [FN#273] but, inasmuch as the treasure was opened and he could not go down into it himself, seeing he had opened it by my means and that it was in name and