When [FN#312] the goldsmith heard this, “Out on this accursed one,” cried he, “who fleeceth the servants of God the Most High!” Then he looked at Alaeddin and said to him, “O my son, this Jew is a cheat, who hath cheated thee and laughed at thee, for that the silver of this thy platter is pure and fine; and I have weighed it and find its worth threescore diners and ten; so, an it please thee take its price, take [it].”  Accordingly, he counted out to him seventy diners and he took them and thanked him for his kindness, in that he had shown him the Jew’s trickery.  Thenceforward, whenassoever the price of one platter was spent, he would carry another to the old goldsmith, and on this wise he and his mother increased in substance; but they ceased not to live at their sufficiency, [FN#313] midwise [betwixt rich and poor], [FN#314] without excessive spending [FN#315] or squandering.  As for Alaeddin, he left idleness and the commerce of striplings and took to consorting with grown men; [FN#316] nay, he would go every day to the market of the merchants and sit with the great and the small of them and question of the ways and fashions of commerce and the prices of articles of merchandise [FN#317] and otherwhat.  He used also to go to the market of the goldsmiths and the market of the jewellers, and there he would sit and look upon the different kinds of jewels and see them bought and sold; whereby he became aware that the fruits of the trees, wherewith he had filled the purses, [FN#318] whenas he was in the treasure, were neither glass nor crystal, but jewels, and knew that he had happened upon great wealth, such as kings might nowise compass.  Moreover, he noted all the jewels that were in the jewellers’ market, but saw not [among] the biggest [of them] one to match with the smallest of those he had at home.

He ceased not to go daily to the market of the jewellers and to clap up acquaintance with the folk, making friends with them and questioning them of buying and selling and giving and taking and dear and cheap, till, one day of the days, he arose in the morning and donning his clothes, went forth, intending, as of wont, for the jewellers’ market; but, as he went, he heard the crier proclaiming aloud on this wise, “By commandment of the Lord of Beneficence, the king of the age and monarch of the time and the tide, let all the folk shut their shops and stores and enter their houses, for that the Lady Bedrulbudour, daughter of the Sultan, purposeth to go to the bath, and whoso transgresseth the commandment, his punishment shall be death and his blood be on his own head.” [FN#319] When Alaeddin heard this proclamation, he longed to look upon the Sultan’s daughter and said in himself, “All the folk talk of her grace and goodliness, and the uttermost of my desire is to see her.”  So [FN#320] he cast about for a device how he might contrive to see the Lady Bedrulbudour and him-seemed he were best stand behind the door of the bath, that he might see her face, as she entered.  Accordingly he betook himself to the bath, awhile in advance, and posted himself behind the door, whereas none of the folk might see him.