to
his wont, and meseemeth he meant fairly by us, but [for] thine accursed
enemy the Vizier; for that, after I had bespoken the Sultan in thy name,
even as thou badest me, reminding him that the term for which he had
appointed us was past and saying to him, 'If Thy Grace would vouchsafe
to give commandment for the marriage of thy daughter the Lady
Bedrulbudour with my son Alaeddin,'--he turned to the Vizier and spoke
to him. The Vizier replied to him in a whisper and after that the Sultan
returned me an answer." Then she told him what the Sultan required of
him and added, "O my son, he would fain have present answer of thee; but
methinketh we have no answer to give him."

When [429] Alaeddin heard his mother's speech, he laughed and said, "O
my mother, thou sayest we have no answer to make him and deemest the
thing exceeding hard; but now be good enough to rise [430] and fetch us
somewhat to eat, and after we have dined, thou shalt (an it please the
Compassionate) see the answer. The Sultan like thyself, thinketh he hath
sought of me an extraordinary matter, so he may divert me from the Lady
Bedrulbudour; but the fact is that he seeketh a thing less than I had
looked for. But go now and buy us somewhat we may eat and leave me to
fetch thee the answer." Accordingly, she arose and went out to buy her
need from the market, so she might make ready the morning-meal; whilst
Alaeddin entered his chamber and taking the lamp, rubbed it. The genie
immediately appeared to him and said, "Seek what thou wilt, O my lord;"
whereupon quoth Alaeddin, "I seek the Sultan's daughter in marriage and
he requireth of me forty dishes of pure gold, each ten pounds in weight
and full of the jewels which be in the garden of the treasure, the
forty dishes to be borne by forty slave girls and each slave-girl to be
accompanied by a male slave; wherefore I will have thee bring me this,
all of it." "Hearkening and obedience, O my lord," replied the genie
and disappearing, was absent awhile, then returned with the forty
slave-girls, each attended by a male slave and bearing on her head a
dish of pure gold, full of precious jewels. So he brought them before
Alaeddin and said to him, "Here is that which thou soughtest. Tell me
an thou need thing or service other than this." Quoth Alaeddin, "I need
nothing [more]; if I need aught, I will summon thee and tell thee."

Accordingly, the genie vanished and after a little, Alaeddin's mother
returned and enteri