Kings of the world have never owned aught to equal the least of them. For by visiting the jewellers I learned that these are the costliest jewels which I brought in my pockets from the Treasury. Therefore be tranquil. In the house is a china bow]; arise, therefore, and fetch it, that I may fill it with these jewels, and we will see how they look in it." And his mother arose and went for the china bowl, and said within herself: "Let me see if the words of my son concerning these jewels be true or not." And she set the bow! before "Ala-ed-Din, and he drew from his pockets the bags of jewels, and began to arrange them in the bowl, and ceased not to set them in order until it was full; and when it was quite full his mother looked into it, and could not see into it without blinking, for her eyes were dazzled by the sheen of the jewels and their radiance and the excess of their flashing. And her reason was confounded, though she was not certain whether or not their value was so vastly great; but she considered that her son's speech might possibly be truethat their equals could not be found among the King's. Then "Ala-ed-Din turned to her and said: "Thou hast seen, O my mother, that this gift for the Sultan is splendid, and I am convinced that it will procure thee great favour from him, and he will receive thee with all honour. So now, O my mother, thou hast no excuse; collect, there-fore, thy faculties and arise; take this bowl and go with it to the palace." And his mother replied: "O my son, certainly the present is exceeding precious, and none, as thou sayest, possesseth its equal. But who would dare to approach and ask of the Sultan his daughter, the Lady Bedr-el-Budur? As for me, I dare not to say to him, 'I want thy daughter' when he asketh me 'What is thy want?' But I know, O my son, that my tongue will be tied. And suppose that, by God's help, I pluck up my courage and say to him: 'It is my desire to become related to thee by thy daughter, the Lady Bedr-el- Budur and my son 'Ala-ed-Din,' they will conclude forthwith that I am possessed, and will cast me forth in shame and disgrace, till I tell thee not only that I shall run in danger of death, but thou wilt likewise. Yet, in spite of all this, O my son, in deference to thy wish, I needs must pluck up heart and go. But if the King welcome me and honour me on account of the gift, and I should ask of him what thou wishest, how shall I reply when he asketh me, as is usual,
