Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6)
Science
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
Quoth Dunyazad, "O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do
tell us some of thy pleasant tales," whereupon Shahrazad replied,
"With love and good will."--It hath reached me, O King of the
Age, that Alaeddin's mother could not of her terror return a
reply to the Márid; nay she fell to the ground oppressed by her
affright.[FN#110] Now her son was standing afar off and he had
already seen the Jinní of the Ring which he had rubbed within the
Treasury; so when he heard the Slave speaking to his parent, he
hastened forwards and snatching the Lamp from her hand, said, "O
Slave of the Lamp, I am unhungered and 'tis my desire that thou
fetch me somewhat to eat and let it be something toothsome beyond
our means." The Jinni disappeared for an eye-twinkle and returned
with a mighty fine tray and precious of price, for that 'twas all
in virginal silver and upon it stood twelve golden platters of
meats manifold and dainties delicate, with bread snowier than
snow; also two silvern cups and as many black jacks[FN#111] full
of wine clear-strained and long-stored. And after setting all
these before Alaeddin, he evanished from vision. Thereupon the
lad went and sprinkled rose water upon his mother's face and
caused her snuff up perfumes pure and pungent and said to her
when she revived, "Rise, O mother mine, and let us eat of these
meats wherewith Almighty Allah hath eased our poverty." But when
she saw that mighty fine silvern tray she fell to marvelling at
the matter and Quoth she, "O my son, who be this generous, this
beneficent one who hath abated our hunger-pains and our penury?
We are indeed under obligation to him and, meseemeth, 'tis the
Sultan who, hearing of our mean condition and our misery, hath
sent us this food tray." Quoth he, "O my mother, this be no time
for questioning: arouse thee and let us eat for we are both a-
famished." Accordingly, they sat down to the tray and fell to
feeding when Alaeddin's mother tasted meats whose like in all her
time she had never touched; so they devoured them with sharpened
appetites and all the capacity engendered by stress of hunger;
and, secondly, the food was such that marked the tables of the
Kings. But neither of them knew whether the tray was or was not
valuable, for never in their born days had they looked upon aught
like it. As soon as they had finished the meal (withal leaving
victual enough for supper and eke for the next day), they arose
and washed their hands and sat at chat, when the mother turned to
her son and said, "Tell me, O my child, what befel thee from the
Slave, the Jinní, now that Alhamdolillah--laud to the Lord!--we
have eaten our full of the good things wherewith He hath favoured
us and thou hast no pretext for saying to me, 'I am anhungered.'
" So Alaeddin related to her all that took place between him and
the Slave what while she had sunk upon the ground aswoon for sore
terror; and at this she, being seized with mighty great surprise,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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