s, child, to your mother, tell her that I will come and
see her tonight, and bid her get us something for supper; but
first shew me the house where you live."

After Alla ad Deen had shewed the African magician the house, he
carried the two pieces of gold to his mother, and when he had
told her of his uncle's intention, she went out and bought
provisions; and considering she wanted various utensils, borrowed
them of her neighbours. She spent the whole day in preparing the
supper; and at night when it was ready, said to her son, "Perhaps
your uncle knows not how to find our house; go and bring him if
you meet with him."

Though Alla ad Deen had shewed the magician the house, he was
ready to go, when somebody knocked at the door, which he
immediately opened: and the magician came in loaded with wine,
and all sorts of fruits, which he brought for a dessert.

After the African magician had given what he brought into Alla ad
Deen's hands, he saluted his mother, and desired her to shew him
the place where his brother Mustapha used to sit on the sofa; and
when she had so done, he fell down and kissed it several times,
crying out with tears in his eyes, "My poor brother! How unhappy
am I, not to have come soon enough to give you one last embrace."
Alla ad Deen's mother desired him to sit down in the same place,
but he declined. "No," said he, "I shall take care how I do that;
but give me leave to sit opposite to it, that although I am
deprived of the satisfaction of seeing the master of a family so
dear to me, I may at least have the pleasure of beholding the
place where he used to sit." The widow pressed him no farther,
but left him at liberty to sit where he pleased.

When the magician had made choice of a place, and sat down, he
began to enter into discourse with Alla ad Deen's mother. "My
good sister," said he, "do not be surprised at your never having
seen me all the time you have been married to my brother Mustapha
of happy memory. I have been forty years absent from this
country, which is my native place, as well as my late brother's;
and during that time have travelled into the Indies, Persia,
Arabia, Syria, and Egypt, have resided in the finest towns of
those countries; and afterwards crossed over into Africa, where I
made a longer stay. At last, as it is natural for a man, how
distant soever it may be, to remember his native country,
relations, and acquaintance, I was desirous to see mine again,
and to embrace