s; they belong to different
masters. If you remember, he that I first saw, called himself the
slave of the ring on my finger; and this you saw, called himself
the slave of the lamp you had in your hand: but I believe you did
not hear him, for I think you fainted as soon as he began to
speak."

"What!" cried the mother, "was your lamp then the occasion of
that cursed genie addressing himself rather to me than to you?
Ah my son, take it out of my sight, and put it where you please.
I will never touch it. I had rather you would sell it, than run
the hazard of being frightened to death again by touching it: and
if you would take my advice, you would part also with the ring,
and not have any thing to do with genii, who, as our prophet has
told us, are only devils."

"With your leave, mother," replied Alla ad Deen, "I shall now
take care how I sell a lamp, which may be so serviceable both to
you and me. Have not you been an eye-witness of what it has
procured us? and it shall still continue to furnish us with
subsistence and maintenance. You may suppose as I do, that my
false and wicked uncle would not have taken so much pains, and
undertaken so long and tedious a journey, if it had not been to
get into his possession this wonderful lamp, which he preferred
before all the gold and silver which he knew was in the halls,
and which I have seen with my own eyes. He knew too well the
worth of this lamp, not to prefer it to so great a treasure; and
since chance hath discovered the virtue of it to us, let us make
a profitable use of it, without making any great shew, and
exciting the envy and jealousy of our neighbours. However, since
the genii frighten you so much, I will take it out of your sight,
and put it where I may find it when I want it. The ring I cannot
resolve to part with; for without that you had never seen me
again; and though I am alive now, perhaps, if it was gone, I
might not be so some moments hence; therefore I hope you will
give me leave to keep it, and to wear it always on my finger. Who
knows what dangers you and I may be exposed to, which neither of
us can foresee, and from which it may deliver us." As Alla ad
Deen's arguments were just, his mother had nothing to say against
them; she only replied, that he might do what he pleased, for her
part, she would have nothing to do with genii, but would wash her
hands of them, and never say anything more about them.

By the next night they had eaten all the prov