ad and eyes; [300] but, as for
this that thou sayest, it may not be that I should cast away either the
lamp or the ring; nay, thou seest that which it [301] did with us of
good, whenas we were anhungred, and know, O my mother, that the lying
Maugrabin enchanter, what time I went down into the treasure, sought
nought of gold nor of silver, whereof the four places were full, but
charged me bring him the lamp and that only, for that he knew the
greatness of its virtues; [302] and except he knew it to be exceeding of
might, he had not toiled and travailed and come from his land to this in
quest of it, nor had he shut the treasure on me, whenas he failed of the
lamp, seeing I gave it him not. Wherefore, O my mother, it behoveth us
keep this lamp and guard it with all care, for that this is our support
and this it is shall enrich us; and it behoveth us show it not unto any.
On like wise, as for the ring, it may not be that I should put it off
from my finger, forasmuch as, but for this ring, thou hadst not seen me
again on life; nay, I had died under the earth within the treasure; so
how can I put it off from my hand and who knoweth what may happen to
me in time to come of error or calamity or shift of the shifts of
mischance, from which the ring might deliver me? However, of regard for
thy wish, I will lay up the lamp and let thee not see it henceforth."
When his mother heard his words and pondered them, she saw them to be
just and true and said to him, "O my son, do what thou wilt. For my
part, I wish never to see them nor ever again to behold that loathsome
aspect [303] which I saw [but now]."

Alaeddin [304] and his mother abode two days eating of the food which
the genie had brought, and when it was finished and he knew that there
was left them nothing to eat, he arose and taking a platter of those
which the slave had brought on the tray (now they were of fine gold,
but Alaeddin knew it not) went with it to the market, where a Jew, a
man viler than devils themselves, accosted [305] him and he gave him the
platter. When the Jew saw it, he took Alaeddin aside, so none might see
him, and examining the platter, found it of fine gold, [306] but knew
not if Alaeddin was ware of its worth or if he was ignorant thereof; so
he said to him, "How much, O my lord, for this platter?" And Alaeddin
answered him, saying, "Thou knowest how much it is worth." The Jew was
perplexed how much he should give Alaeddin for the platter, by reason