eeding skilful; so [tell
me] if thou art sick, that I may go and call him to thee."

When [323] Alaeddin heard his mother offer to fetch him the physician,
he said to her, "O my mother, I am well and not sick, but I had thought
that women were all like unto thee. However, yesterday, I saw the Lady
Bedrulbudour, the Sultan's daughter, as she went to the bath;" and
he told her all that had happened to him, adding, "And most like thou
heardest the crier proclaiming that none should open his shop nor stand
in the road, so the Lady Bedrulbudour might pass to the bath; but I saw
her even as she is, for that, when she came to the door of the bath, she
lifted her veil, and when I noted her favour and viewed that noble form
of hers, there befell me, O my mother, a passion of yearning for love of
her and desire of her [324] usurped mine every part; nor can I ever more
have ease, except I get her, and I purpose, therefore, to demand her of
the Sultan her father in the way of law and righteousness."

When Alaeddin's mother heard her son's speech, she thought little of
his wit and said to him, "O my son, the name of God encompass thee!
Meseemeth thou hast lost thy wit; return to thy senses, [325] O my son,
and be not like the madmen!" "Nay, O my mother," replied he, "I have
not lost my wits nor am I mad; and this thy speech shall not change that
which is in my mind, nor is rest possible to me except I get the darling
of my heart, the lovely Lady Bedrulbudour. And my intent is to demand
her of her father the Sultan." So she said to him, "O my son, my life
upon thee, speak not thus, lest one hear thee and say of thee that thou
art mad. Put away from thee this extravagance: [326] who shall undertake
an affair like this and demand it of the Sultan? Meknoweth not how thou
wilt do to make this request of the Sultan, and if thou speak sooth,
[327] by whom wilt thou make it?" "O my mother," rejoined Alaeddin, "by
whom [should I make] a request like this, when thou art at hand, and
whom have I trustier [328] than thyself? Wherefore my intent is that
thou shalt make this request for me." "O my son," quoth she, "God
deliver me from this! What, have I lost my wits like thee? Put away this
thought from thy mind and bethink thee who thou art, O my son,--the son
of a tailor, the poorest and least of the tailors in this city, and I
also am thy mother and my folk are exceeding poor; so how wilt thou dare
to demand the Sultan's daughter, whom her fat