ut the present which she had made
him was exceeding magnificent [and indeed] beyond price; [420] so he
turned to the Vizier and said to him, "How deemest thou? What shall we
do? [421] It is true I gave her my word, but meseemeth they are poor
folk and not of the chiefs of the people."

The [422] Vizier, who was like to die of envy and chagrin for that which
had befallen his son, said in himself, "How shall one like this marry
the Sultan's daughter and my son lose this honour?" So he said to the
Sultan, [423] "O my lord, it is an easy matter to rid ourselves of [424]
this vagabond, [425] for that it would not beseem Thy Grace to give thy
daughter to a man like this, of whom it is not known what he is." Quoth
the Sultan, "On what wise shall we rid ourselves of this man, seeing
I have given him my word and a King's word is his bond?" "O my lord,"
answered the Vizier, "my counsel is that thou require of him forty
dishes of pure virgin gold, full of jewels, such as she [426] brought
thee the other day, [427] and forty slave-girls to bear the dishes and
forty black slaves." "By Allah, O Vizier," rejoined the Sultan, "'thou
speakest rightly; for that this is a thing to which he may not avail
and so we shall be rid of him by [fair] means." [428] So he said to
Alaeddin's mother, "Go and tell thy son that I abide by the promise
which I made him, but an if he avail unto my daughter's dowry; to wit,
I require of him forty dishes of pure gold, which must all be full
of jewels [such as] thou broughtest me [erst], together with forty
slave-girls to carry them and forty male slaves to escort and attend
them. If, then; thy son avail unto this, I will marry him to my
daughter."

Alaeddin's mother returned home, shaking her head and saying, "Whence
shall my poor son get these dishes of jewels? Supposing, for the jewels
and the dishes, that he return to the treasure and gather the whole from
the trees,--and withal methinketh not it is possible to him; but say
that he fetch them,--whence [shall he get] the slaves and slave-girls?"
And she gave not over talking to herself till she reached the house,
where Alaeddin awaited her, and when she came in to him, she said to
him, "O my son, said I not to thee, 'Think not to attain to the Lady
Bedrulbudour'? Indeed, this is a thing that is not possible unto folk
like ourselves." Quoth he, "Tell me what is the news." And she said to
him, "O my son, the Sultan received me with all courtesy, according