now in his native land." When [592] she had made an end of her story,
Alaeddin said to her, "Tell me, what does this accursed one purpose with
thee; what saith he to thee and of what doth he bespeak thee and what is
his will of thee?" "Every day," answered the princess, "he cometh to me
once and no more and seeketh to draw me to his love, willing me take
him in thy stead and forget and renounce thee; nay, he told me that my
father the Sultan had cut off thy head. Moreover, he useth to say to me
of thee that thou art the son of poor folk and that he was the cause of
thine enrichment and seeketh to cajole me with talk, but never hath he
seen of me aught but tears and weeping or heard from me one soft
word." [593] Quoth Alaeddin, "Tell me where he layeth the lamp, an thou
knowest." And she said, "He still carrieth it [about him] nor will part
with it a moment; nay, when he acquainted me with that whereof I have
told thee, he brought out the lamp from his sleeve and showed it to me"

When Alaeddin heard this, he rejoiced with an exceeding joy and said to
her, "Harkye, Lady Bedrulbudour; it is my present intent to go out and
return in disguise. [594] Marvel thou not at this and let one of thy
slave-girls abide await at the privy door, to open to me forthright,
when she seeth me coming; and I will cast about for a device whereby I
may slay this accursed one." Then he rose and going forth the [privy]
door of his palace, walked on till he encountered a peasant by the way
and said to him, "Harkye, sirrah, take my clothes and give me thine."
The man demurred, but Alaeddin enforced him and taking his clothes from
him, donned them and gave him his own costly apparel. Then he fared on
in the high road till he came to the city and entering, betook himself
to the drug-market, where for two diners he bought of [one of] the
druggists two drachms of rare strong henbane, the son of its minute,
[595] and retracing his steps, returned to the palace. When the damsel
saw him, she opened him the privy door and he went in to the Lady
Bedrulbudour [596] and said to her, "Harkye, I will have thee dress and
tire thyself and put away melancholy from thee; and when the accursed
Maugrabin cometh to thee, do thou receive him with 'Welcome and fair
welcome' and go to meet him with a smiling face and bid him come sup
with thee and profess to him that thou hast forgotten thy beloved
Alaeddin and thy father and that thou lovest him with an exceeding love.