"In any case,"
rejoined she, "the thing is not toilsome; [44] so do that which thou
wilt, even as he said to thee, and make proof of the matter, and God
willing, thou shalt [45] return to me rejoicing; but methinketh thou
wilt return to me and say, 'Thou saidst sooth, O my mother, in thy
rede."' The prince accordingly took a pickaxe and going down to the
palace where his father was buried, fell a-delving in the earth; nor had
he dug long when, behold, there appeared to him a ring fixed in a slab
of marble. He raised the slab and seeing a stair, descended thereby and
found a great vault, all builded with columns of marble and alabaster;
then, proceeding innerward, he found within the vault a hall which
ravished the wit, and therein eight jars of green jasper; [46] and he
said, "What be these jars and what is in them?" So [47] he went up and
uncovering them, found them all full of old gold; [48] whereupon he took
a little in his hand and going to his mother, gave her thereof and said
to her, "Thou seest, O my mother." She marvelled at this thing and
said to him, "Beware, O my son, lest thou squander it, like as thou
squanderedst other than this." And he swore to her, saying, "Be not
concerned, O my mother, and let not thy heart be other than easy on my
account, for I would fain have thee also content with me." [49]

Then she arose and went with him, and they descended into the vault
and entered the [underground] hall, [50] where she beheld that which
ravished the wit and saw the jars of gold. What while they diverted
themselves with gazing upon these latter, behold, they espied a little
jar of fine jade; so Zein ul Asnam opened it and found in it a golden
key. Whereupon quoth his mother to him, "O my son, needs must there be
a door here which this key will open." Accordingly they sought in all
parts of the vault and the hall, so they might see an there were a door
or what not else to be found there, and presently espied a bolted lock,
to which they knew that this must be the key. So Zein ul Asnam went
up and putting the key in the lock, turned it and opened a door which
admitted them into a second hall, [51] more magnificent than the first;
and it was all full of a light which dazzled the sight, yet was there
no flambeau kindled therein, no, nor any window [52] there, whereat
they marvelled and looking farther, saw eight images of jewels, each one
piece, and that of noble jewels, pure and precious.

Zein ul Asnam was am