joy; then, when he told me that my
late brother had departed to the mercy of God the Most High, I swooned
away for stress of grief and chagrin; and most like he hath told thee
of that which overcame me. [180] But I comforted myself somewhat with
Alaeddin, who standeth in stead of [181] the departed, for that whoso
leaveth [a successor] [182] dieth not."

Then, [183] when he saw her weeping at this speech, he turned to
Alaeddin, by way of making her forget the mention of her husband and
feigning to comfort her, so he might the better accomplish his device
upon her, and said to him, "O my son Alaeddin, what hast thou learned of
crafts and what is thy business? Hast thou learned thee a trade whereby
thou mayst live, thou and thy mother?" At this Alaeddin was confounded
and abashed and hung down his head, bowing it to the ground, whilst his
mother said to the Maugrabin, "How? By Allah, he knoweth nought at all!
So graceless a lad I never saw. All day long he goeth about with the
vagabond boys of the quarter like himself; nay, his father, woe is me,
died not but of his chagrin concerning him; and now, as for me, my case
is woeful. I spin cotton and toil night and day, to earn two cakes of
bread, that we may eat them together. This, then, is his condition, O
my brother-in-law, and by thy life, he cometh not in to me save at
eating-times, and I am thinking to bolt the door of my house and not
open to him and let him go seek his living for himself, for that I am
grown an old woman and have no strength left to toil and provide for
the maintenance of a fellow like this. [184] By Allah, I get mine own
livelihood, I that need one who shall maintain me." [185]

Therewithal the Maugrabin turned to Alaeddin and said to him, "How is
this, O son of my brother? It is a disgrace to thee to go vagabonding
about in this abjection. This befitteth not men like thee. Thou art
gifted with understanding, O my son, and the child of [reputable] folk;
[186] I and it is a shame upon thee that thy mother, who is an old
woman, should toil for thy maintenance, now thou art grown a man.
Nay, it behoveth thee get thee some means whereby thou mayst maintain
thyself, O my son. See, by God's grace, (praised be He) here in our city
be masters of crafts, nowhere is there a place more abounding in them:
choose, then, the craft which pleaseth thee and I will establish thee
therein, so that, when thou growest up, O my son, thou mayst find thee
thy craft whereb