When it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,

Quoth Dunyazad, "O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do
tell us some of thy pleasant tales," whereupon Shahrazad replied,
"With love and good will."--It hath reached me, O King of the
Age, that the Maghrabi, the Magician, said to Alaeddin, "O my
son, now collect thy thoughts! under yon stone wherein the ring
is set lieth the treasure wherewith I acquainted thee: so set thy
hand upon the ring and raise the slab, for that none other
amongst the folk, thyself excepted, hath power to open it, nor
may any of mortal birth, save thyself, set foot within this
Enchanted Treasury which hath been kept for thee. But 'tis
needful that thou learn of me all wherewith I would charge thee;
nor gainsay e'en a single syllable of my words. All this, O my
child, is for thy good; the hoard being of immense value, whose
like the kings of the world never accumulated, and do thou
remember that 'tis for thee and me." So poor Alaeddin forgot his
fatigue and buffet and tear-shedding, and he was dumbed and dazed
at the Maghrabi's words and rejoiced that he was fated to become
rich in such measure that not even the Sultans would be richer
than himself. Accordingly, he cried, "O my uncle, bid me do all
thou pleasest, for I will be obedient unto thy bidding." The
Maghrabi replied, "O my nephew, thou art to me as my own child
and even dearer, for being my brother's son and for my having
none other kith and kin except thyself; and thou, O my child, art
my heir and successor." So saying, he went up to Alaeddin and
kissed him and said, "For whom do I intend these my labours?
Indeed, each and every are for thy sake, O my son, to the end
that I may leave thee a rich man and one of the very greatest. So
gainsay me not in all I shall say to thee, and now go up to