bewildered the wits, for all, O my mother, were of vari-coloured
glass, and lastly I reached the Hall wherein hung this Lamp. So I
took it straightway and put it out[FN#107] and poured forth its
contents." And so saying Alaeddin drew the Lamp from his breast-
pocket and showed it to his mother, together with the gems and
jewels which he had brought from the garden; and there were two
large bag-pockets full of precious stones, whereof not one was to
be found amongst the kings of the world. But the lad knew naught
anent their worth deeming them glass or crystal; and presently he
resumed, "After this, O mother mine, I reached the Hoard-door
carrying the Lamp and shouted to the accursed Sorcerer, which
called himself my uncle, to lend me a hand and hale me up, I
being unable to mount of myself the last step for the over weight
of my burthen. But he would not and said only, 'First hand me the
Lamp!' As, however, I had placed it at the bottom of my breast-
pocket and the other pouches bulged out beyond it, I was unable
to get at it and said, 'O my uncle, I cannot reach thee the Lamp,
but I will give it to thee when outside the Treasury.' His only
need was the Lamp and he designed, O my mother, to snatch it from
me and after that slay me, as indeed he did his best to do by
heaping the earth over my head. Such then is what befel me from
this foul Sorcerer." Hereupon Alaeddin fell to abusing the
Magician in hot wrath and with a burning heart and crying, "Well-
away! I take refuge from this damned wight, the ill-omened, the
wrongdoer, the for-swearer, the lost to all humanity, the arch-
traitor, the hypocrite, the annihilator of ruth and mercy."--And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.

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