they ate and were cheered. And whenever the price of the platter
was expended, Alaeddin would take another and carry it to the
accursed Jew who bought each and every at a pitiful price; and
even this he would have minished but, seeing how he had paid a
diner for the first, he feared to offer a lesser sum, lest the
lad go and sell to some rival in trade and thus lose his usurious
gains. Now when all the golden platters were sold, there remained
only the silver tray whereupon they stood; and, for that it was
large and weighty, Alaeddin brought the Jew to his house and
produced the article, when the buyer, seeing its size gave him
ten dinars and these being accepted went his ways. Alaeddin and
his mother lived upon the sequins until they were spent; then he
brought out the Lamp and rubbed it and straightway appeared the
Slave who had shown himself aforetime.--And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Five Hundred and Thirty-eighth 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 Jinni, the Slave of the Lamp, on appearing to
Alaeddin said, "Ask, O my lord, whatso thou wantest for I am thy
Slave and the thrall of whoso hath the Lamp;" and said the lad,
"I desire that thou bring me a tray of food like unto that thou
broughtest me erewhiles, for indeed I am famisht." Accordingly,
in the glance of an eye the Slave produced a similar tray
supporting twelve platters of the most sumptuous, furnished with
requisite cates; and thereon stood clean bread and sundry glass
bottles[FN#118] of strained wine. Now Alaeddin's mother had gone