art present? And who is there fonder and more faithful to me than
thyself? So my design is that thou thy self shalt proffer this my
petition." Quoth she, "O my son, Allah remove me far therefrom!
What! have I lost my wits like thyself? Cast the thought away and
a long way from thy heart. Remember whose son thou art, O my
child, the orphan boy of a tailor, the poorest and meanest of the
tailors toiling in this city; and I, thy mother, am also come of
pauper folk and indigent. How then durst thou ask to wife the
daughter of the Sultan, whose sire would not deign marry her with
the sons of the Kings and the Sovrans, except they were his peers
in honour and grandeur and majesty; and, were they but one degree
lower, he would refuse his daughter to them."--And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-second 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 Alaeddin took patience until his parent had said her
say, when Quoth he, "O my mother, everything thou hast called to
mind is known to me; moreover 'tis thoroughly well known to me
that I am the child of pauper parents; withal do not these words
of thee divert me from my design at all, at all Nor the less do I
hope of thee, an I be thy son and thou truly love me, that thou
grant me this favour, otherwise thou wilt destroy me; and present
Death hovereth over my head except I win my will of my heart's
dearling; and I, O my mother, am in every case thy child."
Hearing these words, his parent wept of her sorrow for him and
said, "O my child! Yes, in very deed I am thy mother, nor have I