for thine inclination, I needs must embolden myself and hie
thither; yet, O my child, if the King receive me and honour me on
account of the gift and enquire of me what thou desirest,"--And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.

When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-fifth 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's mother said to her son, "And in reply I ask
of him that which thou desirest in the matter of thy marriage
with his daughter, how shall I answer him an he ask me, as is
man's wont, What estates hast thou, and what income? And
perchance, O my son, he will question me of this before
questioning me of thee." Alaeddin replied, " 'tis not possible
that the Sultan should make such demand what time he considereth
the jewels and their magnificence; nor is it meet to think of
such things as these which may never occur. Now do thou but arise
and set before him this present of precious stones and ask of him
his daughter for me, and sit not yonder making much of the
difficulty in thy fancy. Ere this thou hast learned, O mother
mine, that the Lamp which we possess hath become to us a stable
income and that whatso I want of it the same is supplied to me;
and my hope is that by means thereof I shall learn how to answer
the Sultan should he ask me of that thou sayest."[FN#130] Then
Alaeddin and his mother fell to talking over the subject all that
night long and when morning morrowed, the dame arose and
heartened her heart, especially as her son had expounded to her