reminding him that the term for which he had appointed us was
past and saying to him, 'If Thy Grace would vouchsafe to give
commandment for the marriage of thy daughter the Lady
Bedrulbudour with my son Alaeddin,'--he turned to the Vizier and
spoke to him. The Vizier replied to him in a whisper and after
that the Sultan returned me an answer." Then she told him what
the Sultan required of him and added, "O my son, he would fain
have present answer of thee; but methinketh we have no answer to
give him."

When [FN#429] Alaeddin heard his mother's speech, he laughed and
said, "O my mother, thou sayest we have no answer to make him and
deemest the thing exceeding hard; but now be good enough to
rise [FN#430] and fetch us somewhat to eat, and after we have
dined, thou shalt (an it please the Compassionate) see the
answer. The Sultan like thyself, thinketh he hath sought of me an
extraordinary matter, so he may divert me from the Lady
Bedrulbudour; but the fact is that he seeketh a thing less than I
had looked for. But go now and buy us somewhat we may eat and
leave me to fetch thee the answer." Accordingly, she arose and
went out to buy her need from the market, so she might make ready
the morning-meal; whilst Alaeddin entered his chamber and taking
the lamp, rubbed it. The genie immediately appeared to him and
said, "Seek what thou wilt, O my lord;" whereupon quoth Alaeddin,
"I seek the Sultan's daughter in marriage and he requireth of me
forty dishes of pure gold, each ten pounds in weight and full of
the jewels which be in the garden of the treasure, the forty
dishes to be borne by forty slave girls and each slave-girl to be
accompanied by a male slave; wherefore I will have thee bring me
this, all of it." "Hearkening and obedience, O my lord," replied