had married the Sultan's daughter; whereat he was all afire for
rage and envy and arising then and there, equipped himself for
travel and set out for the land of China. When he came to the
city of the sultanate, [FN#553] wherein was Alaeddin, he entered
and alighting at one of the khans, heard the folk talking of
nought but the magnificence of Alaeddin's palace; then, after he
was rested from his journey, he changed [FN#554] his clothes and
went down to go round about in the thoroughfares of the city. He
passed no folk but they were descanting upon the palace and its
magnificence and talking of Alaeddin's grace and comeliness and
his bounty and munificence and the goodliness of his manners and
disposition; so [FN#555] he went up to one of those who were
extolling Alaeddin on this wise and said to him, "Prithee, fair
youth, who is this whom you describe and praise? "O man," replied
the other, "meseemeth thou art a stranger and comest from afar;
but, granting thou art from a far country, hast thou not heard of
the Amir Alaeddin, whose repute, methought, filled the earth, and
of his palace, a wonder of the world, whereof both far and near
have heard? How is it thou hast heard nought of this nor of the
name of Alaeddin, whom Our Lord increase in glory and prosper?"
Quoth the Maugrabin, " Marry, it is the utmost of my wish to look
upon the palace; so, an thou wouldst do me a kindness, direct me
thither, for that I am a stranger." "Hearkening and obedience,"
replied the other and going before him, guided him to Alaeddin's
palace.

The Maugrabin fell to examining it and knew that this all of it
was the work of the Lamp; so he said, "Alack! Alack! Needs must I
dig a pit for this accursed one, this tailor's son, who could not
come by a night's supper; but, an destiny enable me, I will send