Khan of the stranger merchants, where he himself lodged. and
invited certain of the merchants who were in the Khan.
Accordingly they came and sat down to supper, and he informed
them that this was his brother's son and that his name was
Alaeddin. Then, after they had eaten and drunken, the night being
now come, the Maugrabin arose and taking Alaeddin, carried him
back to his mother.

When she saw her son as he were one of the merchants, her wit
fled [and she waxed] sorrowful for gladness and fell to extolling
the Maugrabin's bounty and saying to him, "O my brother-in-law, I
might not suffice [to thy deserts,] though I thanked thee all my
life long and praised thee for the good thou hast done with my
son." "O wife of my brother," answered he, "this is no manner of
kindness in me, [FN#200] for that this is my son and it behoveth
me stand in the stead of my brother his father; so be thou easy."
Quoth she, "I pray God, by the glory of the ancients [FN#201] and
the moderns, that He let thee [live] and continue thee, O my
brother-in-law, and prolong me thy life, so thou mayst be [as] a
wing [FN#202] to this orphan boy; and he shall still be under
thine obedience and thy commandment and shall do nought but that
which thou biddest him." "O wife of my brother," rejoined the
Maugrabin, "Alaeddin is a man of understanding and [the son of]
decent folk, and my hope is in God that he will follow in his
father's footsteps and be the solace of shine eyes; [FN#203] but
it irketh me that, to-morrow being Friday, I cannot open him a
shop. It being congregation day, all the merchants will go out
after prayers to the gardens and pleasaunces; but, God willing,
on Saturday, an it please the Creator, we will do our business.
Tomorrow I will come to you and take Alaeddin, that I may show