and telling him rare stories, true and false, till they reached
the place at which this Maugrabin enchanter aimed and in quest
whereof he was come from Barbary [FN#216] to the land of China;
whereupon, "O son of my brother," quoth he to Alaeddin, "sit and
rest thee; this is the place for which we were making; and now,
please God, I will show thee marvellous things, the like whereof
no one in the world hath seen, nor hath any looked upon that
which thou art about to behold. But [FN#217] do thou, after thou
art rested, arise and seek sticks and grass and reeds and such
like matters as are small and dry, so we may kindle a fire, and I
will cause thee look, O son of my brother, upon a thing which
passeth understanding." [FN#218]

When Alaeddin heard this, he yearned to see what his uncle was
about to do; so he forgot his fatigue and rising forthright, fell
to gathering brushwood and dry sticks and gathered till the
Maugrabin said to him, "Enough, O son of my brother." Then he
brought out of his pocket a casket, from which he took what he
needed of perfumes, and proceeded to make fumigations and
conjurations, speaking words that might not be understanded; and
straightway it darkened and thundered and the earth quaked and
opened. At this Alaeddin was sore affrighted and would have fled;
which when the Maugrabin enchanter saw, he was exceeding,
incensed at him, for that without Alaeddin his labour was of none
avail, since the treasure whereat he sought to come might not be
opened save by means of the lad. So, when he saw him offer to
flee, he rose to him and lifting his hand, smote him on his head,
that he came nigh to knock out his teeth; whereupon Alaeddin
swooned away and fell upon the earth; but, after a little, he
recovered his senses, by the virtue of the Maugrabin's