honest, pious man, who feared God. When the latter saw Alaeddin,
he accosted him and said to him, "O my son, what wilt thou? This
many a time have I seen thee pass hereby and betake thyself to
such an one, a Jew, and I have seen thee give him certain things.
Nay, methinketh even now thou hast somewhat with thee and art
seeking him, so thou mayst sell it to him. But thou knowest not,
O my son, that the good of the Muslims, believers in the unity of
God the Most High, is lawful spoil in the eyes of Jews; nay, they
still cheat the Muslims and especially this accursed one with
whom thou dealest and into whose hands thou hast fallen.
Wherefore, O my son, an thou have with thee aught thou wouldst
sell, show it to me and fear nothing, for that, by the truth of
God the Most High, I will give thee its price." Accordingly,
Alaeddin brought out the platter to the old man, who took it and
weighing it in his scales, said to him, "Was it the like of this
thou usest to sell to the Jew?" "Ay," replied Alaeddin, "its like
and its brother." "And how much," asked the goldsmith, "useth he
to give thee to its price?" And Alaeddin said, "He useth to give
me a diner."

When [FN#312] the goldsmith heard this, "Out on this accursed
one," cried he, "who fleeceth the servants of God the Most High!"
Then he looked at Alaeddin and said to him, "O my son, this Jew
is a cheat, who hath cheated thee and laughed at thee, for that
the silver of this thy platter is pure and fine; and I have
weighed it and find its worth threescore diners and ten; so, an
it please thee take its price, take [it]." Accordingly, he
counted out to him seventy diners and he took them and thanked
him for his kindness, in that he had shown him the Jew's
trickery. Thenceforward, whenassoever the price of one platter