with this beauty and goodliness!" And his back was cloven in
sunder, [FN#321] when he saw her; his thought was confounded and
his understanding [FN#322] dazed and the love of her gat hold upon
his whole heart; so he turned back and returning home, went in to
his mother, like one distraught. She bespoke him and he answered
her neither yea nor nay; then she brought him the morning-meal,
as he abode on this wise, and said to him, "O my son, what hath
betided thee? Doth there ail thee aught? Tell me what hath
befallen thee, for that, against thy wont, I bespeak thee and
thou answerest me not."

Now Alaeddin had been used to think that women were all like his
mother and he had heard of the beauty of the Lady Bedrulbudour,
daughter of the Sultan, but had not known what beauty and grace
were; so he turned to his mother and said to her, "Leave me;" but
she was instant with him to come and eat. Accordingly, he came
forward and ate a little; then, rising, he threw himself on his
bed and lay musing till break of morn; and on this wise he abode
all next day. His mother was perplexed at his case, unknowing
what had befallen him, and bethought herself that belike he was
sick; so she came up to him and questioned him, saying, "O my
son, an thou feel aught of pain or otherwhat, tell me, that I may
go fetch thee a physician, more by token there is presently in
the city a physician from the land of the Arabs, whom the Sultan
hath sent to bring hither, and report saith of him that he is
exceeding skilful; so [tell me] if thou art sick, that I may go
and call him to thee."

When [FN#323] Alaeddin heard his mother offer to fetch him the
physician, he said to her, "O my mother, I am well and not sick,