第14章

and he sucked and was full and slept.The midwife abode with them three days，till they had made the mothering-cakes of sugared bread and sweetmeats； and they distributed them on the seventh day.Then they sprinkled salt against the evil eye and the merchant，going in to his wife，gave her joy of her safe delivery，and said，'Where is Allah's deposit？' So they brought him a babe of surpassing beauty，the handiwork of the Orderer who is ever present and，though he was but seven days old，those who saw him would have deemed him a yearling child.So the merchant looked on his face and，seeing it like a shining full moon，with moles on either cheek，said he to his wife，'What hast thou named him？' Answered she，'If it were a girl I had named her； but this is a boy，so none shall name him but thou.' Now the people of that time used to name their children by omens； and，whilst the merchant and his wife were taking counsel of the name，behold，one said to his friend，'Ho my lord，Ala al-Din！' So the merchant said，'We will call him Ala al-Din Abu al-Shamat.'[30] Then he committed the child to the nurse，and he drank milk two years，after which they weaned him and he grew up and throve and walked upon the floor.When he came to seven years old，they put him in a chamber under a trap-door，for fear of the evil eye，and his father said，'He shall not come out，till his beard grow.' So he gave him in charge to a handmaid and a blackamoor； the girl dressed him his meals and the slave carried them to him.Then his father circumcised him and made him a great feast； after which he brought him a doctor of the law，who taught him to write and read and repeat the Koran，and other arts and sciences，till he became a good scholar and an accomplished.One day it so came to pass that the slave，after bringing him the tray of food went away and left the trap door open： so Ala al-Din came forth from the vault and went in to his mother，with whom was a company of women of rank.As they sat talking，behold，in came upon them the youth as he were a white slave drunken[31] for the excess of his beauty； and when they saw him，they veiled their faces and said to his mother，'Allah requite thee，O such an one！ How canst thou let this strange Mameluke in upon us？ Knowest thou not that modesty is a point of the Faith？' She replied，'Pronounce Allah's name[32] and cry Bismillah！ this is my son，the fruit of my vitals and the heir of Consul Shams al-Din，the child of the nurse and the collar and the crust and the crumb.'[33] Quoth they，'Never in our days knew we that thou hadst a son'； and quoth she，'Verily his father feared for him the evil eye and reared him in an under-ground chamber；'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Fifty-first Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that Ala al-Din's mother said to her lady-friends，'Verily his father feared for him the evil eye and reared him in an underground chamber； and haply the slave forgot to shut the door and he fared forth； but we did not mean that he should come out，before his beard was grown.' The women gave her joy of him，and the youth went out from them into the court yard where he seated himself in the open sitting room； and behold，in came the slaves with his father's she mule，and he said to them，'Whence cometh this mule？' Quoth they，'We escorted thy father when riding her to the shop，and we have brought her back.' He asked，'What may be my father's trade？'； and they answered，'Thy father is Consul of the merchants in the land of Egypt and Sultan of the Sons of the Arabs.' Then he went in to his mother and said to her，'O my mother，what is my father's trade？' Said she，'O my son，thy sire is a merchant and Consul of the merchants in the land of Egypt and Sultan of the Sons of the Arabs.His slaves consult him not in selling aught whose price is less than one thousand gold pieces，but merchandise worth him an hundred and less they sell at their own discretion； nor cloth any merchandise whatever，little or much，leave the country without passing through his hands and he disposeth of it as he pleaseth； nor is a bale packed and sent abroad amongst folk but what is under his disposal.And 'Almighty Allah，O my son，hath given thy father monies past compt.' He rejoined，'O my mother，praised be Allah，that I am son of the Sultan of the Sons of the Arabs and that my father is Consul of the merchants！ But why，O my mother，do ye put me in the underground chamber and leave me prisoner there？' Quoth she，'O my son，we imprisoned thee not save for fear of folks' eyes：

'the evil eye is a truth，'[34] and most of those in their long homes are its victims.' Quoth he，'O my mother，and where is a refuge-place against Fate？ Verily care never made Destiny forbear； nor is there flight from what is written for every wight.He who took my grandfather will not spare myself nor my father； for，though he live to day he shall not live tomorrow.

And when my father dieth and I come forth and say，'I am Ala al-Din，son of Shams al-Din the merchant'，none of the people will believe me，but men of years and standing will say，'In our lives never saw we a son or a daughter of Shams al-Din.' Then the public Treasury will come down and take my father's estate，and Allah have mercy on him who said，'The noble dieth and his wealth passeth away，and the meanest of men take his women.' Therefore，O my mother，speak thou to my father，that he carry me with him to the bazar and open for me a shop； so may I sit there with my merchandise，and teach me to buy and sell and take and give.'