Page:Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp.djvu/56

14 appeared to him a ring fixed in a slab of marble. He raised the slab and seeing a stair, descended thereby and found a great vault, all builded with columns of marble and alabaster; then, proceeding innerward, he found within the vault a hall which ravished the wit, and therein eight jars of green jasper; and he said, “What be these jars and what is in them?” So he went up and uncovering them, found them all full of old gold; whereupon he took a little in his hand and going to his mother, gave her thereof and said to her, “Thou seest, O my mother.” She marvelled at this thing and said to him, “Beware, O my son, lest thou squander it, like as thou squanderedst other than this.” And he swore to her, saying, “Be not concerned, O my mother, and let not thy heart be other than easy on my account, for I would fain have thee also content with me.”

Then she arose and went with him, and they descended into the vault and entered the [underground] hall, where