Page:The Harvard Classics Vol. 16.djvu/363

 thy good, since this treasure is immense. The Kings of the earth have never seen the like, and it is all for thee and for me."

So poor 'Ala-ed-Din forgot his tiredness and the beating and the tears, and was dazzled at the words of the Moor, and rejoiced to think that he would become so rich that Kings would not be wealthier than he. And he said: "O my uncle, command me what thou wilt, and I will obey thy behest." And the Moor said to him: "O son of my brother, thou art like my own child, and more, since thou art my brother's son, and I have none of kin save thee; and thou art my heir and successor, O my son." And he approached 'Ala-ed-Din and kissed him, saying: "For whom should I design all these labours of mine, my child, except for thee, that I may leave thee a rich man, as rich as can be! Wherefore thwart me not in anything I tell thee, but go to that ring and lift it as I bade thee." And 'Ala-ed-Din said: "O my uncle, this ring is too heavy for me; I cannot lift it alone; come and help me to raise it, for I am little in years." But the Moor replied: "O my brother's son, we can accomplish nothing if I aid thee, and our labours would be vain; put then thy hand to the ring and lift it, and the stone will come up immediately. Did I not tell thee that none can move it but thyself? Repeat thy name and the names of thy father and mother, whilst thou pullest, and it will come up at once, and thou wilt not feel its weight." So 'Ala-ed-Din summoned his strength and plucked up his courage, and set to work as his uncle had bidden him, and lifted the stone with perfect ease, after saying the names of himself and his father and mother as the Moor had counselled him. So he lifted the slab and cast it on one side.

And when he had lifted the slab from the door of the Treasury, before him lay a passage entered by a descent of twelve steps. And the Moor said to him: "'Ala-ed-Din, pull thy wits together, and do exactly what I tell thee to the uttermost, and fail not a little from it. Descend carefully into yonder passage until thou reachest the end, and there shalt thou find a place divided into four chambers, and in each of these thou shalt see four golden jars and others of virgin gold and silver. Beware that thou touch them not nor take anything out of them, but leave them and go on to the fourth chamber,