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strength returned to him and he arose forthright, rejoicing
greatly, and would have drawn near her: but she pulled a dagger
from her girdle and said, Keep off from me, or I will kill thee
and myself after. O strumpet, exclaimed his mother, let my
son have his will of thee! But Jessamine answered, O bitch, by
what code is it lawful for a woman to marry two husbands, and how
shall the dog take the lion s place? With this Hebezlem s
passion redoubled and he sickened for unfulfilled desire and
refusing food, took to his bed again. Then said his mother to
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her, O harlot, how canst thou make me thus to sorrow for my son?
Needs must I punish thee, and as for Alaeddin, he will assuredly
be hanged. And I will die for love of him, answered Jessamine.
Then Khatoun stripped her of her jewels and silken raiment and
clothing her in sackcloth drawers and a shift of hair-cloth, sent
her down into the kitchen and made her a scullery-wench, saying,
Thy punishment shall be to split wood and peel onions and set
fire under the cooking pots. Quoth she, I am willing to brook
all manner of hardship and servitude, but not thy son s sight.
But God inclined the hearts of the slave-girls to her and they
used to do her service in the kitchen.
Meanwhile, they carried Alaeddin to the Divan and brought him,
together with the stolen goods, before the Khalif, who said,
Where did ye find them? Amiddleward Alaeddin s house,
answered they; whereat the Khalif was filled with wrath and took
the things, but found not the lantern among them, and said to
Alaeddin, Where is the lantern? I know nought of it, answered
he; it was not I that stole it. O traitor, said the Khalif,
how comes it that I brought thee near unto me and thou hast cast
me out, and I trusted in thee and thou hast betrayed me? And he
commanded to hang him. So the Chief of the Police took him and
went down with him into the city, whilst the crier forewent them,
proclaiming aloud and saying, This is the reward and the least
of the reward of him who doth treason against the orthodox
Khalifs! And the folk flocked to the gallows.
Meanwhile, Ahmed ed Denef, Alaeddin s adopted father, was
sitting, making merry with his followers in a garden, when in
came one of the water-carriers of the Divan and kissing Ahmed s
hand, said to him, O Captain, thou sittest at thine ease, with
water running at thy feet, and knowest not what has happened.
What is to do? asked Ahmed, and the other answered, They have
gone down with thine adopted son, Alaeddin, to the gallows.
O Hassan Shouman, said Ahmed, What sayst thou of this?
Assuredly, Alaeddin is innocent replied his lieutenant; and
this is some enemy s practice against him. Quoth Ahmed, What
counsellest thou? And Hassan said, God willing, we must rescue
him. Then he went to the prison and said to the gaoler, Give us
some one deserving of death. So he gave him one that was likest
to Alaeddin and they covered his head and carried him to the
place of execution between Ahmed ed Denef and Ali ez Zibec of
Cairo. Now they had brought Alaeddin to the gibbet, to hang him,
but Ahmed ed Denef came forward and set his foot on that of the
hangman, who said, Give me room to do my office. O accursed
one, replied Ahmed, take this man and hang him in Alaeddin s
stead; for he is innocent and we will ransom him with this
fellow, even as Abraham ransomed Ishmael[FN109] with the ram.
So the hangman took the man and hanged him in Alaeddin s room.
Then Ahmed and Ali took Alaeddin and carried him to the house of
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the former, to whom said he, O my father, may God abundantly
requite thee! O Alaeddin, said Ahmed, what is this thou hast
done? God s mercy on him who said, Whoso trusteth in thee,
betray him not, though thou be a traitor. Now the Khalif set
thee in high place about him and styled thee Trusty and
Faithful; how then couldst thou deal thus with him and steal
his goods? By the Most Great Name, O my father, replied
Alaeddin, I had no hand in this, nor do I know who did it.
Quoth Ahmed, Of a surety none did this but a manifest enemy and
whoso doth aught shall be requited for his deed; but, O Alaeddin,
thou canst tarry no longer in Baghdad, for kings, O my son, may
not be bought off and longsome is his travail whom they pursue.
Whither shall I go, O my father? asked Alaeddin. O my son,
answered Ahmed, I will bring thee to Alexandria, for it is a
blessed place; its environs are green and its sojourn pleasant.
And Alaeddin said, I hear and obey, O my father. So Ahmed said
to Hassan Shouman, Be mindful and when the Khalif asks for me,
say I am gone on a circuit of the provinces. Then, taking
Alaeddin, he went forth of Baghdad and stayed not till they came
to the vineyards and gardens, where they met two Jews of the
Khalif s tax-gatherers, riding on mules, and Ahmed said to them,
Give me the guard-money. [FN110] Why should we give thee
guard-money? asked they. Because, answered he, I am the
patrol of this valley. So they gave him each a hundred dinars,
after which he slew them and took their mules, one of which he
mounted, whilst Alaeddin bestrode the other. Then they rode on,
till they came to the city of Ayas[FN111] and put up for the
night at an inn. Next morning, Alaeddin sold his own mule and
committed that of Ahmed to the charge of the doorkeeper of the
inn, after which they took ship from the port of Ayas and sailed
to Alexandria. Here they landed and proceeded to the Bazaar,
where they found a broker crying a shop and a chamber behind it
for sale. The last bidding for the premises (which belonged to
the Treasury) was nine hundred and fifty dirhems;[FN112] so
Alaeddin bid a thousand and his offer being accepted, took the
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