Aladdin went
out and opened, when, behold, the Maghrabi, the magician, together
with a eunuch carrying the wine and the dessert fruits. So the lad led
them in and the slave went about his business. The Moorman on entering
saluted his sister-in-law with the salaam, then began to shed tears
and to question her, saying, "Where be the place whereon my brother
went to sit?" She showed it to him, whereat he went up to it and
prostrated himself in prayer and kissed the floor, crying: how scant
is my satisfaction and how luckless is my lot, for that I have lost
thee, O my brother, O vein of my eye!" And after such fashion he
continued weeping and wailing till he swooned away for excess of
sobbing and lamentation, wherefor Aladdin's mother was certified of
his soothfastness. So, coming up to him, she raised him from the floor
and said, "What gain is there in slaying thyself?"
As soon as he was seated at his ease, and before the food trays were
served up, he fell to talking with her and saying: "O wife of my
brother, it must be a wonder to thee how in all thy days thou never
sawest me nor learnst thou aught of me during the lifetime of my
brother who hath found mercy.
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