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Therewithal the Maugrabin turned to Alaeddin and said to him, “How is this, O son of my brother? It is a disgrace to thee to go vagabonding about in this abjection. This befitteth not men like thee. Thou art gifted with understanding, O my son, and the child of [reputable] folk;[1] I and it is a shame upon thee that thy mother, who is an old woman, should toil for thy maintenance, now thou art grown a man. Nay, it behoveth thee get thee some means whereby thou mayst maintain thyself, O my son. See, by God’s grace, (praised be He) here in our city be masters of crafts, nowhere is there a place more abounding in them: choose, then, the craft which pleaseth thee and I will establish thee therein, so that, when thou growest up, O my son, thou mayst find thee thy craft whereby thou shalt live. Belike thou hast no mind to thy father’s trade; so choose other than it. Tell me the craft which pleaseth thee and I will help thee in all that is possible, O son of my brother.” Then, seeing that Alaeddin was silent and answered him nothing, he knew that he had no mind to any craft at all and recked of nothing but vagabondage and said to him, “O son of
- ↑ Ibn nas generally signifies “a man of good family” (Fr. fils de famille), but here the sense seems to be as in the text.
am compelled to provide him with daily bread when I require to be provided.”
