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of him, for that he is bountiful and beneficent unto all, great and small;[1] but he bestoweth his favours upon those who are deserving thereof or who have done some feat of arms before him or have wrought for the service or defence of the realm; and thou, O my son, tell me, what hast thou done for[2] the Sultan or the realm, that thou shouldst merit of him this boon? Again, this that thou cravest is beyond thy condition;[3] so it cannot be that the king will grant thee that which thou seekest. Moreover, whoso presenteth himself before the Sultan and craveth favours of him, it behoveth him take in his hand somewhat that sorteth with the royal dignity; and as I said to thee, how canst thou presume to present thyself before the Sultan and seek of him his daughter, without aught thou mayst proffer him of that which sorteth with his rank?”
“O my mother,” replied Alaeddin, “thou speakest justly and deemest that which is true,[4] and it behoveth me consider all that whereof thou mindest me; but, O my mother, the love of the Sultan’s daughter, the Lady Bedrulbudour, hath entered into the innermost of my
