80
They are all for thy sake, O my son, that I may make[1] thee a man rich and great[2] exceedingly; so gainsay me not in aught that I shall tell thee; but go up to yonder ring and raise it, as I bade thee.” “O my uncle,” quoth Alaeddin, “this stone is heavy; I cannot raise it of myself,[3] so come thou also and help me raise it, for I am little of years.” “O son of my brother,” replied the Maugrabin, “it will not be possible for us to do aught, an I help thee, and our toil will be wasted in vain; but do thou put thy hand to the ring and raise it and it will immediately come up with thee; for, as I said to thee, none may handle it but thou. But, when thou raisest it, name thine own name and those of thy father and mother and it will straightway rise with thee, nor shalt thou feel its weight.”
Accordingly, Alaeddin took courage and summoning his resolution, did as the Maugrabin bade him and raised
- ↑ Lit. “leave”; but the verb khella (II. of khela is constantly used in the present text in the sense of “he made.”
- ↑ There is some mistake here in the text. The word which I translate “great” is akabir (pl. of akber, most great), apparently inserted by mistake for kebir, great. But that akabir is followed by jiddan (exceedingly), I should be inclined to read the phrase [kebiru ’l] akabir, greatest of the great.
- ↑ Wehdi, lit. “my lone,” a Scotch expression, which might be usefully acclimatized in English prose and verse.
