“What!” cried the mother, “was your lamp then the occasion of that cursed genie addressing himself rather to me than to you?” Ah my son, take it out of my sight, and put it where you please.  I will never touch it.  I had rather you would sell it, than run the hazard of being frightened to death again by touching it:  and if you would take my advice, you would part also with the ring, and not have any thing to do with genii, who, as our prophet has told us, are only devils.”

“With your leave, mother,” replied Alla ad Deen, “I shall now take care how I sell a lamp, which may be so serviceable both to you and me.  Have not you been an eye-witness of what it has procured us? and it shall still continue to furnish us with subsistence and maintenance.  You may suppose as I do, that my false and wicked uncle would not have taken so much pains, and undertaken so long and tedious a journey, if it had not been to get into his possession this wonderful lamp, which he preferred before all the gold and silver which he knew was in the halls, and which I have seen with my own eyes.  He knew too well the worth of this lamp, not to prefer it to so great a treasure; and since chance hath discovered the virtue of it to us, let us make a profitable use of it, without making any great shew, and exciting the envy and jealousy of our neighbours.  However, since the genii frighten you so much, I will take it out of your sight, and put it where I may find it when I want it.  The ring I cannot resolve to part with; for without that you had never seen me again; and though I am alive now, perhaps, if it was gone, I might not be so some moments hence; therefore I hope you will give me leave to keep it, and to wear it always on my finger.  Who knows what dangers you and I may be exposed to, which neither of us can foresee, and from which it may deliver us.”  As Alla ad Deen’s arguments were just, his mother had nothing to say against them; she only replied, that he might do what he pleased, for her part, she would have nothing to do with genii, but would wash her hands of them, and never say anything more about them.

By the next night they had eaten all the provisions the genie had brought; and the next day Alla ad Deen, who could not bear the thoughts of hunger, putting one of the silver dishes under his vest, went out early to sell it, and addressing himself to a Jew whom he met in the streets, took him aside, and pulling out the plate, asked him if he would buy it.  The cunning Jew took the dish, examined it, and as soon as he found that it was good silver, asked Alla ad Deen at how much he valued it.  Alla ad Deen, who knew not its value, and never had been used to such traffic, told him he would trust to his judgment and honour.  The Jew was somewhat confounded at this plain dealing; and doubting whether Alla ad Deen understood the material or the full value of what he offered to sell, took a piece of gold out of his purse and gave it him, though it was but the sixtieth part of the worth of the plate.  Alla ad Deen, taking the money very eagerly, retired with so much haste, that the Jew, not content with the exorbitancy of his profit, was vexed he had not penetrated into his ignorance, and was going to run after him, to endeavour to get some change out of the piece of gold; but he ran so fast, and had got so far, that it would have been impossible for him to overtake him.