Arabian Nights: 285th Night: Ala ed Din & the Wonderful Lamp

The following night Shahrazad said:

I have heard, O king of the age, there lived in the city of China a poor tailor who had a son named Ala ed Din.  Now this boy had been a scatter-brained scapegrace from his birth. He lacked concentration and he was mischievous. And when he was ten years old his father wished to teach him handicrafts, and being poor could not spend money on him for learning an art or craft or business. So he took him to his own shop to learn his trade of tailoring. But Ala ed Din, being a careless boy and always given to playing with urchins of the street would not stay in the shop a single day. He used to remain in the shop as long as his father was present in the shop, and when his father went out on business or to meet a customer, run off to gardens  along with his fellow ragamuffins. Such was his case. He would neither obey his parents nor learn a trade.  His father was very sad over his son's misdoings, fell sick and died. But Ala ed Din went on in the same way.  And when his mother perceived that her husband was dead, and that her son was an idler of no use whatever she sold the shop and all its contents, and took to spinning cotton to support herself and her good-for-nothing son. Meanwhile Ala ed Din, free from the control of his father, grew more and more disreputable, and would not stay at home except for meals, while his poor unfortunate mother subsisted by spinning of her hands, and so it was until he had come to his fifteenth year. 

One day Ala ed Din had been sitting in the street playing with the gutter-boys a Moorish Darwish [1]came along, and stood looking at them.  He scrutinized Ala-ed-Din and closely examined him apart from his companions.  This Darwish was from the interior of Barbary [2], and was a sorcerer who could heap mountain upon mountain by his spell, and he knew astrology.  After scrutinizing Ala-ed-Din, he said within himself, "this is the boy I need, and in quest of whom I left my native land."  He took aside a boy among the group and asked him about Ala-ed-Din.  After this he went to Ala-ed-Din, and took him aside, and said, "Boy, are you not the son of the tailor?"  He replied, "Yes my master.  But my father had long been dead." As soon as the Darwish heard this he embraced him, kissed him and wept, and tears ran down his cheeks.  Wonder seized upon Ala-ed-Din, and he asked the Moor, "Why do you weep, O my master? How do you know my father?"

The Moor replied in a low broken voice, "How do you ask me this question after you have said that your father, my brother is dead?" Your father was my brother, and I have come a long way, and I expected to see him.  You are my brother's son. I was in exile for a long time. He was not married when we parted.  Parting is painful. Death is painful. I cried because of my grief."  The Moor stretched his hand and took ten gold pieces and gave it to Ala-ed-Din. Then he asked Ala-ed-Din, "Where is your house, and where is your mother?" Ala-ed-Din showed the Moor the way to his house.  The Moor said, "Tell your mother that your uncle has come. Give the money to her and convey my greetings to her." Ala-ed-Din ran into the house. The mother was surprised. It was not his wont to visit her except on meal time. He said to her, "Mother, my uncle has come.  Take his money and greet him."

Mother never heard of such an uncle. So, she chided him, "Don't mock me, son. I have never heard of such an uncle." 

"Really, my mother! He is my uncle on father's side. Take his money and greet him."

"I knew of only one uncle. He is dead and had been buried long back." The Moor went away. 

Next day the Moor met the boy in the street, gave him another lot of ten gold pieces and said, "I wish to have supper with you. Take this, and tell your mother that uncle wishes to sup with you."

Mother went to market and bought  all provisions to arrange a good supper.  Deficiencies were borrowed from the neighbours.  When the supper was ready, the mother said to her son, "Your uncle may not be knowing the way to our house. Go and meet him on the road. While they were talking a knock came at the door.  Ala-ed-Din opened the door and saw the Moor accompanied by an eunuch carrying wine and fruit.

Morning overtook night and Shahrazad lapsed into silence.

Notes:-

1. Moorish Darwish is combined term, where Moorish describes people belonging to North Africa who ruled Spain and parts of Western Mediterranean from 8th to 15th century CE.

Darwish or Dervish is a Persian word for Muslim who seeks divine love and knowledge through ascetic life. They focus on universal values of love and service. Moorish Darwish would be a Sufi mystic from the Moorish cultural sphere.

2. Barbary is originated from "Berber" referring to indigenous people of North Africa.