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I am stung; and fell off his mare. His comrades came up to him and set him on horseback again, saying, 'What hath befallen thee? Quoth he, 'A scorpion stung me. And they departed, leaving Alaeddin in the niche. Meanwhile, Mehmoud of Balkh loaded his beasts and fared on till he came to the Valley of Dogs, where he found Alaeddin's men lying slain.
After awhile, the Khalif said to Jaafer, 'O Vizier, what is the cause of Alaeddin's absence from the Divan? 'O Commander of the Faithful, answered Jaafer, 'he is in mourning for his wife Zubeideh; and the Khalif said, 'It behoves us to pay him a visit of condolence. 'I hear and obey, replied Jaafer.
Now his mule was athirst and turned aside to drink, but took fright at Alaeddin's shadow in the water and started; whereupon Mehmoud raised his eyes and seeing Alaeddin lying in the niche, stripped to his shirt and trousers, said to him, 'Who hath dealt thus with thee and left thee in this ill plight? 'The Bedouins, answered Alaeddin, and Mehmoud said, 'O my son, the mules and the baggage were thy ransom; so do thou comfort thyself with the saying of the poet: So but a man may win to save his soul alive from death, But as the paring of his nail his wealth he reckoneth.
Then I bought Syrian stuffs and carrying them to Aleppo, disposed of them there at a like profit; after which I bought stuffs of Aleppo and repaired with them to Baghdad, where I sold them with the same result; nor did I cease to buy and sell, till I was worth nigh ten thousand dinars. Each of the others told a like tale, till it came to Alaeddin's turn, when they said to him, 'And thou, O my lord Alaeddin? Quoth he, 'I was brought up in a chamber underground and came forth from it but this week and I do but go to the shop and return home. 'Thou art used to abide at home, rejoined they, 'and knowest not the delight of travel, for travel is for men only. 'I reck not of travel, answered he, 'and value ease above all things. Whereupon quoth one to the other, 'This youth is like the fish: when he leaves the water he dies. Then they said to him, 'O Alaeddin, the glory of the sons of the merchants is not but in travel for the sake of gain. Their talk angered him and he left them, weeping-eyed and mourning-hearted, and mounting his mule, returned home.
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