5- Alla ad Deen; or, The Wonderful Lamp - Page 2

know, went up to him, and
taking him aside from his comrades, said, "Child, was not your
father called Mustapha the tailor?" "Yes, sir," answered the boy;
"but he has been dead a long time."

At these words, the African magician threw his arms about Alla ad
Deen's neck, and kissed him several times with tears in his eyes.
Alla ad Deen, who observed his tears, asked him what made him
weep. "Alas! my son," cried the African magician with a sigh,
"how can I forbear?

"I am your uncle; your worthy father was my own brother. I have
been many years abroad, and now I am come home with the hopes of
seeing him, you tell me he is dead. I assure you it is a sensible
grief to me to be deprived of the comfort I expected. But it is
some relief to my affliction, that as far as I can remember him,
I knew you at first sight, you are so like him; and I see I am
not deceived." Then he asked Alla ad Deen, putting his hand into
his purse, where his mother lived; and as soon as he had informed
him, gave him a handful of small money, saying, "Go, my son, to
your mother, give my love to her, and tell her that I will visit
her to-morrow, if I have time, that I may have the satisfaction
of seeing where my good brother lived so long, and ended his
days."

As soon as the African magician left his newly-adopted nephew,
Alla ad Deen ran to his mother, overjoyed at the money his uncle
had given him. "Mother," said he, "have I an uncle?" "No, child,"
replied his mother, "you have no uncle by your father's side, or
mine." "I am just now come," said Alla ad Deen, "from a man who
says he is my uncle by my father's side, assuring me that he is
his brother. He cried and kissed me when I told him my father was
dead; and to shew you that what I tell you is truth," added he,
pulling out the money, "see what he has given me. He charged me
to give his love to you, and to tell you, if he has any time to-
morrow, he will come and pay you a visit, that he may see the
house my father lived and died in." "Indeed, child," replied the
mother, "your father had a brother, but he has been dead a long
time, and I never heard of another."

The mother and son talked no more then of the African magician;
but the next day Alla ad Deen's uncle found him playing in
another part of the town with other children, and embracing him
as before, put two pieces of gold into his hand, and said to him,
"Carry this, child, to your mother, tell her that I will come and
see her tonight, and bid her get us something for supper; but
first shew me the house where you live."

After