easily and some steps appeared.
"Go down," said the magician; "at the foot of those steps you will find an open
door leading into three large halls. Tuck up your gown and go through them
without touching anything, or you will die instantly. These halls lead into a garden
of fine fruit trees. Walk on till you come to a niche in a terrace where stands a
lighted lamp. Pour out the oil it contains and bring it to me."
He drew a ring from his finger and gave it to Aladdin, bidding him prosper.
Aladdin found everything as the magician had said, gathered some fruit off the
trees, and, having got the lamp, arrived at the mouth of the cave. The magician
cried out in a great hurry:
"Make haste and give me the lamp." This Aladdin refused to do until he was out
of the cave. The magician flew into a terrible passion, and throwing some more
powder on the fire, he said something, and the stone rolled back into its place.
The magician left Persia for ever, which plainly showed that he was no uncle of
Aladdin's, but a cunning magician who had read in his magic books of a
wonderful lamp, which would make him the most powerful man in the world.
Though he alone knew where to find it, he could only receive it from the hand of
another. He had picked out the foolish Aladdin for this purpose, intending to get
the lamp and kill him afterwards.
For two days Aladdin remained in the dark, crying and lamenting. At last he
clasped his hands in prayer, and in so doing rubbed the ring, which the magician
had forgotten to take from him. Immediately an enormous and frightful genie rose
out of the earth, saying:
"What wouldst thou with me? I am the Slave of the Ring, and will obey thee in all
things."
Aladdin fearlessly replied: "Deliver me from this place!" whereupon the earth
opened, and he found himself outside. As soon as his eyes could bear the light
he went home, but fainted on the threshold. When he came to himself he told his
mother what had passed, and showed her the lamp and the fruits he had
gathered in the garden, which were in reality precious stones. He then asked for
some food.
"Alas! child," she said, "I have nothing in the house, but I have spun a little cotton
and will go and sell it."
Aladdin bade her keep her cotton, for he would sell the lamp instead. As it was
very dirty she began to rub it, that it might fetch a higher price. Instantly a
hideous genie appeared, and asked what she would have. She fainted away, but
Aladdin, snatching the lamp, said boldly:
"Fetch me something to eat!"
The genie returned with a silver bowl, twelve silver plates containing rich meats,
two silver cups, and two bottles of wine. Aladdin's mother, when she came to
herself, said:
"Whence comes this splendid feast?"
"Ask not, but eat," replied Aladdin.
So they sat at breakfast till it was dinner-time, and Aladdin told his mother about
the lamp. She begged him to sell it, and have nothing to do with devils.
"No," said Aladdin, "since chance has made us aware of its virtues, we will use it
and the ring likewise, which I shall always wear on my finger." When they had
eaten all the genie had brought, Aladdin sold one of the silver plates, and so on
till none were left. He then had recourse to the genie, who gave him another set
of plates, and thus they lived for many years.
One day Aladdin heard an order from the Sultan proclaimed that everyone was to
stay at home and close his shutters while the princess, his daughter, went to and
from the bath. Aladdin was seized by a desire to see her face, which was very
difficult, as she always went veiled. He hid himself behind the door of the bath,
and peeped through a chink. The princess lifted her veil as she went in, and
looked so beautiful that Aladdin fell in love with her at first sight. He went home
so changed that his mother was frightened. He told her he loved the princess so
deeply that he could not live without her, and meant to ask her in marriage of her
father. His mother, on hearing this, burst out laughing, but Aladdin at last
prevailed upon her to go before the Sultan and carry his request. She fetched a
napkin and laid in it the magic fruits from the enchanted garden, which sparkled
and shone like the most beautiful jewels. She took these with her to please the
Sultan, and set out, trusting in the lamp. The grand-vizir and the lords of council
had just gone in as she entered the hall and placed herself in front of the Sultan.
He, however, took no notice of her. She went every day for a week, and stood in
the same place.
When the council broke up on the sixth day the Sultan said to his vizir: "I see a
certain woman in the audience-chamber every day carrying something in a
napkin. Call her next time, that I may find out what she wants."
Next day, at a sign from the vizir, she went up to the foot of the throne, and
remained kneeling till the Sultan said to her: "Rise, good woman, and tell me
what you want."
She hesitated, so the Sultan sent away all but the vizir, and bade her speak
freely, promising to forgive her beforehand for anything she might say. She then
told him of her son's violent love for the princess.
"I prayed him to forget her," she said, "but in vain; he threatened to do some
desperate deed if I refused to go and ask your Majesty for the hand of the
princess. Now I pray you to forgive not me alone, but my son Aladdin."
The Sultan asked her kindly what she had in the napkin, whereupon she
unfolded the jewels and presented them.
He was thunderstruck, and turning to the vizir said: "What sayest thou? Ought I
not to bestow the princess on one who values her at such a price?"
The vizir, who wanted her for his own son, begged the Sultan to withhold her for
three months, in the course of which he hoped his son would contrive to make
him a richer present. The Sultan granted this, and told Aladdin's mother that,
though he consented to the marriage, she must not appear before him again for
three months.
Aladdin waited patiently for nearly three months, but after two had elapsed his
mother, going into the city to buy oil, found everyone rejoicing, and asked what
was going on.
"Do you not know," was the answer, "that the son of the grand-vizir is to marry
the Sultan's daughter to-night?"
Breathless, she ran and told Aladdin, who was overwhelmed at first, but
presently bethought him of the lamp. He rubbed it, and the genie appeared,
saying: "What is thy will?"
Aladdin replied: "The Sultan, as thou knowest, has broken his promise to me,
and the vizir's son is to have the princess. My command is that to-night you bring
hither the bride and bridegroom."
"Master, I obey," said the genie.
Aladdin then went to his chamber, where, sure enough at midnight the genie
transported the bed containing the vizir's son and the princess.
"Take this new-married man," he said, "and put him outside in the cold, and
return at daybreak."
Whereupon the genie took the vizir's son out of bed, leaving Aladdin with the
princess.
"Fear nothing," Aladdin said to her; "you are my wife, promised to me by your
unjust father, and no harm shall come to you."
The princess was too frightened to speak, and passed the most miserable night
of her life, while Aladdin lay down beside her and slept soundly. At the appointed
hour the genie fetched in the shivering bridegroom, laid him in his place, and
transported the bed back to the palace.
Presently the Sultan came to wish his daughter good-morning. The unhappy
vizir's son jumped up and hid himself, while the princess would not say a word,
and was very sorrowful.
The Sultan sent her mother to her, who said: "How comes it, child, that you will
not speak to your father? What has happened?"
The princess sighed deeply, and at last told her mother how, during the night, the
bed had been carried into some strange house, and what had passed there. Her
mother did not believe her in the least, but bade her rise and consider it an idle
dream.
The following night exactly the same thing happened, and next morning, on the
princess's refusing to speak, the Sultan threatened to cut off her head. She then
confessed all, bidding him ask the vizir's son if it were not so. The Sultan told the
vizir to ask his son, who owned the truth, adding that, dearly as he loved the
princess, he had rather die than go through another such fearful night, and
wished to be separated from her. His wish was granted, and there was an end of
feasting and rejoicing.
When the three months were over, Aladdin sent his mother to remind the Sultan
of his promise. She stood in the same place as before, and the Sultan, who had
forgotten Aladdin, at once remembered him, and sent for her. On seeing her
poverty the Sultan felt less inclined than ever to keep his word, and asked the
vizir's advice, who counselled him to set so high a value on the princess that no
man living could come up to it.
The Sultan then turned to Aladdin's mother, saying: "Good woman, a Sultan must
remember his promises, and I will remember mine, but your son must first send
me forty basins of gold brimful of jewels, carried by forty black slaves, led by as
many white ones, splendidly dressed. Tell him that I await his answer." The
mother of Aladdin bowed low and went home, thinking all was lost.
She gave Aladdin the message, adding: "He may wait long enough for your
answer!"
"Not so long, mother, as you think," her son replied "I would do a great deal more
than that for the princess."
He summoned the genie, and in a few moments the eighty slaves arrived, and
filled up the small house and garden.
Aladdin made them set out to the palace, two and two, followed by his mother.
They were so richly dressed, with such splendid jewels in their girdles, that
everyone crowded to see them and the basins of gold they carried on their
heads.
They entered the palace, and, after kneeling before the Sultan, stood in a half-circle round the throne with their arms crossed, while Aladdin's mother presented
them to the Sultan.
He hesitated no longer, but said: "Good woman, return and tell your son that I
wait for him with open arms."
She lost no time in telling Aladdin, bidding him make haste. But Aladdin first
called the genie.
"I want a scented bath," he said, "a richly embroidered habit, a horse surpassing
the Sultan's, and twenty slaves to attend me. Besides this, six slaves, beautifully
dressed, to wait on my mother; and lastly, ten thousand pieces of gold in ten
purses."
No sooner said than done. Aladdin mounted his horse and passed through the
streets, the slaves strewing gold as they went. Those who had played with him in
his childhood knew him not, he had grown so handsome.
When the Sultan saw him he came down from his throne, embraced him, and led
him into a hall where a feast was spread, intending to marry him to the princess
that very day.
But Aladdin refused, saying, "I must build a palace fit for her," and took his leave.
Once home he said to the genie: "Build me a palace of the finest marble, set with
jasper, agate, and other precious stones. In the middle you shall build me a large
hall with a dome, its four walls of massy gold and silver, each side having six
windows, whose lattices, all except one, which is to be left unfinished, must be
set with diamonds and rubies. There must be stables and horses and grooms
and slaves; go and see about it!"
The palace was finished by next day, and the genie carried him there and
showed him all his orders faithfully carried out, even to the laying of a velvet
carpet from Aladdin's palace to the Sultan's. Aladdin's mother then dressed
herself carefully, and walked to the palace with her slaves, while he followed her
on horseback. The Sultan sent musicians with trumpets and cymbals to meet
them, so that the air resounded with music and cheers. She was taken to the
princess, who saluted her and treated her with great honour. At night the
princess said good-bye to her father, and set out on the carpet for Aladdin's
palace, with his mother at her side, and followed by the hundred slaves. She was
charmed at the sight of Aladdin, who ran to receive her.
"Princess," he said, "blame your beauty for my boldness if I have displeased
you."
She told him that, having seen him, she willingly obeyed her father in this matter.
After the wedding had taken place Aladdin led her into the hall, where a feast
was spread, and she supped with him, after which they danced till midnight.
Next day Aladdin invited the Sultan to see the palace. On entering the hall with
the four-and-twenty windows, with their rubies, diamonds, and emeralds, he
cried:
"It is a world's wonder! There is only one thing that surprises me. Was it by
accident that one window was left unfinished?"
"No, sir, by design," returned Aladdin. "I wished your Majesty to have the glory of
finishing this palace."
The Sultan was pleased, and sent for the best jewelers in the city. He showed
them the unfinished window, and bade them fit it up like the others.
"Sir," replied their spokesman, "we cannot find jewels enough."
The Sultan had his own fetched, which they soon used, but to no purpose, for in
a month's time the work was not half done. Aladdin, knowing that their task was
vain, bade them undo their work and carry the jewels back, and the genie
finished the window at his command. The Sultan was surprised to receive his
jewels again and visited Aladdin, who showed him the window finished. The
Sultan embraced him, the envious vizir meanwhile hinting that it was the work of
enchantment.
Aladdin had won the hearts of the people by his gentle bearing. He was made
captain of the Sultan's armies, and won several battles for him, but remained
modest and courteous as before, and lived thus in peace and content for several
years.
But far away in Africa the magician remembered Aladdin, and by his magic arts
discovered that Aladdin, instead of perishing miserably in the cave, had escaped,
and had married a princess, with whom he was living in great honour and wealth.
He knew that the poor tailor's son could only have accomplished this by means of
the lamp, and travelled night and day till he reached the capital of China, bent on
Aladdin's ruin. As he passed through the town he heard people talking
everywhere about a marvellous palace.
"Forgive my ignorance," he asked, "what is this palace you speak of?"
"Have you not heard of Prince Aladdin's palace," was the reply, "the greatest
wonder of the world? I will direct you if you have a mind to see it."
The magician thanked him who spoke, and having seen the palace knew that it
had been raised by the genie of the lamp, and became half mad with rage. He
determined to get hold of the lamp, and again plunge Aladdin into the deepest
poverty.
Unluckily, Aladdin had gone a-hunting for eight days, which gave the magician
plenty of time. He bought a dozen copper lamps, put them into a basket, and
went to the palace, crying: "New lamps for old!" followed by a jeering crowd.
The princess, sitting in the hall of four-and-twenty windows, sent a slave to find
out what the noise was about, who came back laughing, so that the princess
scolded her.
"Madam," replied the slave, "who can help laughing to see an old fool offering to
exchange fine new lamps for old ones?"
Another slave, hearing this, said: "There is an old one on the cornice there which
he can have."
Now this was the magic lamp, which Aladdin had left there, as he could not take
it out hunting with him. The princess, not knowing its value, laughingly bade the
slave take it and make the exchange.
She went and said to the magician: "Give me a new lamp for this."
He snatched it and bade the slave take her choice, amid the jeers of the crowd.
Little he cared, but left off crying his lamps, and went out of the city gates to a
lonely place, where he remained till nightfall, when he pulled out the lamp and
rubbed it. The genie appeared, and at the magician's command carried him,
together with the palace and the princess in it, to a lonely place in Africa.
Next morning the Sultan looked out of the window towards Aladdin's palace and
rubbed his eyes, for it was gone. He sent for the vizir, and asked what had
become of the palace. The vizir looked out too, and was lost in astonishment. He
again put it down to enchantment, and this time the Sultan believed him, and
sent thirty men on horseback to fetch Aladdin in chains. They met him riding
home, bound him, and forced him to go with them on foot. The people, however,
who loved him, followed, armed, to see that he came to no harm. He was carried
before the Sultan, who ordered the executioner to cut off his head. The
executioner made Aladdin kneel down, bandaged his eyes, and raised his
scimitar to strike.
At that instant the vizir, who saw that the crowd had forced their way into the
courtyard and were scaling the walls to rescue Aladdin, called to the executioner
to stay his hand. The people, indeed, looked so threatening that the Sultan gave
way and ordered Aladdin to be unbound, and pardoned him in the sight of the
crowd.
Aladdin now begged to know what he had done.
"False wretch!" said the Sultan, "come hither," and showed him from the window
the place where his palace had stood.
Aladdin was so amazed that he could not say a word.
"Where is my palace and my daughter?" demanded the Sultan. "For the first I am
not so deeply concerned, but my daughter I must have, and you must find her or
lose your head."
Aladdin begged for forty days in which to find her, promising if he failed to return
and suffer death at the Sultan's pleasure. His prayer was granted, and he went
forth sadly from the Sultan's presence. For three days he wandered about like a
madman, asking everyone what had become of his palace, but they only laughed
and pitied him. He came to the banks of a river, and knelt down to say his
prayers before throwing himself in. In so doing he rubbed the magic ring he still
wore.
The genie he had seen in the cave appeared, and asked his will.
"Save my life, genie," said Aladdin, "and bring my palace back."
"That is not in my power," said the genie; "I am only the slave of the ring; you
must ask the slave of the lamp."
"Even so," said Aladdin "but thou canst take me to the palace, and set me down
under my dear wife's window." He at once found himself in Africa, under the
window of the princess, and fell asleep out of sheer weariness.
He was awakened by the singing of the birds, and his heart was lighter. He saw
plainly that all his misfortunes were owing to the loss of the lamp, and vainly
wondered who had robbed him of it.
That morning the princess rose earlier than she had done since she had been
carried into Africa by the magician, whose company she was forced to endure
once a day. She, however, treated him so harshly that he dared not live there
altogether. As she was dressing, one of her women looked out and saw Aladdin.
The princess ran and opened the window, and at the noise she made Aladdin
looked up. She called to him to come to her, and great was the joy of these
lovers at seeing each other again.
After he had kissed her Aladdin said: "I beg of you, Princess, in God's name,
before we speak of anything else, for your own sake and mine, tell me what has
become of an old lamp I left on the cornice in the hall of four-and-twenty
windows, when I went a-hunting."
"Alas!" she said "I am the innocent cause of our sorrows," and told him of the
exchange of the lamp.
"Now I know," cried Aladdin, "that we have to thank the African magician for this!
Where is the lamp?"
"He carries it about with him," said the princess, "I know, for he pulled it out of his
breast to show me. He wishes me to break my faith with you and marry him,
saying that you were beheaded by my father's command. He is forever speaking
ill of you, but I only reply by my tears. If I persist, I doubt not that he will use
violence."
Aladdin comforted her, and left her for a while. He changed clothes with the first
person he met in the town, and having bought a certain powder returned to the
princess, who let him in by a little side door.
"Put on your most beautiful dress," he said to her, "and receive the magician with
smiles, leading him to believe that you have forgotten me. Invite him to sup with
you, and say you wish to taste the wine of his country. He will go for some, and
while he is gone I will tell you what to do."
She listened carefully to Aladdin, and when he left her arrayed herself gaily for
the first time since she left China. She put on a girdle and head-dress of
diamonds, and seeing in a glass that she looked more beautiful than ever,
received the magician, saying to his great amazement: "I have made up my mind
that Aladdin is dead, and that all my tears will not bring him back to me, so I am
resolved to mourn no more, and have therefore invited you to sup with me; but I
am tired of the wines of China, and would fain taste those of Africa."
The magician flew to his cellar, and the princess put the powder Aladdin had
given her in her cup. When he returned she asked him to drink her health in the
wine of Africa, handing him her cup in exchange for his as a sign she was
reconciled to him.
Before drinking the magician made her a speech in praise of her beauty, but the
princess cut him short saying:
"Let me drink first, and you shall say what you will afterwards." She set her cup to
her lips and kept it there, while the magician drained his to the dregs and fell
back lifeless.
The princess then opened the door to Aladdin, and flung her arms round his
neck, but Aladdin put her away, bidding her to leave him, as he had more to do.
He then went to the dead magician, took the lamp out of his vest, and bade the
genie carry the palace and all in it back to China. This was done, and the
princess in her chamber only felt two little shocks, and little thought she was at
home again.
The Sultan, who was sitting in his closet, mourning for his lost daughter,
happened to look up, and rubbed his eyes, for there stood the palace as before!
He hastened thither, and Aladdin received him in the hall of the four-and-twenty
windows, with the princess at his side. Aladdin told him what had happened, and
showed him the dead body of the magician, that he might believe. A ten days'
feast was proclaimed, and it seemed as if Aladdin might now live the rest of his
life in peace; but it was not to be.
The African magician had a younger brother, who was, if possible, more wicked
and more cunning than himself. He travelled to China to avenge his brother's
death, and went to visit a pious woman called Fatima, thinking she might be of
use to him. He entered her cell and clapped a dagger to her breast, telling her to
rise and do his bidding on pain of death. He changed clothes with her, coloured
his face like hers, put on her veil and murdered her, that she might tell no