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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 tales. Then he went towards the palace
of Aladdin, and all the people thinking he was the holy woman,
gathered round him, kissing his hands and begging his blessing.
When he got to the palace there was such a noise going on round him
that the princess bade her slave look out of the window and ask what
was the matter. The slave said it was the holy woman, curing people
by her touch of their ailments, whereupon the princess, who had long
desired to see Fatima, sent for her. On coming to the princess
the magician offered up a prayer for her health and prosperity.
When he had done the princess made him sit by her, and begged him
to stay with her always. The false Fatima, who wished for nothing
better, consented, but kept his veil down for fear of discovery.
The princess showed him the hall, and asked him what he thought
of it.
"It is truly beautiful," said the false Fatima. "In my mind it
wants but one thing."