Aladdin and the Magic Lamp | Page 5

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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 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 Vizier and
asked what had become of the palace. The Vizier 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 back 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 Vizier, 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 he could not say a
word. "Where is your 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 to 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 doing so he rubbed the 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 him 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 owning 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