Journeys Through Bookland Volume Iii Part 34

The princess, dazzled by such brilliancy, said to Aladdin, "I thought, prince, that nothing in the world was so beautiful as my father's palace; but the sight of this hall shows me how much I was deceived."

The next morning Aladdin's attendants brought him another habit, as rich and magnificent as that worn the day before. He then ordered one of the horses to be got ready for him; mounted it, and went, in the midst of a large body of slaves, to invite the sultan and the lords of his court to attend a banquet. To this the sultan gave immediate consent, and rising at once, accompanied Aladdin to his palace. Every step of the way the sultan's admiration increased; but when he entered the hall and saw the windows enriched with such large and perfect diamonds, rubies and emeralds, he was more than ever astonished.

"This palace is one of the wonders of the world, my son; but what most surprises me is that one of the windows of this magnificent hall should be left incomplete and unfinished."

"Sire," answered Aladdin, "the omission was intentional, as I wished that you might have the glory of finishing the hall."

"I appreciate your kindness," said the sultan, "and will give orders about it immediately."

After the banquet the sultan summoned his jewelers and goldsmiths, and showed them the unfinished window. "I sent for you," said he, "to fit up this window in as great perfection as the rest. Examine them well and make all the haste you can."

The jewelers and goldsmiths examined the three and twenty windows, and after they had consulted to know what each could furnish, they returned to the sultan.

The princ.i.p.al jeweler, speaking for the rest, said: "Sire, we are willing to do our best to obey you, but among us all we cannot furnish jewels enough for so great a work."

"I have more than are necessary," said the sultan. "Come to my palace and choose what you need." Thereupon the sultan returned to his palace and ordered his jewels to be brought out, particularly those Aladdin had given him. The jewelers selected a great quant.i.ty and began their work. Many times more they came back for jewels, and in a month's time, though they had used everything the sultan had, and borrowed of the vizier, their work was not half done.

Aladdin, who was now satisfied that the jewelers and goldsmiths saw that they could not possibly do the work, ordered them to undo what they had begun, and to return all the jewels to the sultan and the vizier.

It took them but a few hours to undo what they had been a month in accomplishing. When Aladdin was left alone in the hall, after the workmen had gone to the sultan, he took the lamp which he carried about him and rubbed it till the genie appeared.

"Genie," said Aladdin, "I ordered you to leave one of the four and twenty windows of this hall imperfect, and you executed my command punctually. Now make it like the rest."

The genie immediately disappeared, and a few moments after, the window appeared like all the rest.

In the meantime the jewelers and the goldsmiths were introduced into the sultan's presence, and returned to him the jewels they had brought back. The sultan asked if Aladdin had given any reason for returning the stones, and when he was told that Aladdin had sent no message, he was much disturbed, and had one of his horses saddled and rode at once to Aladdin's palace. Aladdin came to the gate, and without replying to the sultan's inquiries led him to the grand hall, and showed him the once imperfect window now corresponding exactly to the others. The Sultan could not at first believe what he saw, and would not admit until he had examined every one of the four and twenty windows. When at last he was satisfied, he embraced his son-in-law and kissed him between the eyes.

"My son," said he, "what a wonderful man you are to do such surprising things in the twinkling of an eye. There is none such as you in the world; the more I know you, the more I admire you."

Aladdin lived in happiness, but did not confine himself within his palace. When he went about the streets he traveled in much state, sometimes to one mosque and sometimes to another, or at times to visit the princ.i.p.al lords of the court. Every time he went out, he caused two slaves to walk beside his horse and throw handfuls of money to the people as he pa.s.sed through the streets and squares. In this way Aladdin secured the respect and esteem of the populace.

Several years pa.s.sed quietly. It then happened that one day the African magician remembered Aladdin, and entered into a long series of magical ceremonies to determine whether Aladdin had perished in the subterranean cavern. Imagine his surprise when he learned by means of his horoscope that Aladdin, instead of dying in the cave, had made his escape and was living in royal splendor by the aid of the genie of the lamp. The very next morning the magician set out with great haste for the capital of China, and on his arrival there he took lodging in a khan. He heard much there about the wealth, charities, happiness and splendid palace of the Prince Aladdin, and his knowledge of magic showed him that only by genii alone could such wonders have been accomplished.

[Ill.u.s.tration: NEW LAMPS FOR OLD]

Piqued and angered by Aladdin's success, the magician returned to his khan, and by magic undertook to find where Aladdin kept the lamp.

Great was his joy when he discovered that the lamp was kept in the palace.

"Well," said he, rubbing his hands in glee, "I shall soon have the lamp again, and will put Aladdin back to his original mean position."

The next day he learned that Aladdin had gone on a hunting expedition that was to last eight days, and that but three of the days had expired. Consequently the magician began at once to carry out his plans. He went to a coppersmith and asked for a dozen copper lamps.

The master of the shop did not have so many by him, but said that if the magician would call the next day, he would have them ready and well polished.

Early the next day the magician called, and found the twelve lamps awaiting him. Paying the man the full price demanded, he put the lamps into a basket hanging on his arm, and started for Aladdin's palace. On the way he began to cry out, "Who will exchange old lamps for new ones?"

As he went along, a crowd of children and idle people followed hooting, for all thought him a madman or a fool to offer to exchange new lamps for old ones. The sorcerer regarded not their scoffs, hooting, or anything they could say, but continued to cry shrilly, "Who will exchange old lamps for new ones?"

When he reached the palace he walked back and forth in front of it.

The crowds kept increasing every moment, and his voice became more and more shrill. At last the princess heard the noise and commotion, and looking from one of the four and twenty windows, sent a slave to find out what the crowd meant and what the man was saying.

"Madam," answered the slave, who soon returned laughing, "every one laughs to see an old man carrying on his arm a basket full of fine new lamps, and asking to exchange them for old ones. The children and mob crowd about him so that the old man can hardly stir, and make all the noise they can in derision of him."

"Now you speak of lamps," replied another female slave, "I know not whether the princess has observed it, but there is an old lamp in Prince Aladdin's robing room; whoever owns it will not be sorry to change it for a new one. If the princess wishes, she may find out if this old man is as silly as he appears to be, and will give a new lamp for an old one without expecting anything in addition."

The princess, who knew not the value of the lamp nor Aladdin's interest in it, entered into the amus.e.m.e.nt and ordered the slave to make the exchange. No sooner had the slave reached the gates of the palace than the magician s.n.a.t.c.hed the lamp eagerly, and thrusting it as far as he could into his breast, offered the slave his basket, and bade her choose the lamp she liked best. The slave picked out a handsome one and carried it to the princess, while the children crowded around, deriding the magician's folly.

The African magician cried "New lamps for old ones" no more, but made the best of his way from the palace through unfrequented streets and having no use for lamps or basket, set them down where n.o.body saw them, and after dodging about among the short and crooked streets, hurried through the city gates and out into the country.

Having reached a lonely spot, he stopped till the darkness of the night gave him the opportunity of carrying out his design. Then he drew out the lamp and rubbed it. At that summons the genie appeared to him as he had to Aladdin and said, "What wouldst thou have? I and the other slaves of the lamp that is in your hands are ready to obey thee."

"I command thee," replied the magician, "to transport me immediately to Africa, and with us take Aladdin's palace and all the people in it."

The genie made no reply, but with the a.s.sistance of his fellows the slave of the lamp transported the magician and the palace and every one in it to that spot in Egypt where the sorcerer wished to be.

Early the next morning when the sultan, according to custom, went to admire Aladdin's palace, his amazement was unbounded to find that it could nowhere be seen. He could not understand how so large a palace, which he had seen plainly every day for some years, should vanish so soon and not leave the least trace behind. In his perplexity he sent for his grand vizier.

That official, who in secret bore no good will to Aladdin, intimated his suspicion that the palace was built by magic, and that Aladdin had made this hunting expedition an excuse for the removal of his palace.

The sultan sent a detachment of his guard to arrest Aladdin as a prisoner of state.

The vizier's plan was carried out, and Aladdin would have been put to death had not the people, whose affection he had earned by his generosity, urged the sultan to grant him life. As soon as Aladdin had gained his liberty, he addressed the sultan as follows:

"Sire, I pray you to let me know the crime by which I have thus lost the favor of your countenance."

"Your crime," answered the sultan, "wretched man! do you not know it?

Follow me and I will show you."

The sultan then took Aladdin into the apartment from whence his son- in-law's palace could best be seen, and said, "You ought to know where your palace stood; look from mine and tell me where it has gone."

Aladdin looked, and, utterly amazed, stood speechless. After recovering himself, he said, "It is true I do not see the palace, but I was not concerned in its removal. I beg you to give me forty days, and if in that time I cannot restore the palace, I will offer my head to be disposed of at your pleasure."

"I grant your pet.i.tion," said the sultan, "but remember, at the end of forty days to present yourself before me."

Exceedingly humiliated, Aladdin went out of the sultan's palace, and the lords, who had courted him in his days of splendor, now refused to have any communication with him.

For three days he wandered about the city, exciting the wonder and compa.s.sion of the mult.i.tude by asking everybody he met if they had seen his palace, or could tell him anything of it. On the third day he wandered into the country, where he fell down the bank of a river in such a way, that while he was attempting to hold himself, he rubbed the ring which the magician had given him.

Instantly the same genie that he had seen in the cave appeared before him and said, "What wouldst thou? I and the other slaves of the ring serve him who wears it. I am ready to obey."

Aladdin, surprised at the offer of help so little expected, replied, "Genie, show me where the palace I caused to be built now stands, or transport it back to where it first stood." "Your command," answered the genie, "is not wholly in my power. I am the slave of the ring, not of the lamp."

[Ill.u.s.tration: ALADDIN SALUTED THE PRINCESS JOYFULLY]

"I command thee, then," continued Aladdin, "by the power of the ring, to transport me to the spot where my palace stands, in whatsoever part of the world it be."

These words were no sooner out of his mouth than Aladdin found himself before his own palace in the midst of a large plain, at no great distance from a city. Indeed, he was placed exactly under the window of the princess's apartment.

Now it so happened that a moment later one of the attendants of the Princess Buddir al Buddoor, looking through the window, saw Aladdin, and reported the fact to her mistress at once. The princess, scarcely believing the joyful tidings, hastened to the window, and seeing Aladdin, opened the window. The noise attracted Aladdin's attention so that he turned his head, and seeing the princess, saluted her joyfully.