Aladdin was a poor boy who lived in a city of Persia. His mother was a
widow. She supported herself by weaving mats.
One day Aladdin was playing in the street. A tall, dark man stood
watching him. When the game was finished, the man beckoned to Aladdin to
come to him.
"What is your name, my boy?" asked the man, who was a Magician.
"My name is Aladdin," answered the boy. He wondered who the stranger
might be.
"And what is your father's name?" the Magician asked.
"My father was Mustapha the tailor, but he died when I was only two
years of age," replied Aladdin.
"Alas!" cried the Magician, pretending to weep. "He was my brother, and
you must be my nephew. I am your long lost uncle."
Then he embraced Aladdin and gave him five gold coins, saying, "Come
with me, and I will show you the sights."
They went from the city, through pretty gardens, into the open country.
They walked a long distance.
The Magician gave Aladdin some delicious fruit to eat and told him
wonderful stories. The lad scarcely noticed how very far they had gone.
At last they reached a valley between two mountains.
The Magician stood still for a moment and looked about him.
"Ah!" he exclaimed. "This is the very place for which I have been
searching. Gather some sticks. I will kindle a fire."
Soon the fire was burning merrily. The Magician took a curious powder
from his girdle. He mumbled strange words as he sprinkled it upon the
flames.
In an instant, the earth beneath their feet trembled, and they heard a
rumbling sound like distant thunder.
Then the ground opened in front of them. There lay a large flat stone
with a brass ring fastened to the top.
"A wonderful treasure lies hidden below," said the Magician. "Obey me,
and it will soon be ours."
Then Aladdin grasped the ring in the way the Magician told him to do,
and easily lifted the stone.
"Now," said the Magician, "go down the steps which you see before you.
You will come to three great halls.
"Pass through the halls, but be careful to touch nothing, not even the
walls, for if you do, you will certainly die. When you have passed
through the halls, you will reach a garden of fruit trees. In a niche in
the garden wall, you will see a lighted lamp. Put out the light, pour
the oil from the bowl, and bring the lamp to me."
Then the Magician placed a magic ring upon Aladdin's finger, to guard
him, and commanded him to go at once in search of the lamp.
Aladdin found everything exactly as the Magician had said. He went
through the halls and the garden until he found the lighted lamp. When
he had poured out the oil and had placed the lamp inside his coat, he
began to look about him.
Upon the trees were fruits of every color of the rainbow. Some were
clear as crystal, some were ruby red, and others sparkled with a green,
blue, or purple light.
The leaves of the trees were silver and gold. Aladdin did not know that
these fruits were precious stones--diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and
amethysts, but they looked so beautiful that he filled his pockets with
them as he passed back through the garden.
The Magician stood at the top of the steps as Aladdin began to climb
upward.
"Give the lamp to me," he cried, holding out his hand.
"Wait until I reach the top of the steps," Aladdin answered.
"Hand the lamp to me at once!" screamed the Magician.
"Not until I am safely out," replied Aladdin.
Then in a rage the Magician rushed to the fire. He threw more of the
curious powder upon the fire and muttered the same strange words as
before.
Instantly the stone slipped back into its place. The earth closed over
it, and Aladdin was left in darkness.
The Magician at once left Persia and went to Africa.
Poor Aladdin! He groped his way back through the halls to the beautiful
garden of shining fruits, but he could find no way of escape. For two
days, he cried and shouted for help. At last, as he clasped his hands in
despair, he happened to rub the magic ring which the Magician had placed
on his finger.
Instantly a Genie rose out of the earth and stood before him.
"What is thy will, my master?" asked the Genie. "I am the Slave of the
Ring. I serve the one who wears it."
"Deliver me from this place!" cried Aladdin.
Scarcely had he spoken these words when the earth opened. Aladdin found
himself at his mother's door. He showed his mother the lamp and the
colored fruit, which he still carried in his pockets.
"I will tell you all that has happened," he said, "but first give me
something to eat, for I am very hungry."
"Alas!" said the mother. "I have neither money nor food."
"Sell the old lamp that I brought back with me," said Aladdin.
"The lamp would bring a higher price if it were clean and bright,"
replied his mother, and she began to rub the lamp.
No sooner had she given the first rub than a great Genie appeared.
"What is thy will?" asked the Genie. "I am the Slave of the Lamp. I
serve the one who holds the lamp."
Aladdin's mother was so terrified that she dropped the lamp. Aladdin
managed to grasp it, and say, "Bring me something to eat."
The Slave of the Lamp disappeared. He returned, bringing a dainty
breakfast served upon plates of pure gold.
Aladdin now knew what use to make of the magic ring and the wonderful
lamp. His mother and he lived happily for years.
One day the Sultan ordered all of the people to stay at home and close
their shutters, while his daughter, the Princess, passed by on her way
to the bath.
Aladdin had heard how beautiful the Princess was, and he greatly desired
to see her face. This seemed impossible, for the Princess never went out
without a veil which covered her entirely.
He peeped through the shutters as she passed by. The Princess happened
to raise her veil, and Aladdin saw her face.
The moment Aladdin's eyes rested upon the Princess, he loved her with
all his heart.
"Mother," he cried, "I have seen the Princess, and I have made up my
mind to marry her. Go at once to the Sultan and beg him to give his
daughter to me."
Aladdin's mother laughed at the idea. The next day, however, she went to
the palace, carrying the magic fruit as a gift. No one paid any
attention to her.
She went every day for a week, before the Sultan noticed that she was
there.
"Who is the poor woman who comes here every day?" he asked. "Bring her
forward. I wish to speak to her."
Aladdin's mother knelt before the throne and told the Sultan of her
son's love for the Princess. "He sends you this gift," she continued,
presenting the magic fruit.
The Sultan was astonished at the gift. He exclaimed, "Here indeed is a
gift worthy of my daughter! Shall I not give her to the one who sends
it?"
Then the Sultan told Aladdin's mother to return in three months' time,
and he would give the Princess to her son in marriage.
When the time had passed, Aladdin again sent his mother to the Sultan.
"I shall abide by my word," said the Sultan, "but he who marries my
daughter must first send me forty golden basins filled to the brim with
precious stones.
"These basins must be carried by forty black slaves led by forty white
ones, all of them dressed in rich attire."
Aladdin's mother returned home.
"Your hopes are ended," she cried.
"Not so, mother," answered Aladdin.
Then he rubbed the Magician's lamp. When the Genie appeared, Aladdin
told him to provide the forty golden basins filled with jewels, and the
eighty slaves.
When the procession reached the palace, the slaves presented the jewels
to the Sultan.
He was so delighted with the gift that he was willing to have Aladdin
marry the Princess without delay.
"Go and tell your son that he may wed my daughter this very day," he
said to Aladdin's mother.
Aladdin was delighted to hear the news. He ordered the Genie to bring a
rich purple robe for him to wear; a beautiful white horse to ride upon;
twenty slaves to attend him; six slaves to attend his mother; and ten
thousand gold pieces to give to the people.
At last everything was ready. Aladdin, dressed in his royal robe,
started for the palace. As he rode on the beautiful white horse, he
scattered the gold coins among the people. They shouted with joy as they
followed the procession.
At the palace the Sultan greeted Aladdin joyfully and ordered the
wedding feast to be prepared at once.
But Aladdin said, "Not so, your Majesty. I will not marry the Princess
until I have built her a palace."
Then he returned home and once more summoned the Slave of the Lamp.
"Build the finest palace in the world," ordered Aladdin. "Let the walls
be of marble set with precious stones. In the center build a great hall
whose walls shall be of silver and gold, lighted by great windows on
each side. These windows are to be set with diamonds and rubies. Depart!
Lose no time in obeying my commands!"
When Aladdin looked out of the window the next morning, there stood the
most beautiful palace in the world.
Then Aladdin and his mother returned to the Sultan's palace, and the
wedding took place amid great rejoicing.
Aladdin was gentle and kind to all. He became a great favorite at the
court, and the people loved him well.
For a time, Aladdin and his bride lived happily.
But there was trouble coming. Far away in Africa, the Magician who had
pretended to be Aladdin's uncle learned of his escape with the magic
lamp.
The Magician traveled from Africa to Persia, disguised as a merchant.
He carried some copper lamps and went through the streets of the city
crying, "New lamps for old!"
Now it happened that Aladdin had gone hunting, and the Princess sat
alone near an open window.
She saw the merchant and sent a slave to find out what the man called.
The slave came back laughing.
He told the Princess that the merchant offered to give new lamps for old
ones.
The Princess laughed, too. Then she pointed to the old lamp that stood
in a niche of the wall.
"There is an old lamp," she said. "Take it and see if the man really
will exchange it for a new one."
When the Magician saw the lamp, he knew that it was the one for which he
was searching.
He took the magic lamp eagerly and gave the slave all of the new lamps.
Then the Magician hurried out of the city. When he was alone, he rubbed
the magic lamp, and the Genie stood before him.
"What is thy will, master?" said he.
"I command thee to carry the palace of Aladdin, with the Princess
inside, to Africa," said the Magician.
Instantly the palace disappeared.
The Sultan looked out of his window the next morning. No palace was to
be seen.
"This has been done by magic!" the Sultan exclaimed.
He sent his soldiers to bring Aladdin home in chains. They met him
riding back from the hunt. They carried him to the Sultan.
When Aladdin was allowed to speak, he asked why he was made prisoner.
"Wretch!" exclaimed the Sultan. "Come and I will show you."
Then he led Aladdin to the window and showed him that where the palace
had been there was only an empty space.
Aladdin begged the Sultan to spare his life and grant him forty days in
which to find the Princess.
So Aladdin was set free. He searched everywhere, but he could find no
trace of the Princess.
In despair, he wrung his hands. As he did so, he rubbed the magic ring.
Instantly the Slave of the Ring appeared.
"What is thy will, master?" asked the Genie.
"Bring back the Princess and the palace," said Aladdin.
"That is not within my power," said the Genie. "Only the Slave of the
Lamp can bring back the palace."
"Then take me to the place where the palace now stands, and set me down
under the window of the Princess."
Almost before Aladdin had finished these words, he found himself in
Africa, beneath a window of his own palace.
"Princess! Princess!" called Aladdin.
The Princess opened the window.
With a cry of joy, Aladdin entered and embraced the Princess. "Tell me,
dear," said he, "what has become of the old lamp that stood in the niche
of the wall?"
"Alas!" replied the Princess. "A man came through the streets, crying,
'New lamps for old!' I gave him the lamp that stood in the niche, and
the next I knew I was here."
"The man is a Magician. He wished only to secure the magic lamp," said
Aladdin.
"The Magician is here," said the Princess. "He carries the magic lamp
hidden in his robes during the day, and he places it under his pillow at
night."
While the Magician was sleeping that night, Aladdin stole softly into
the room and took the magic lamp from under the pillow. Then he rubbed
the lamp and the Genie appeared.
"I command you to carry the Princess and the palace back to Persia,"
cried Aladdin.
The following morning, the Sultan looked out of the window. There, to
his surprise, stood the palace of Aladdin, in the very place from which
it had disappeared.
Aladdin and the Princess lived happily for many years. When the Sultan
died, they ruled in his place. They were beloved by the people, and
there was peace in all the land.