KNOW, O King, that, once upon a time, in a far city of Cathay, there
dwelt a poor tailor who had an only son named Aladdin. This boy was a
born ne'er-do-well, and persistently resisted all his father's efforts
to teach him a trade by means of which he would be able in future to
earn a livelihood. Aladdin would sooner play at knucklebones in the
gutter with others as careless as himself than he would set his mind to
honest business; and, as to obeying his parents in the smallest matter,
it was not in his nature. Such was this boy Aladdin, and yet--so
remarkable is the favour of fate--he was strangely predestined for
great things.
Stricken with grief because of the waywardness and idle conduct of his
son the father fell ill and died, and the mother found great difficulty
in supporting herself, to say nothing of the worthless Aladdin as well.
While she wore the flesh off her bones in the endeavour to obtain a
meagre subsistence Aladdin would amuse himself with his fellow urchins
of the street, only returning home to his meals. In this way he
continued until he was fourteen years of age, when his extraordinary
destiny took him by the hand, and led him, step by step, through
adventures so wonderful that words can scarce describe them.
One day he was playing in the gutter with his ragged companions, as
was his wont, when a Moorish Dervish came by, and, catching sight of
Aladdin's face, suddenly stopped and approached him. This Dervish was
a sorcerer who had discovered many hidden secrets by his black art; in
fact, he was on the track of one now; and, by the look on his face as
he scrutinised Aladdin's features, it seemed that the boy was closely
connected with his quest.
The Dervish beckoned to one of the urchins and asked him who Aladdin
was, who his father was, and indeed all about him. Having thus learned
the whole history of the boy and his family the Dervish gave his
informer some coins and sent him away to spend them. Then he approached
Aladdin and said to him, "Boy, I seem to recognise in thee a family
likeness. Art thou not the tailor's son?" Aladdin answered him that he
was, and added that his father was dead.
On hearing this the Dervish cried out with grief and embraced Aladdin,
weeping bitterly. The boy was surprised at this and enquired the cause
of such sorrow. "Alas!" replied the Dervish with tears running down his
cheeks, "my fate is an unhappy one. Boy, I have come from a distant
country to find my brother, to look upon his face again, and to cheer
and comfort him; and now thou tellest me he is dead." He took Aladdin's
face in his hands and gazed searchingly upon it as he continued: "Boy,
I recognise my brother's features in thine; and, now that he is dead, I
will find comfort in thee."
Aladdin looked up at him in wonder, for he had never been told that he
had an uncle; indeed, he was inclined to doubt the truth of the matter;
but, when the Dervish took ten pieces of gold from his purse and placed
them in his hand, all doubt was out of the question, and he rejoiced at
having found so rich an uncle. The Dervish then asked him concerning
his mother and begged him to show him the way to her house. And, when
Aladdin had shewed him, he gave the boy more gold and said, "Give this
to thy mother with my blessing, and say that her brother-in-law, who
has been absent forty years, has returned and will visit her to-morrow
to weep with her over the place where his brother is buried." With this
he departed, and Aladdin ran to his mother to tell her the news.
"Mother! Mother!" he cried excitedly, bursting in upon her, "my uncle
hath returned after forty years; he wept when I told him my father was
dead; he salutes thee and--" "My son," she broke in, "what are these
wild words? Thou hast no uncle, and the only one thou ever hadst died
many years before thou wast born." "Nay, nay;" returned Aladdin, "this
is my father's brother; he recognised my father's features in mine and
wept, and gave me this to bring to thee, with a message that he would
come to see thee to-morrow."
He handed her the gold, and, as the widow took it, her doubt was
lessened considerably. "I wonder," she cried. "Can it be that my
husband's brother did not die after all, or that he has risen from the
grave? In either case he is rich and generous."
On the morrow the Dervish sought Aladdin in the street where he had
seen him the day before, and found him there among his disreputable
friends. Taking him aside he kissed him and embraced him; then, placing
ten gold pieces in his hand, he said, "Hasten now to thy mother and
give her these gold pieces and say that her brother-in-law would come
to sup at her house this night."
So Aladdin left him and ran home to his mother with the gold pieces
and the message. Then the widow busied herself and prepared for the
coming of this new-found relative. She bought rich food, and borrowed
from the neighbours such dishes, utensils and napery as she required.
When the supper was ready, and the widow was about to send Aladdin to
hasten the guest, the Dervish entered, followed by a slave bearing
fruit and wine, which he set down, and then went his way. The Dervish,
weeping bitterly, saluted the widow and immediately fell to asking
questions about the departed, finally desiring to know which was his
empty seat. On being shown it he prostrated himself and cried, "Alas!
that I should return to find his place vacant. Oh! woe; there is no
power nor strength but in God!" And he ceased not to weep until he had
convinced the widow that his grief was genuine.
[Illustration: Aladdin finds the Magic Lamp. Page 71]
Then, when he was comforted and they all sat at supper together, the
Dervish told them how he had journeyed from a far land with one thought
only: to see his brother once again; and how, with a great joy, he had
chanced to find Aladdin, in whose face he had recognised his brother's
likeness--a joy so suddenly turned to sadness and grief on his learning
that his only brother was dead. At his words the widow fell to weeping,
whereupon the Dervish, to change the subject of talk, turned to Aladdin
and asked him if he knew any art or trade. At this Aladdin hung his
head, and, as he was too ashamed to answer, his mother dried her tears
and answered for him. "Alack!" she said, "he is nothing but an idler.
He spends his time as thou didst find him, playing with ragamuffins
in the street, and is never at home except at meal times. And I--I
am an old woman and ugly through toil and hardship, and grief at his
behaviour. O my brother-in-law! It is he who should provide for
me, not I for him."
"I am grieved to hear this of thee," said the Dervish, turning to
Aladdin; "for thou art no longer a child, but a man of ability and
kindness; and thou shouldst work to provide for thine aged mother so
that she may live in comfort. Now, tell thine uncle what trade thou
wouldst follow, and he will start thee in it so that in time thou mayst
be able to support thy mother and thyself. Come, my son!" But Aladdin
was still silent, and it was clear that he had no mind to work at any
trade. Seeing this the Dervish made a better offer. "Wouldst thou like
to be a merchant?" he asked. "If so I will give thee a shop with all
kinds of merchandise, and thou shalt buy and sell and get gain, and
rise to a position of importance."
Now Aladdin regarded a merchant as a well-dressed, well-fed being, who
did no work to speak of, but, from the profits on his wares, lived in a
state of perfect delight. So the suggestion pleased him, and he replied
with a smile that, above all things, he would like to be a merchant.
"It is well, O Son of my brother!" replied the Dervish. "Then,
to-morrow, I will take thee to the market and purchase a fine dress for
thee, so that thou wilt be well received amongst thy fellow merchants;
and, on the following day, I will stock a shop and set thee up in it;
for this is the least I can do to show the great affection I bear for
the memory of my late lamented brother."
At this Aladdin clapped his hands with glee, and his mother was
rejoiced. If at first she had been disposed to doubt the Dervish she
now accepted him unreservedly as her brother-in-law, saying within
herself, "Who but the boy's uncle would behave with such great
kindness towards him?" And she chid her boy for his own good, and
counselled him straitly to obey his uncle in all things. The Dervish
also gave Aladdin much sound advice on the conduct of trade, so that
the boy's head was bursting with buying and selling, and he could not
sleep that night for dreams of rich stuffs, and bales of merchandise.
At last, when the Dervish arose and took his departure, promising to
return for Aladdin on the morrow and take him to buy his merchant's
dress, the wizard felt that he had proved himself undoubtedly the best
of brothers-in-law, and the best of uncles.
True to his word the Dervish came on the morrow, and Aladdin, holding
him affectionately by the hand, went with him forth to the market.
There they entered a shop full of the finest materials, and the Dervish
asked to be shewn some dresses such as a wealthy merchant might wear.
The owner of the shop laid a great variety before him and the Dervish
said, "Now, my son, choose what dress you like." This delicate favour
of choice pleased Aladdin greatly, for it seemed that he had now at
last reached the age of discretion. He picked out one that he liked,
and the Dervish paid the price without any attempt at bargaining. Then
they went together to the Hammam, and, when they had bathed and rested,
Aladdin clothed himself in his new dress and came forth in great
delight, kissing his uncle's hand and thanking him again and again.
The Dervish then showed Aladdin the market and the traffic in goods,
saying that he must study all these things in order to be apt in his
profession. From the markets they passed on to the mosques and other
fine buildings in the city, and thence to an eating-place where the
finest food was served on silver dishes, and the sherbet was of the
rarest kind. Here they regaled themselves sumptuously, and rested.
And, whenever Aladdin thanked his uncle for his kindness, the Dervish
replied, "Nay, boy; am I not thine uncle? Would that I could do more by
my brother's son."
When the afternoon came they strolled in the beautiful gardens, and the
Dervish delighted Aladdin by showing him the pleasure grounds and the
magnificent palaces. And so they wandered on, hand in hand, until they
came to a garden full of every delight, where crystal streams flowed
between glorious banks of flowers, and fountains played and sparkled in
the sunlight. There they sat down by the side of the running water and
made merry, so that none observing them could doubt that they were kind
uncle and glad nephew.
After they had rested the Dervish suggested a walk, and he led Aladdin
through garden after garden until they came to the confines of the
city, beyond which stood a high hill. "Shall we return, O my uncle?"
said Aladdin, who was in no mood for climbing the hill. "There are no
more gardens outside the city." "Nay," replied the Dervish, "on the
hillside is the loveliest garden of all. Bear up, my son, and be a man;
we shall soon be there." And, as they went, he beguiled the boy with
anecdotes, so that Aladdin forgot both the length of the way and his
weariness.
At last they came to a place on the hillside where the Dervish paused
and looked about him, saying to himself, "This is the spot I have
journeyed so far to find." But to Aladdin he said, "Rest here awhile, O
my son, and, when thou art refreshed, gather some wood and we will make
a fire; then, if thou wish to see a most wonderful thing, I will shew
thee that which will take thy breath away."
At this Aladdin's curiosity was excited, and, with no thought of
resting, he began at once to gather wood. When he had collected a
sufficient quantity the Dervish lighted the fire, and, taking from his
wallet a little box, drew some fine powder from it and scattered it
over the fire, uttering an incantation. Immediately, amid rumblings of
thunder, the earth reeled and opened. At this Aladdin fled in terror,
but the Dervish, powerless to effect his purpose without the boy's aid,
flew after him in a rage, and smote him over the head, so that he fell
to the ground stunned.
When, presently, he regained his senses, he sat up and cried out,
"What have I done, O my uncle, that thou shouldst strike me?" "Nay, my
son," replied the Dervish, "I intended not to hurt thee. Come, now,
be a man, and obey my wishes if thou wouldst see the wonderful things
that I will shew thee." With such words as these he banished Aladdin's
fears and smoothed him over. Then he directed him to the opening in
the earth, where there was revealed a slab of marble with a brass ring
let into it. The Dervish stooped and began to draw figures upon the
ground, saying as he did so, "Obey me, Aladdin, in all that I say, for
so thou shalt become richer than all the kings of the earth. Know, O
my son, that beyond that slab of stone lies vast treasure which none
but thee can acquire and live. Therefore, advance, my son, and take
the brass ring in thy hand, and lift the slab from its place; for it
is predestined that thou art the only one on this earth that hath the
power to do this thing." And Aladdin, stirred to great wonder by the
words of the Dervish, would have done his bidding with alacrity, but,
on looking at the marble slab, he saw that it was far too heavy for
him.
"Never can I raise that alone, O my uncle," he said. "Wilt thou not
help me?" "Nay," answered the Dervish, "it will yield to no hand
but thine. Grasp the ring and repeat the names of as many of thine
ancestors as thou canst remember, beginning with thy father and mother;
for thine ancestors are my ancestors, O my son! By this the stone will
come away quite easily in thy hand as if it were a feather. Am I not
thine uncle, and have I not said it? And did I not cleave the hillside
with my incantations? Wherefore, pluck up courage, and forget not that
all the riches beyond that stone are for thee."
Thus encouraged Aladdin advanced to the stone, repeating the names of
all the ancestors he could remember; and, taking hold of the ring,
lifted the heavy slab from its place with perfect ease, and threw it
aside. Then within the aperture lay revealed a stairway of twelve steps
leading into a passage.
While Aladdin was gazing at this wonder the Dervish took a ring from
his finger and placed it upon the middle finger of the boy's right
hand, saying impressively as he did so, "Listen to me, O my son! fear
nothing in what I am about to bid thee do, for this ring will be thy
protection in all dangers and against all evils. If thou shouldst find
thyself in evil case thou hast only to--, but of that I will tell
thee presently. What is more important now is this. In order to come
at the treasure, O my son, steady thyself and listen attentively, and
see to it that thou fail not a word of these my instructions. Go down
the steps and traverse the passage to the end, where thou wilt find a
chamber divided into four parts, each containing four vessels of gold.
Touch not these on thy life, for if so much as the fringe of thy robe
cometh in contact with any of them, thou wilt immediately be turned
into stone. Linger not to gaze upon them, but pass right through to the
end, where thou wilt find a door. Open this, repeating again the names
of thine ancestors, when lo, thou wilt behold a beautiful garden before
thee. Take the pathway that is ready for thy feet and proceed forty
nine cubits until thou comest to an alcove, where is set a stairway of
forty nine steps. Look not to ascend that stairway: it is not for thee
nor me; but direct thine attention to a lamp hanging above the alcove.
Take it from its fastening, and pour out the oil therein; then put it
in thy breast securely, and retrace thy steps to me. Is it clear to
thee, my son?"
"O my uncle, it is quite clear," replied Aladdin, and he repeated the
instructions he had received. "Pull thy wits together then, my son,"
said the Dervish, well pleased; "and descend, for verily thou art a man
of mettle, and not a child. Yea, thou, and thou only, art the rightful
owner of all this great treasure. Come now!"
Filled with courage from the wizard's words, and enticed by the dazzle
of untold riches, Aladdin descended the twelve steps and passed through
the fourfold chamber with the utmost care lest he should touch any of
the golden jars therein with so much as the fringe of his garment.
When he came to the door at the far end he paused to repeat the names
of his ancestors, and opened it; then, lo, before him lay a beautiful
garden where the trees were laden with many coloured fruit, while sweet
voiced birds sang in the branches. He took the pathway that lay before
his feet, and, as he followed it, he looked up and noticed that the
trees bore, not fruit as he had supposed, but sparkling jewels flashing
with many colours. On boughs where rosy apples might have hung were
blood-red rubies half hidden in the leaves, and, where the purple
grape might have clustered, were branches of large sapphires. On some
trees white blossoms grew, and every blossom was a pearl, while what
seemed like drops of dew among the blossoms were purest diamonds. All
the leaves of the trees were of mother-of-emerald, and on their under
surface they held, like seeds, rows of the emerald itself. Virgin gold
peeled like bark from the trunks and branches, and, when bird chased
bird through the foliage, there fell such a rain of wealth on the dull
earth's lap as would have enriched a king far above his fellow kings.
But Aladdin, though dazzled by the glitter, thought these sparkling
things were but coloured glass; and it was for such that he plucked
them with boyish delight until his pockets were full. "These are lovely
things to play with," he said, and proceeded to fill his girdle also.
As he made his way along the garden path, plucking the bright jewels as
he went, he caught sight of the alcove at the far end, and, remembering
his uncle's instructions, hastened towards it. There was the stairway
of forty-nine steps, and there, hanging from a crystal beam, was the
Lamp. He paused, looking up at it. How should he reach it? His uncle
had said that the stairway was neither for Aladdin nor for himself, and
yet he saw at a glance that the only way of reaching the Lamp was by
mounting seven steps of the stairway. He hesitated, then, concluding
that the Lamp was the whole object of his quest, and that he must reach
it at all costs, he ventured. With some misgivings he mounted the seven
steps and, reaching out, took the Lamp from its fastening and descended
with it. Then, emptying out the oil, he placed it securely in his
bosom, saying "Now, as my uncle said to me, with this Lamp in my bosom
all is mine!"
[Illustration: Aladdin and the Efrite. Page 78]
As Aladdin was returning along the pathway among the trees, laden with
the precious jewels, fear assailed him lest his uncle would be angry at
his delay, for it was borne in upon him that no great delight can come
to a mortal without his having to suffer for it. Whereupon he hastened
his footsteps, and, passing through the fourfold chamber without
touching the golden jars--for the fear of that was still upon him,--he
arrived quickly at the foot of the stairway of twelve steps. Heavily
weighted as he was with the jewels and the Lamp he proceeded to mount
the stairs at a run. But the jewels grew heavier, and the Lamp weighed
upon his bosom, so that he was exhausted by the time he was halfway up.
Kneeling on the seventh step he looked up and saw the Dervish urging
him on with the greatest impatience.
"Bear with me, O my uncle," he said. "I am heavily weighted and am out
of breath. I will soon come to thee." Then he climbed three steps and
one step more, and sank exhausted before the last, which was far higher
than the others. The jewels and the Lamp oppressed him with heaviness
and he could not mount that last step. "O my uncle, give me thy hand
and help me up," he cried. But the wizard dare not touch him, for so
the spell of fate was worded and he must abide by it. "Nay," he called
down, "thou art man enough! It is the Lamp that hampers thee. Reach up
and place it on the ledge here; then thou canst mount easily thyself."
The Dervish held out his hand expectantly for the Lamp and his eyes
glittered. Aladdin saw the evil light in them, and, having some mother
wit, replied, "O my uncle, the Lamp is no weight at all; it is simply
that I am exhausted and this step is too high for me. Give me thy
hand and help me up." "Give me the Lamp!" cried the Dervish holding his
hand out for it, and beginning to rage. "Place it on the ledge before
thee, and then I will help thee up." "Nay," returned Aladdin, growing
obstinate, "if thou wilt not give me thy hand I will not give thee the
Lamp, for it is in my thoughts that thou wantest the Lamp more than
thou wantest me."
This enraged the Dervish to a point beyond control, and he said within
himself, "If I get not the Lamp then may it perish with him!" And,
taking a box from his wallet, he threw some powder on the embers of
the fire, muttering curses and incantations as he did so. Immediately
a flame shot up, and its many tongues went hither and thither, licking
the air. The earth shuddered and groaned with a hollow thunder; then
the marble slab closed of itself over the aperture, the hillside rushed
together above it, and all was as before, save that Aladdin was sealed
within that cavern without hope of escape.
Long and loud did Aladdin call to his supposed uncle to save him from a
living death; but there was no answer to his cries, and, at last, when
he was almost exhausted, he took counsel of himself and plainly saw the
truth of the matter. The Dervish was no uncle of his, but a cunning
wizard who had made a catspaw of him to secure treasure which, by the
laws of magic and destiny, he was powerless to come at in any other
way. The whole thing, from the very beginning, was a trick; and he saw
it clearly now that it was too late. The way out was sealed, and the
darkness pressed heavily upon him. Frantic with the desire to escape
from this dungeon he thought of the garden and the stairway in the
alcove; but, when he had groped his way to the end of the passage, he
found the door closed, and all his efforts failed to open it. The names
of his ancestors were of no avail against the magic of the Dervish. At
this he wept loudly, and continued to weep throughout the night, until
his rage and despair were spent. At last he sank down exhausted on
the lowest step of the stairway by which he had first descended, and,
feeling himself utterly abandoned by man, he raised his hands to God,
praying for deliverance from his calamity.
Now, while he was holding his hands in supplication, he felt the ring
upon his middle finger--the ring which the Dervish had placed there
saying, "In whatever difficulty thou mayst find thyself this ring
will be thy protection; thou hast only to--but of that I will tell
thee later." The Dervish had perhaps given him the ring to gain his
confidence, and had purposely omitted to reveal its secret. But now, in
answer to Aladdin's prayer, the power of the ring was revealed as if by
the merest chance; for, when he felt the ring, he looked at it; and,
seeing a light from the jewel therein, he breathed upon it and rubbed
it with his palm to increase its lustre. No sooner had he done this
when, lo, the Slave of the Ring appeared, and gathered shape before
him, first in a luminous haze, and then, gradually, in clearer and
clearer contour.
"Ask what thou wilt, and it shall be done," said the apparition; "for
know that I am the Slave of the Ring and the slave of him on whose
finger my master placed the ring."
Aladdin, seeing before him an Efrite after the order of those invoked
by the Lord Suleiman, was terrified, and his tongue clave to the roof
of his mouth, so that he could not speak. But the Efrite reassured him
with kindly speech. "Thou hast only to ask," he said, "and thy wish
will be fulfilled; for, since my master's ring is on thy hand, I am thy
servant."
At this Aladdin took heart, and, having considered his wish, resolved
to put the matter to the test. "O Slave of the Ring!" he said, "my wish
is that thou take me from this dungeon and place me in the light of day
where the sun shines and the breezes blow--if indeed it _is_ day, for
here have I been for many, many hours."
Scarcely had he spoken the words when there was a clap of thunder. The
cavern opened, and, by some mysterious power, he was conveyed through
the opening. Then, when he sat up and looked around him, he was in the
light of day upon the hillside, and everything was as it had been when
he and the Dervish had first reached the spot.
Aladdin marvelled greatly at this, and said within himself, "I wonder
if it was all a dream!" But, when he looked at the ring upon his finger
and felt the Lamp and the jewel-fruit he had gathered from the trees
in the garden, he knew it was not a dream. Besides, there was the spot
where the fire had been; and it was now but a heap of grey ashes on
the ground. Turning himself about, he saw the path by which they had
ascended, and the gardens stretching below. Nothing had changed. The
side of the hill which the Dervish by his magic had opened for his
entrance, and the Slave of the Ring had now closed up behind him, was
as it had been when he first saw it.
Seeing that he was safe and sound in the outer world, Aladdin fell on
his knees and gave thanks to the most High for his deliverance from a
terrible death. Then straightway he arose and took the path that led
down the hillside and through the gardens of the city in the direction
of his home. At length, with wearied body, but elated mind, he reached
the doorway of his dwelling, and, entering, found his mother weeping.
"Where hast thou been, my son?" she cried. "All night long I lay awake,
anxious for thee; and now it is again near nightfall, and thou comest
like one about to die. Where hast thou been, and where is thine uncle?"
But Aladdin could not answer her. What with utter weariness, and the
joy of gaining his home once more, he fell in a swoon at her feet.
Quickly she dashed water on his face and restored him. Then, when she
had made him eat, she enquired gently what had befallen him.
"O my mother," said Aladdin, "how much thou art to blame! Thou gavest
me over to a devil of a sorcerer who tried, by his evil arts, to
compass my ruin. I have a stout reckoning against thee for this; for,
look you; this vile and wicked one, whom thou toldst me was my uncle,
was naught but a liar and an impostor. Think, mother, of the richness
of his promises! What was he not going to do for me? His affection
for me was overwhelming, and he ceased not to pretend in that lying
hypocrisy until the cheat was exposed and I saw that his purpose
was to use me for his own ends, and then to destroy me. Mother, the
devils beneath the sea and the earth are not the equal of this vile
sorcerer." And thus, having vented his anger at the false conduct of
the Dervish, he proceeded to tell his mother, first about the lamp and
the jewel-fruit, then about all that had happened on the hillside, from
the opening of the earth by a magic spell, to the closing of it again,
and his subsequent escape through the Slave of the Ring. "And thus," he
concluded, "thus did this devil's own shew me in the end that he was
accursed and that he cared no jot for me, but only for the Lamp."
Then Aladdin took the Lamp and the precious stones from his bosom and
placed them before his mother, albeit neither knew why the Lamp had
been so coveted by the Dervish, or that the stones were more valuable
than any possessed by kings. And Aladdin, now weeping for joy at his
deliverance, and now cursing with rage at the vile hypocrisy of the
sorcerer, found sympathy in both cases in his mother, who wept and
cursed with him, crying out that the Omnipotent, who had graciously
saved his life, would most assuredly punish that wicked man for his
abominable actions.
Now, neither Aladdin nor his mother had rested for two days and two
nights, so that, exhausted at length with weeping and with heaping
maledictions on the Dervish, they slept; and, when they awoke, it was
about noon of the following day. Aladdin's first words on pulling his
wits together were to the effect that he was hungry. "Nay, O my son,"
replied his mother, "there is nothing to eat in the house, for thou
didst eat yesterday all that there was. But stay, I have some spinning
that is ready for the market. I will take and sell it and buy some
food."
She was busying herself about this when Aladdin suddenly called out
to her, "Mother! bring me the Lamp, and I will take and sell that;
it will fetch more than the spinning." Now, although Aladdin and his
mother knew that the Dervish had greatly coveted the Lamp, they both
imagined that he had some strange reason of his own for this; and, as
the Lamp was an article that would command a ready sale, the mother
quickly agreed to Aladdin's proposal and brought the Lamp to him in
answer to his call. On regarding it closely, however, she observed that
it was very dirty. Well knowing that it would fetch a better price if
it were clean and bright, she set to work to polish it with some fine
sand; when lo, as soon as she started to rub the Lamp, the air before
her danced and quivered and a chill gasp of wind smote her in the
face. Then, looking up, she saw, towering above her, a being monstrous
and terrible, with a fierce face in which gleamed fiery eyes beneath
frowning brows. She gazed at this apparition in fear and astonishment,
for she knew it was surely a powerful Efrite such as were under the
power of the Lord Suleiman. Then the being spoke: "Thou hast invoked
me; what is thy wish?" But she only gazed at him, dumb with terror.
Again the awful being spoke: "Thou hast summoned me, for I am the Slave
of the Lamp which is in thy hand. What is thy desire?" At this the poor
woman could no longer endure her fear, and, with a cry, she fell in a
swoon.
Aladdin had heard the Efrite's words and had hastened to his mother's
side. He had already seen the power of the Slave of the Ring, and he
guessed that now the Slave of the Lamp had appeared, and was ready to
do the bidding of the one who held the Lamp. So he quickly took it from
his mother's hand, and, standing before the Efrite, plucked up courage
and said, "I desire food, O Slave of the Lamp! the finest food that
ever was set before a king."
No sooner had he spoken than the Efrite vanished, but only to reappear
immediately, bearing a rich tray of solid silver, on which were twelve
golden dishes with fruits and meats of various kinds. There were also
flagons of wine and silver goblets. As Aladdin stared in amazement at
this magnificent repast the Efrite set the tray down before him and
vanished in a flash. Then Aladdin turned to his mother and dashed cold
water on her face, and held perfumes to her nostrils until she regained
consciousness and sat up. And when she beheld the sumptuous repast set
out upon the golden dishes she was greatly astonished, and imagined
that the Sultan had sent it from his palace. But Aladdin, who was very
hungry, fell to eating heartily; and, while persuading his mother to
eat, he would tell her nothing.
It was not until they had satisfied their hunger, and placed the
remainder aside for the morrow, that Aladdin informed her what had
happened. Then she questioned him, saying, "O my son, was not this the
same Efrite that appeared to thee when thou wast in the cavern?" "Nay,"
he answered. "That was the Slave of the Ring; this was the Slave of
the Lamp." "At all events," said she, "it was a terrible monster that
nearly caused my death through fear. Promise me, O my son, that thou
wilt have naught further to do with the Ring and the Lamp. Cast them
from thee, for the Holy Prophet hath told us to have no traffic with
devils."
"Nay, nay, O my mother," protested Aladdin; "it were wiser to keep
them, for did not the Slave of the Ring deliver me from death? and
has not the Slave of the Lamp brought us delicious food when we were
hungry?" "That may be so," replied his mother, "but hear my words, my
son; no good thing can come of these dealings with accursèd spirits,
and it were better for thee to have died in the cavern than to invoke
their aid." And thus she pleaded with him to cast away the Ring and the
Lamp, for she was sore afraid of the power of the Evil One. But Aladdin
would not undertake to do this, although, in respect for her wishes, he
agreed to conceal the objects so that she might never need to look upon
them. He also agreed to invoke neither of the Efrites again, unless it
were a case of dire necessity. And with this his mother had to rest
content.
[Illustration: The Lady Bedr-el-Budur at her bath. Page 84]
Mother and son continued to live on the food that remained, until, in a
few days, it was all gone. Then Aladdin took up one of the dishes from
the tray, and, not knowing that it was of pure gold, went out to sell
it and buy food with the proceeds. In the market he came to the shop of
a Jew--a man of exceeding vile methods of buying and selling; and he
showed the dish to him. This Jew, as soon as he saw the dish, knew it
for pure gold and glanced sharply at Aladdin to find whether he knew
its value. But Aladdin's face told him nothing; so he enquired, "What
price do you ask, O my master?" "Its value in the market," returned
Aladdin; and at this the Jew pondered, saying within himself, "If he
knoweth the value, and I offer him too little, he will give me a bad
name in the market; yet, if he knoweth not, I should be ruining myself
by offering him too large a price. Perchance he knoweth not." Then,
preferring that others might call him a rogue rather than that the
event might prove him a fool in his own eyes, he took a single gold
piece from his pocket and handed it to Aladdin. On this and its issue,
seeing quickly that Aladdin knew not the value of the thing--for he
took the gold piece and walked away--the Jew repented him bitterly of
his rash act, for he could have bought the dish for much less.
As for Aladdin, he hastened home and gave the gold piece to his mother,
begging her to buy food with it. She did so, and they ate, and were
comforted. And so, from day to day, they lived on the proceeds of one
dish after another, which the unregenerate Hebrew bought at cheaper
and cheaper prices, saying always that the metal was inferior and that
the demand for such goods was not what it used to be. And, when at
last the dishes were all sold, Aladdin summoned the Jew to the house
to inspect the goblets and also the tray, which was too heavy for him
to carry to the market. When the Jew saw how much silver there was
in the tray and the goblets he forgot himself and offered ten gold
pieces for them--at least a thirtieth part of their value. Aladdin
took the gold pieces, and the Jew departed with the tray. So food was
forthcoming for many more days; but at last the money was exhausted and
there was now nothing left to sell. At this Aladdin, who, in deference
to his mother's wishes, had concealed the Lamp and the Ring against a
necessitous occasion, brought forth the former and rubbed it, for so,
he concluded, was the Slave invoked. His conclusion was right, for no
sooner had he rubbed the Lamp than the Efrite suddenly appeared before
him, immense and of terrible aspect.
"What is thy wish, O my master?" said the Efrite; "for I am the Slave
of the Lamp and of him who holds it." "My wish," answered Aladdin, "is
that you bring me another tray of food similar to the one you brought
before." Immediately the Efrite vanished, and, in a moment, appeared
again, bearing a tray of food exactly similar to the one he had brought
before. He set this down before Aladdin and then disappeared.
"Mother! Mother!" cried Aladdin in delight. "Come here and see what we
have for supper." When she hastened to him and saw the delicate food,
and smelt the rich savours, she was pleased, although she knew that
Aladdin had summoned the Efrite and commanded him to bring the tray.
"Look at it, Mother!" cried Aladdin; "and thou wouldst have me cast
away the Lamp by means of which we have gotten this repast!" "O my
son," answered she, "if the Slave of the Lamp be a devil then he is a
good devil; but, for all that, I know I should swoon again at sight of
him."
And they ate and drank and were merry, the food lasting them some days.
Then, just as a tidy housewife clears away the platter after a meal,
so, when the food was all gone, Aladdin proceeded to dispose of the
dishes as before. Taking one of them he went forth to find the Jew,
but it chanced that on his way he passed the shop of a fair-dealing
man--that is to say, not a Jew--who had no vile methods of buying
and selling, but was just, and feared God. When this man saw Aladdin
passing he called to him, and told him that he had frequently seen him
selling things to the Jew, and warned him about it. "Thou knowest not
how the Jew will trick thee," he said, "for the goods of the faithful
are fair spoil to the Jews; and it was ever so, and ever will be. If,
therefore, thou hast aught to sell, I will give thee its full value, in
the name of the Prophet."
Then Aladdin shewed him the dish of gold and he took it, and weighed it
on the scales. "Did you sell any of this kind to the Jew?" he asked.
"Yes," answered Aladdin, "many--all of them exactly the same." "And
what price did he pay you?" "A gold piece for the first, and afterwards
less." The merchant looked grieved and spat on the ground. "My son,"
he said; "it is not meet that a servant of God should fall into the
hands of the Jew. Woe unto him, accursèd! He hath cheated thee sore,
for my balance tells me truly the weight of this dish, which is of pure
gold; and its value is seventy pieces of gold. Here is the price if
thou wouldst sell."
He counted out seventy gold pieces and handed them to Aladdin, who took
them and thanked the merchant heartily for his honest exposure of the
Jew's wickedness. And thereafter he brought the remaining dishes, and
at last the tray, to that merchant, and received from him their full
value; so that Aladdin and his mother were placed above want and in a
comfortable position for people of their station in life.
During this time Aladdin had changed his ways greatly. He no longer
consorted with the ragamuffins of the street but selected for his
friends men of standing and integrity. His daily practice was to
go to the market and converse with the merchants in a serious and
business-like manner in the endeavour to learn their methods and the
value of stuffs. And often he would watch the jewellers at their work,
and the goods they handled; and, through knowledge thus acquired, he
began to suspect that the jewel-fruit he had gathered in the garden of
the cavern was not glass, as he had imagined, but real gems. By this
and that, and by comparing and asking questions, he came at length to
the certainty that he actually possessed the richest jewels in all the
earth. The smallest among them was bigger and more sparkling by far
than the largest and finest he could see in any jeweller's shop.
One day, while his mind was engaged with this amazing thing, and while
he was as usual studying the ways of the merchants in the bazaar
and the varying quality of their goods, a thing happened which was
predestined to have far-reaching results on his life. He was in the
jewellers' market, taking note of things, when a herald came by, crying
to all people: "Take heed! By command of the Sultan, King of the Age
and Lord of the Earth, let all doors be closed, and let none come
forth from shop or dwelling on pain of instant death, for the Sultan's
daughter, Bedr-el-Budur cometh to the bath! Take heed!"
Now, on hearing this, a great longing arose in Aladdin's breast to look
upon the face of Bedr-el-Budur, the Sultan's daughter. "All people
extol her loveliness," he said to himself; "and I--even if I die for
it--I will look upon her face; for something--I know not what--impels
me to gaze on Bedr-el-Budur the beautiful."
So, with this will, he speedily found the way. Hastening to the Hammam
he secreted himself behind the door so that, unobserved himself, he
might see her when she came in. And he had not long to wait, for,
presently, the Sultan's daughter arrived; and, as she entered, she
lifted the veil from her face, so that Aladdin saw her features clearly.
What a wondrous beauty was there! The witchery of her eyes! The ivory
of her skin! The jet of her glossy tresses! These, and the swaying
of her graceful body as she walked, caused Aladdin's heart to turn
to water and then to spring wildly into flame. "What a creature is
this Princess!" he said within himself. "I knew not that God had ever
created such a soul of loveliness." Then, suddenly, an overwhelming
love for her took him by the heart, and gat hold of him utterly, so
that he knew naught else for the very stress of it.
Like one walking in a dream Aladdin went home and sat him down in
dejection of spirit. For a long time he answered not his mother's
questions as to what ailed him, but continued like one who had beheld
a vision so lovely that it had deprived him of his senses. At last,
however, he looked up, and said, "O my mother, know that until to-day I
had believed that all women were of thy fashion of face, but now I find
they are not; for to-day I saw the Sultan's daughter, and she is more
beautiful than all others on earth." And Aladdin told her how he had
hidden behind the door of the Hammam, so that, when Bedr-el-Budur had
entered and lifted her veil, he had seen her clearly; and how, on that,
a great love had leapt up in his heart and filled him to the exclusion
of all else. "And there is no rest for me," he concluded, "until I win
the Lady Bedr-el-Budur, and make her my wife."
At these daring words Aladdin's mother regarded him sharply, with fear
on her face. "Art thou mad, my son?" she cried. "For, if such an insane
act is thine intention, then God save thee!" "Nay, O my mother," he
answered, "I am not mad. But, as I risked my life to see her, so will
I risk it again to win her; for, without her, life is of no account
to me. I will go to the Sultan and ask him to give me the lovely
Bedr-el-Budur for my lawful wife."
Seeing his determination his mother was sore afraid, and knew not what
to do. For a long time she reasoned with him anxiously, pointing out
what a scandal it would be for the son of a poor tailor to aspire to
the Sultan's daughter--the highest in the land, and one whom the Sultan
would scarce bestow upon a King who was his equal. Aladdin listened
very quietly, and then replied that his resolve was unshaken; and,
though he admitted the truth of all she had said, he would nevertheless
carry out his purpose, for the Lady Bedr-el-Budur was the only thing
in the world to him, and if he did not win her he would die. In vain
she suggested that there were many of his own class he might marry;
besides, to approach the Sultan on such a matter meant certain death;
unless, indeed, the Sultan thought to bind him on an ass, with his face
to the tail, and parade him through the city with the heralds shouting,
"Behold the reward of presumption and the payment of impertinence!"
These arguments, and more, his mother put before him; but Aladdin shook
his head at all of them, and remained firm in his determination. "And
further, O my mother," he said, "I wish now that thou go thyself to the
Sultan and put my request to him, for am I not thy child? And is it not
thy duty to perform this office for me?"
"O my son," she cried in despair, "wilt thou bring me into thy madness?
I, a poor woman of humble birth, to go in to the Sultan and demand the
princess for my son! Why, if I were to go even to one of our equals and
demand his daughter, I should immediately be asked what money and goods
we possessed; and, if I could not give a ready reply on that matter to
an equal, what reply, do you imagine, could I give the Sultan? Besides
all this, O my son, how shall I even gain access to the Sultan's
presence for this purpose without bearing a rich gift to offer him?
Out on thee, my son, for thy presumption! What hast thou done for thy
country, or what are thy vast possessions that the Sultan should reward
thee with his daughter?"
"Mother," answered Aladdin, "thy words have served me well, for they
have called to my recollection a thing which, through excess of love
for the Lady Bedr-el-Budur, I had forgotten. Thou sayest that thou
canst not approach the Sultan without a rich gift. Then, O my mother,
if I place in thy hands an offering richer than any King in the world
can make to any other, wilt thou carry out my desire?"
Thinking his words were wild as the wind, and that he could produce
no such offering, his mother agreed; but, remembering the Slave of
the Lamp, and what had already been done in that way, she stipulated
with Aladdin that she would carry out his wish only on condition that
it required no further invoking of the Efrite. Aladdin assured her
on this and asked her to fetch him a china bowl. Wondering greatly
she arose, and brought the bowl to him. Then Aladdin emptied into it
all the sparkling jewels which he carried within his garments, and,
when they were heaped together in the bowl they shone with a dazzling
splendour. Liking well her amazement he explained to his mother how
he had learned in the market place that what he had at first thought
were mere glass were really the rarest of precious stones, the equal of
the least of which could not be found in the treasuries of Kings. On
hearing this, and at sight of the brilliant, flashing gems, his mother
was dumbfounded, for she saw that this was indeed a treasure beyond all
imagination, and worthy of the Sultan's acceptance. But, as she had
naught to say, Aladdin spoke for her, and held her to her promise.
"Thou seest, O my mother," he said, "that this is an offering excelling
all others. Now, therefore, according to thy promise, arise straightway
and go to the Sultan, bearing these wondrous jewels. I am greatly
mistaken if he accepteth not the gift." "But, O my son," answered she
in dismay, "what can I say to him? The gift is fabulous indeed, but
still more fabulous is the request thou desirest me to put to him. For,
if I say I want his daughter for my son, he may be so angered at my
impertinence that he will take the jewels and condemn me to death. And
then he may search for thee, my son; and, when he hath found thee, and
looked upon thy face, we shall assuredly die together."
[Illustration: The Lady Bedr-el-Budur. Page 113]
Aladdin made a gesture of impatience at his mother's view of the
matter. "On my head and eye," he said angrily, "though thou art my
mother thou art verily lacking in sense. I put it to you: What man
living, yea, even though he be the Sultan, would refuse to grant thy
request when thou comest to him with the price of more than half his
kingdom? Nay, my mother,--for such thou art,--thou art surely deficient
in wisdom." And he took up the bowl of glittering jewels and weighed
the chances of them in his hand.
But his mother, silenced as she was with his shrewd words, was
terrified at the prospect of her visit to the Sultan, and still went on
raising difficulties. "Haply, O my son, he will be pleased to see me,
because of the gift; but what if he say to me, 'Who is this, thy son,
who seeketh the hand of my daughter? What is his condition and state of
life?'" "How can he ask thee that," answered Aladdin, "when the jewels
in the bowl are crying out my state and my condition? Such a thing will
never happen, except in thy mind. Do thou now arise and go to him, for
I will no longer listen to these fanciful excuses." "Nay, nay, my son,"
she cried, seeing there was no withdrawing from her promise; "I will
go, but give me till the morning to strengthen and prepare myself."
So Aladdin curbed his impatience and agreed to wait until the following
day; but, since he realised that it was not impossible that the project
might fail, and that he might have to seek to the Slave of the Lamp
for advice and help in difficulty, he spoke to his mother on the
matter. "O my mother," he said, "it was the condition of thy promise
that I should not invoke the Slave of the Lamp in the furtherance of
this my desire; yet it must be understood between us that if thou make
a blunder--which thou needst not do--then, to extricate us from a dire
calamity, I am free to rub the Lamp and see what its Slave can do for
our salvation."
His mother assented to this, for she knew, if she failed with the
Sultan, all was lost; and, in such case, even the aid of a demon would
be acceptable. "Then," said Aladdin, "see thou to it that in thy gossip
to our neighbours no word of the Lamp escape thy lips, for, if this
wonderful possession of ours become known, it will speedily pass out
of our hands and its virtues with it. Therefore keep thy counsel, O
my mother, and babble not of our secret." "Fear nothing, my son," she
replied, "the Lamp is our peculiar possession, and no word shall pass
my lips concerning it." And they ceased not to talk of their project,
and the saving powers of the Lamp, far into the night.
When morning dawned Aladdin's mother arose and prepared herself for the
visit to the Palace, and, wrapping the bowl of jewels in a cloth, went
forth early. When she arrived at the Palace she found herself among
the first there assembled, and at once fell to watching the princes
and nobles and high officials as they came in. When the audience was
full the Sultan came in and seated himself on the royal divan. All
bowed down before him, and then stood waiting with folded arms for his
permission to be seated. And, when he gave permission, all sat down in
their due order of precedence. Then he listened to their petitions in
the same order, and gave his decisions, until the hour grew late, and
the audience was declared closed. The Sultan arose and went into the
Palace, and the princes, with the nobles and the people, went their
ways. Among them went Aladdin's mother, thinking to herself that this
would be a matter of many days.
She hastened home to Aladdin, who, when he saw her with the bowl of
jewels just as when she departed, cried, "What is this, O my mother?
Hath he refused the jewels, and thy head still on thy shoulders?" "Nay,
my son," she replied; "be patient! There were many before me and I had
no opportunity." And she told him how she had gained a place in the
audience, and how it was only a matter of waiting till her turn came to
place her petition before the Sultan; perchance to-morrow or the next
day.
Aladdin was overjoyed at this; and, though his exceeding love for
the Princess probed him sore, yet he resolved to possess his soul in
patience against the fulfilment of his desire. But what he momently
expected was hourly delayed, and, from that time forth, the daily
postponement of his request added fuel to the flame of love in his
heart; for, on the following morning, his mother set forth again for
the Palace and returned again in the evening but one day nearer to the
putting of her petition. And every day thereafter she stood in the
audience with the bowl of jewels under her arm and heard the petitions,
but dared not for very timidity address the Sultan. And in this way she
continued for a whole month, while Aladdin was nursing his impatient
soul and waiting on the issue.
Now the Sultan, being observant, had noticed the woman present herself
constantly at the levée; and, at length, one day, after the audience
had dispersed and the Sultan had retired with his Grand Vizier, he
said to him, "Hearken, O Vizier! for many days have I seen an old woman
at the levée, and on each occasion she has carried a bundle under her
arm. Knowest thou aught of her?" And the Vizier, who had little esteem
for women, replied, "Doubtless a woman like other women, O our Lord!
Maybe she cometh with a deadly grievance against her husband, whom she
desires to be beheaded; and, when thou grantest her desire, she will
plead for his life, supplicating thee with tears; for such was ever
their way." But the Sultan was curious about the woman and her silent
persistence, and was not satisfied to dismiss the matter so easily. So
he commanded the Vizier to see to it that, should the woman present
herself again, she be instantly brought before him.
And so it came about. Aladdin's mother, though weary with her many
attendances, still persevered in her quest, feeling that, for the sake
of her son, she would endure all delay so that the issue might come
at last. And it came according to the Sultan's command to the Grand
Vizier; for one day the Sultan saw her waiting in the audience chamber
and ordered the Vizier to bring her forward that he might consider her
affair.
Now, at last, she was face to face with the Sultan, making obeisance
to him and kissing the ground at his feet. "I have seen thee here, O
woman, for many days," said the Sultan; "and thou hast not approached
me. If thou hast a wish that I can grant, lay it before me." At this
she kissed the ground again, and prayed fervently for the prolongation
of his life. Then she said, "O King of all the Ages, I have a request;
but, peace be on thee, it is a strange one! Wherefore I claim thy
clemency before I state it."
These words whetted the Sultan's curiosity, and, as he was a man of
great gentleness, he spoke her softly in reply, and not only assured
her of his clemency but ordered all others present to withdraw, saving
only the Grand Vizier, so that he might hear her petition in secret.
"Now, woman," said the Sultan, turning to her, "make thy petition, and
the peace and protection of God be on thee." "Thy forgiveness, also, O
King," she said. "God forgive thee if there is aught to forgive," he
replied. And at this Aladdin's mother unfolded the tale of her son's
exceeding love for Bedr-el-Budur, the Sultan's daughter: how life had
become intolerable to him because of this, and how his only thought was
to win the Lady Bedr-el-Budur for his wife, or die--either of grief,
or by the Sultan's anger. Wherefore, his life being in the balance in
any case, she had come as a last resort to beg the Sultan to bestow his
daughter on her son. And she concluded by beseeching the Sultan not to
punish either her or her son for this unparalleled hardihood.
The Sultan looked at the Grand Vizier, whose face was of stone--for the
Lady Bedr-el-Budur had already been promised to his son: a matter well
understood between them. "What sayest thou?" said the Sultan, regarding
him with merriment in his eyes. But the Grand Vizier only cast a
contemptuous look at Aladdin's mother, and answered him: "O King of the
Age! Thou knowest how to deal with this petition." At this the Sultan
laughed outright, and, turning a kindly face to the humble suppliant,
observed her minutely. "What is that bundle thou hast under thine arm?"
he said at last, remembering that she had brought it with her on every
occasion.
Aladdin's mother, greatly relieved to see the Sultan laughing, unfolded
the wrappings of the bowl and handed it to him. As soon as he took it
in his hand, and saw the size and splendid sparkle of the jewels, the
Sultan laughed no longer, but gazed at them, speechless with wonder and
admiration. Then at length, he handed the bowl to the Grand Vizier,
saying, "Upon my oath, this is a marvellous thing! Tell me, O Vizier,
have I in my treasury a single jewel that will compare with even the
smallest of these?"
The Grand Vizier also was taken aback by their dazzling loveliness and
beauty. He would have lied, saying they were glass or crystal, but the
stones themselves flashed back the purposed lie in his teeth. All he
could reply was, "Never, O my lord the King, have I beheld the like of
these; nor is there one in thy treasury that could equal the beauty
of the smallest of them." And, saying this, the Vizier turned very
pale, for neither he nor his son could approach the Sultan with such a
gift. And it was as he had feared, and as Aladdin had prophesied: the
Sultan required to know nothing further than what was before him in the
bowl, for it was evident that the giver of these rare jewels must take
precedence of all others, since, if they were sold in the market, their
price would buy a dozen Grand Viziers and their sons, to say nothing of
princes and nobles with their palaces and all. Indeed, as the Vizier
readily saw, the worth of the precious stones might equal the worth
of the Sultan's kingdom, and this caused his knees to quake, for he
quickly concluded within his mind that there was more behind this thing
than what the eye beheld: perchance the old woman's story was but the
curtain that concealed a richer treasury than Cathay had ever heard of.
"O Vizier," said the Sultan in dry and chilling tones, "it seemeth that
in this land there are men greater than the greatest. What sayest thou?
The man who sends me this kingly gift cannot conceal his greatness and
worthiness behind the thin, loose yarn spun by his messenger here.
That he is worthy of my daughter is clearly proved, O Vizier; and I,
the Sultan, King of the Age, having power over all men, do withdraw my
former promise to thee to bestow her on thy son. Bedr-el-Budur, the one
beautiful jewel in the treasury of my heart, is my gift in return to
the man who has sent me these priceless jewels."
The Grand Vizier bit his lips and pondered awhile. Then he spoke.
"Peace be on thee, O King of all the Earth. But is not thy promise
worth most of all? Thou didst pledge me thy daughter for my son, and
with that pledge I went, thinking that the whole earth and all therein
were not its value. Wherefore, O King, I pray that thou wilt allow this
matter time. If thou wilt pledge this foster mother of a prince that
thou wilt comply with her request in three months time, then it seems
to me that, by so doing, thou wilt cement the good feeling and loosen
the griefs of all parties concerned. And in the meantime--yea, I have
good reason for saying it--there will come before thee, O King of the
Age, a gift compared to which this thou hast seen is but dross."
The Sultan weighed the Grand Vizier's words in his mind, and concluded
that it would be best for all concerned to accept the gift from
Aladdin's mother and to grant her son's wish, but at the same time to
felicitate the Grand Vizier by imposing a three months' stay of the
nuptials. Accordingly, he said to the woman, "Tell thy son that he
hath my royal assent, and that I will give him my daughter in marriage;
but, as every woman knows, these things cannot be hastened, for there
are garments and necessaries to be prepared; wherefore thy son (on whom
be peace) must abide in patience for, let us say, three months. At the
end of that time he may approach me for the fulfilment of my promise."
Satisfied with this, Aladdin's mother thanked and blessed the Sultan,
and, buoyed up with a burden of delight, almost flew back to her house.
There Aladdin was awaiting for her, and, when he saw her hastening, and
noticed that she had returned without the bowl of jewels, his heart
rose high to meet her. "Hath the Sultan considered thy request?" he
cried, as she came in panting. "Hath he accepted the jewels? Tell me
that only, and I know the rest without a movement of thy tongue."
And his mother, whose haste and condition had already answered all
his questions, answered them still further with "Yea, yea, yea!" Then
she related to him the details of the interview, laying stress upon
the fact that, although the Sultan had been moved at the sight of the
jewels to make immediate arrangements for the marriage, a private word
from the Grand Vizier had led him to delay the ceremony for three
months. "Take heed, my son!" she concluded. "The Grand Vizier hath a
motive for this counsel of delay. He is thine enemy. I saw it in his
face. Beware of him!"
Aladdin was greatly relieved by her news. He felt like one jerked out
of the grave; and, where the Sultan was favourable to his suit, he was
in no mood to fear a Grand Vizier. "Nay, nay," he said, "the jewels
have the eye of the Sultan more than the Grand Vizier hath his ear.
Fear nothing, O my mother! The Sultan's word is good, and I rest
content to wait; though I know not how such a long time as three months
can be got into the calendar."
Two of these long, weary months went by, and Aladdin nursed his soul
in patience. Then a thing happened which gave him seriously to think.
On a day in the first week of the third month his mother went forth
into the market place about sunset to buy oil, and she saw that all
the shops were closed, and the people were adorning their windows with
bright garlands as if for some festivity. She wondered greatly at this,
thinking the Sultan had either changed his birthday or that another
child had been born to him. Yet she had gleaned nothing of any great
event from the gossip of her neighbours. Having, after much difficulty,
found an oil shop open, she bought her oil, and questioned the man.
"Uncle," she said; "what is abroad in the city that the people close
their shops and place candles and garlands in their windows?" "Thou art
evidently a stranger," replied the man. "Nay, I am of this city," said
she. "Then must thou cleanse thine ears," he retorted. "Hast thou not
heard that the Grand Vizier's son is to take to himself this evening
the beautiful Bedr-el-Budur? Surely, woman, thou hast been sleeping all
day on thine ears, for the news went abroad early this morning. The
Vizier's son is at the Hamman, and these soldiers and officials you see
in the streets are waiting to escort him to the palace. And, look you,
you are fortunate to get oil to-day, for all those who purvey oil to
the Grand Vizier and his household have closed their shops as a mark of
respect."
On hearing this, Aladdin's mother was so distressed that her knees
shook, and she walked away without replying--even forgetting to pay
for the oil. But the man speedily called her back and reminded her
that, though the Grand Vizier had never given him an order, she had,
and the price of the oil was such and such. In confusion of face she
paid him and then hurried away, the oilman looking after her and
wondering what manner of woman was this. Had he known all, he might
have wondered more, or ceased to wonder.
Meanwhile, Aladdin's mother went home in a state of great
consternation. Though her feet hastened, her heart lagged behind
her, for she knew not how to tell her son the terrible news. She was
afraid that after his joy at the Sultan's promise, and his patient
waiting, this blow would send him from his mind. Then she contrived it
in her thoughts that it was best to provoke her son's anger against
the Sultan, rather than his grief at the loss of Bedr-el-Budur.
Accordingly, as soon as she entered the house and found him sitting
thinking, as was his wont of late, she said, "O my son, who can put
trust in a King? When I went to buy oil, I found that the Sultan had
proclaimed a holiday, and all the shops were closed except one. Tush!
There is no faith in Sultans!"
"How now, O my mother?" answered Aladdin. "Treason hath a loud voice.
With the Sultan and the Grand Vizier, _hush_! What ails thee? Thy hand
is a-tremble." And she answered him: "O my son, there is no faith nor
trust but in God. Said I not to thee that the Grand Vizier was thine
enemy? Out on him and the Sultan, for their word is but hot wind, and
there is no faith in the promise of a King." "I see by thy face and by
thy speech," said Aladdin, "that thou hast some bad news. What is it, O
my mother?"
Then his mother told how that the Sultan had violated his covenant, and
how the marriage of the Lady Bedr-el-Budur to the Grand Vizier's son
was to take place that very evening. For this she heaped abuse upon
the Grand Vizier, saying that it was only the worst of men that could
so lead the Sultan to break his promise. When she had told all, and
Aladdin understood how the matter lay, he arose, more in anger than
in grief, and cried out against the Grand Vizier and cursed all the
parties concerned in the affair. But presently he remembered that, when
all seemed lost, he still had the Lamp, and that was something in time
of trouble and difficulty. So he suddenly restrained his speech and
fell to thinking what manner of death the Vizier's son should die. His
mother, seeing him in better spirits, questioned him. "What now, O my
son?" she said. "Is thy bitterness of feeling gone? What gift wilt thou
send the wedded pair? Peradventure another bowl of jewels?" She spoke
mockingly for she wanted him to spend his wrath and save his reason.
"Nay, O my mother," replied Aladdin lightly; "they are not wedded yet;
and, on my head and eye, verily it is not every knot that holds."
With this he arose and retired to his own chamber, where he brought
out the Lamp. Then, having considered well the manner of his wish, he
rubbed it. Immediately the Efrite stepped out of the unseen and stood
before him, saying, "Thou hast invoked me: what is thy desire? I am
the Slave of the Lamp in thy hand and am here to do thy bidding." And
Aladdin answered: "Know, O Slave of the Lamp, that the Sultan promised
me his daughter for my wife, but he has broken his word, and this night
she is to be united with the Grand Vizier's son; wherefore I wish
that, as soon as the pair retire, thou take them up, with the couch
whereon they lie, and bring them hither to me." "I hear and obey," said
the Slave of the Lamp, and immediately vanished.
Aladdin waited expectantly for some time, for he guessed that the
moment would not be long delayed when the wedded pair would retire
from the ceremonies. And his guess was right, for when he had waited a
little longer, suddenly a cold blast of air swept through the chamber;
the wall opened and there appeared the Efrite bearing in his arms the
wedded pair upon the nuptial couch. They had been transported in the
twinkling of an eye, and, when the Efrite had set the couch down at
Aladdin's feet, they were both stupefied with astonishment at this
proceeding.
"Take that scurvy thief," said Aladdin to the Efrite, pointing to the
Vizier's son, "and bind him and lodge him in the wood-closet for the
night." And the Efrite did so. He took up the Vizier's son in one hand,
and, reaching with the other for cords, drew them from the invisible
and bound the miscreant securely. Then he placed him in the wood-closet
and blew an icy blast upon him to comfort him. Returning to Aladdin he
said, "It is done, O Master of the Lamp! Is there aught else thou dost
desire?" "Naught but this," replied Aladdin. "In the morning, when the
Sultan is proceeding towards their chamber to wish them long life and
happiness, convey them back thither in a state of sleep so that the
Sultan's knock at their door may wake them." "I will obey," said the
Efrite, and, in a moment, the air closed over him and he was gone.
And Aladdin smiled to himself to think that this thing had been done.
Then he turned to the Lady Bedr-el-Budur, who was sitting weeping on
the couch. "O lovely one," said he, "weep not; for I would not hurt one
hair of thy head, nor sully thine honour in any way. Know that I love
thee too much to harm thee; but, since thy father the Sultan promised
me thee, and has violated his word, I am determined that none other
shall call thee his. Rest in peace, lovely lady; for neither am I thy
husband nor the thief of thy husband's honour. Wherefore, weep not, but
rest in peace."
So saying he took a sword that hung on the wall of his chamber, and,
having placed it by her side in token of security, he stretched himself
upon the couch so that they lay with the sword between them. Thus they
passed the night. The Sultan's daughter wept the long night through,
and Aladdin could not close his eyes for thinking of his unfortunate
rival's condition in the wood-closet. Towards morning Bedr-el-Budur,
utterly exhausted with weeping, fell asleep; and, as Aladdin gazed
upon her, he saw that indeed her loveliness was rare; and, the more
he gazed, the more he thought of the unhappy fate of the Vizier's
son. Never was a man so badly treated as to be bound fast on his
wedding night and laid in a wood-cellar in deadly fear of the dreadful
apparition that had placed him there.
In the morning, while Bedr-el-Budur still slept, the Slave of the Lamp
appeared according to Aladdin's command. "O my master," he said, "the
Sultan hath left his couch and is about to knock at the door of the
bridal chamber. I am here to perform thy bidding on the instant." "So
be it," answered Aladdin. "Convey them together on the couch back to
their place." And scarcely had he spoken when the Efrite vanished and
reappeared with the Vizier's son, whom he quickly unbound and laid
upon the couch beside the sleeping Bedr-el-Budur. Then, lifting the
couch with the two upon it, he vanished, and Aladdin knew that, before
the Sultan had knocked at the door of the bridal chamber, everything
would be as it had been. Everything? No, not everything; for the Lady
Bedr-el-Budur must awake as from a terrible nightmare; and, as for the
Vizier's son, would he sing a song to the Sultan about spending the
night in the wood-closet? Aladdin pondered over this and decided that
nothing less than a repetition of the affair would wring the truth from
either of them.
At this moment the Sultan knocked at the door of the bridal chamber
in the Palace, and the Vizier's son, still cold from the wood-closet,
arose and opened to him. The Sultan advanced to the couch, and kissed
his daughter, and asked her if she was happy and content. By way of
answer she glared at him in sullen silence, for she had not forgotten,
in dreams or in waking, what had happened to her. The Sultan, not
understanding what had befallen, and feeling annoyed, turned and left
the chamber to lay the matter before the Queen, to whose ear their
daughter's tongue might the more easily be loosed. So he came to the
Queen and told her how Bedr-el-Budur had received him, concluding his
recital with the remark, "Thus it is; there is trouble behind the door
of that bridal chamber."
But the Queen smiled at his serious fears and answered him: "O my
Lord the King, thou knowest little of the heart of a woman. When it
is happiest, a trifle makes it sad; and, when it would send tears of
laughter and joy to the eyes, it sometimes turns perverse against
itself for very gladness, and sends tears of pain instead. Wherefore,
be not angry with her, but let me go and see her. She will surely
confide in me."
So saying, she arose and robed herself, and went to the bridal
chamber. At first sight of her daughter's dejected attitude and pained
expression she imagined that some lovers' quarrel over a mere trifle
had occurred; but when she kissed her, wishing her good morning, and
Bedr-el-Budur answered no word to her salutation, she began to think
that some grave trouble rested on her daughter's mind. And it was not
until she had coaxed her, and used every argument known to a mother,
that she received an answer to her questions. "Be not angry with me,
O my mother," said Bedr-el-Budur at last, raising her sad, beautiful
eyes, "but know that a terrible thing has happened,--a thing which I
hardly dare tell thee lest thou think I have lost my reason. Scarcely
had we retired, O my mother, when there suddenly appeared a huge
black shape,--terrible, horrific in aspect; and this--I know not what
nor who--lifted the couch whereon we lay and conveyed us in a flash
to some dark and vile abode of the common people." And then to her
mother's astonished ears she unfolded the tale of all that had happened
during the night till, suddenly, in the morning, she awoke to find the
monstrous shape replacing them in the bridal chamber at the moment her
father the Sultan had knocked at the door. "And that, O my mother,"
she concluded, "is why I could not answer my father, for I was so
bewildered and stricken with unhappiness that I thought that I was mad;
though, now I have thought about the affair from beginning to end, I
know that I have my wits like any other."
"Truly, O my daughter," said the Queen with great concern, "if thou
were to tell this story to thy father he would say thou wert mad.
Wherefore, I counsel thee, child, tell it to him not; neither to him
nor to any other one." "Nay, O my mother," answered Bedr-el-Budur,
"dost thou doubt me? I have told thee the plain truth, and, if thou
doubt it, ask my husband if my tale be true or not." But the Queen
replied, "Sweep these fancies from thy mind, O my daughter; and arise
and robe thyself to attend the rejoicings which this day have been
prepared in the City in thine honour. For the whole people is in glad
array, and the drums will beat and music will delight the ears of all;
and the musicians will sing thy praises and all will wish thee long
life and happiness."
Leaving Bedr-el-Budur, then, with her tirewomen, the Queen sought
the Sultan, and begged him not to be angry with their daughter, for
she had been distressed with unhappy dreams. Then she sent for the
Vizier's son to come to her secretly, and, when he stood before her,
she related to him what Bedr-el-Budur had told her, and asked him if
it were true or if he knew aught of it. "Nay," he answered, for he had
thought the matter over and feared that the truth might rob him of his
bride; besides, his acquaintance with the wood-closet seemed to him
discreditable, and he felt little inclined to boast of it. "Nay, O my
lady the Queen," said he; "I know naught of these things beyond what
thou hast told me."
From this there was no doubt left in the Queen's mind that her daughter
had suffered from a nightmare so vivid that she had been unable easily
to cast it from her. Nevertheless, she felt assured that, as the day
wore on, with its gaieties and rejoicings, Bedr-el-Budur would be
enabled to rid herself of these troublous imaginings of the night, and
resume her former self.
[Illustration: The Sultan and his Vizier looking for Aladdin's magic
Palace. Page 122]
All that day the City was thrown into a state of the utmost festivity
which the Sultan and the Queen busied themselves to augment, for to
restore their daughter's happiness was their chief concern. The Grand
Vizier, who knew only that his daughter-in-law had been troubled by
evil dreams, laid this not to his conscience in that he had persuaded
the Sultan to break his pledge, but attempted rather to mend matters by
adopting every means in his power to increase the universal gaiety. The
drums beat, and music echoed through the City. Trumpeters went forth,
fanfaring the beauty of Bedr-el-Budur; heralds proclaimed her graces
in the streets and byways; singers extolled her charms; and the heavy
burden of taxation was lifted from the people's backs for one month, so
that they might stand up for a little and see what a great man was the
Grand Vizier in the Sultan's eyes, and what a charming person his son
must be to deserve the beautiful cause of these wonderful things. As
for the Vizier's son, he ceased not to pursue all manner of gaieties,
thinking thereby to convince himself that the wood-closet was naught
but an odious dream. But all this festivity and rejoicing failed to
dispel Bedr-el-Budur's gloom. Being of a sincere nature, she could not
pretend like the Vizier's son, nor could she love him the better for
stoutly denying what was plain truth to them both.
And, as the City went about its gladness without restraint, Aladdin
strolled forth from his mother's house and viewed it all from the
point of view of one who knows. When he surveyed the delighted rabble
rejoicing over the happiness of bride and bridegroom he laughed
within himself, saying, "Little they know!" But when he heard all men
envying the great honour and distinction of the Grand Vizier's
son, and praising him in that his excellent qualities had won the
heart of the Lady Bedr-el-Budur, he feared that he might die for
laughing. "Verily, ye glad people," he said within himself, "ye would
envy him to distraction if ye only knew that he would far sooner
rest in a wood-closet than on the bridal couch. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ye doubt
me? Then come and peep into the wood-closet to-night, ye rabble! and
see for yourselves what a happy bridegroom he makes of himself, the
gallows-bird that he is!"