ready to go, when somebody knocked at the door, which he
immediately opened: and the magician came in loaded with wine,
and all sorts of fruits, which he brought for a dessert.
After the African magician had given what he brought into Alla ad
Deen's hands, he saluted his mother, and desired her to shew him
the place where his brother Mustapha used to sit on the sofa; and
when she had so done, he fell down and kissed it several times,
crying out with tears in his eyes, "My poor brother! How unhappy
am I, not to have come soon enough to give you one last embrace."
Alla ad Deen's mother desired him to sit down in the same place,
but he declined. "No," said he, "I shall take care how I do that;
but give me leave to sit opposite to it, that although I am
deprived of the satisfaction of seeing the master of a family so
dear to me, I may at least have the pleasure of beholding the
place where he used to sit." The widow pressed him no farther,
but left him at liberty to sit where he pleased.
When the magician had made choice of a place, and sat down, he
began to enter into discourse with Alla ad Deen's mother. "My
good sister," said he, "do not be surprised at your never having
seen me all the time you have been married to my brother Mustapha
of happy memory. I have been forty years absent from this
country, which is my native place, as well as my late brother's;
and during that time have travelled into the Indies, Persia,
Arabia, Syria, and Egypt, have resided in the finest towns of
those countries; and afterwards crossed over into Africa, where I
made a longer stay. At last, as it is natural for a man, how
distant soever it may be, to remember his native country,
relations, and acquaintance, I was desirous to see mine again,
and to embrace my dear brother; and finding I had strength enough
to undertake so long a journey, I immediately made the necessary
preparations, and set out. I will not tell you the length of time
it took me, all the obstacles I met with, and what fatigues I
have endured, to come hither; but nothing ever mortified and
afflicted me so much, as hearing of my brother's death, for whom
I always had a brotherly love and friendship. I observed his
features in the face of my nephew, your son, and distinguished
him among a number of children with whom he was at play; he can
tell you how I received the most melancholy news that ever
reached my ears. But God be praised for all things! It is a
comfort for me to find, as it were, my brother in a son, who has
his most remarkable features."
The African magician perceiving that the widow began to weep at
the remembrance of her husband, changed the conversation, and
turning towards her son, asked him his name. "I am called Alla ad
Deen," said he. "Well, Alla ad Deen," replied the magician, "what
business do you follow? Are you of any trade?"
At this question the youth hung down his head, and was not a
little abashed when his mother answered, "Alla ad Deen is an idle
fellow; his father, when alive, strove all he could to teach him
his trade, but could not succeed; and since his death,
notwithstanding all I can say to him, he does nothing but idle
away his time in the streets, as you saw him, without considering
he is no longer a child; and if you do not make him ashamed of
it, I despair of his ever coming to any good. He knows that his
father left him no fortune, and sees me endeavour to get bread by
spinning cotton; for my part, I am resolved one of these days to
turn him out of doors, and let him provide for himself."
After these words, Alla ad Deen's mother burst into tears; and
the magician said, "This is not well, nephew; you must think of
helping yourself, and getting your livelihood. There are many
sorts of trades, consider if you have not an inclination to some
of them; perhaps you did not like your father's, and would prefer
another: come, do not disguise your sentiments from me; I will
endeavour to help you." But finding that Alla ad Deen returned no
answer, "If you have no mind," continued he, "to learn any
handicraft, I will take a shop for you, furnish it with all sorts
of fine stuffs and linens; and with the money you make of them
lay in fresh goods, and then you will live in an honourable way.
Consult your inclination, and tell me freely what you think of my
proposal: you shall always find me ready to keep my word."
This plan greatly flattered Alla ad Deen, who hated work, but had
sense enough to know that such shops were much frequented, and
the owners respected. He told the magician he had a greater
inclination to that business than to any other, and that he
should be much obliged to him for his kindness. "Since this
profession is agreeable to you," said the African magician, "I
will carry you with me to-morrow, clothe you as handsomely as the
best merchants in the city, and afterwards we will think of
opening a shop as I mentioned."
The widow, who never till then could believe that the magician
was her husband's brother, no longer doubted after his promises
of kindness to her son. She thanked him for his good intentions;
and after having exhorted Alla ad Deen to render himself worthy
of his uncle's favour by good behaviour, served up supper, at
which they talked of several indifferent matters; and then the
magician, who saw that the night was pretty far advanced, took
his leave, and retired.
He came again the next day, as he had promised, and took Alla ad
Deen with him to a merchant, who sold all sorts of clothes for
different ages and ranks ready made, and a variety of fine
stuffs. He asked to see some that suited Alla ad Deen in size;
and after choosing a suit for himself which he liked best, and
rejecting others which he did not think handsome enough, he bade
Alla ad Deen choose those he preferred. Alla ad Deen, charmed
with the liberality of his new uncle, made choice of one, and the
magician immediately paid for it.
When Alla ad Deen found himself so handsomely equipped, he
returned his uncle thanks; who promised never to forsake him, but
always to take him along with him; which he did to the most
frequented places in the city, and particularly where the
principal merchants kept their shops.
When he brought him into the street where they sold the richest
stuffs, and finest linens, he said to Alla ad Deen, "As you are
soon to be a merchant, it is proper you should frequent these
shops, and be acquainted with them." He then shewed him the
largest and finest mosques, carried him to the khans or inns
where the merchants and travellers lodged, and afterwards to the
sultan's palace, where he had free access; and at last brought
him to his own khan, where meeting with some merchants he had
become acquainted with since his arrival, he gave them a treat,
to bring them and his pretended nephew acquainted.
This entertainment lasted till night, when Alla ad Deen would
have taken leave of his uncle to go home; the magician would not
let him go by himself, but conducted him to his mother, who, as
soon as she saw him so well dressed, was transported with joy,
and bestowed a thousand blessings upon the magician, for being at
so great an expense upon her child. "Generous relation!" said
she, "I know not how to thank you for your liberality! I know
that my son is not deserving of your favours; and were he ever so
grateful, and answered your good intentions, he would be unworthy
of them. I thank you with all my soul, and wish you may live long
enough to witness my son's gratitude, which he cannot better shew
than by regulating his conduct by your good advice." "Alla ad
Deen," replied the magician, "is a good boy, and I believe we
shall do very well; but I am sorry for one thing, which is, that
I cannot perform to-morrow what I promised, because, as it is
Friday, the shops will be shut up, and therefore we cannot hire
or furnish one, but must wait till Saturday. I will, however,
call on him to-morrow and take him to walk in the gardens, where
people of the best fashion generally resort. Perhaps he has never
seen these amusements, he has only hitherto been among children;
but now he must see men." The African magician took his leave of
the mother and the son, and retired. Alla ad Deen, who was
overjoyed to be so well clothed, anticipated the pleasure of
walking in the gardens. He had never been out of the town, nor
seen the environs, which were very beautiful and pleasant.
Alla ad Deen rose early the next morning, dressed himself, to be
ready when his uncle called on him; and after he had waited some
time, began to be impatient, and stood watching at the door; but
as soon as he perceived him coming, he told his mother, took his
leave of her, and ran to meet him.
The magician caressed Alla ad Deen, and said, "Come, my dear
child, and I will shew you fine things." He then led him out at
one of the gates of the city, to some magnificent houses, or
rather palaces, to each of which belonged beautiful gardens, into
which anybody might enter. At every building he came to, he asked
Alla ad Deen if he did not think it fine; and the youth was ready
to answer when any one presented itself, crying out, "Here is a
finer house, uncle, than any we have seen yet." By this artifice,
the cunning magician led Alla ad Deen some way into the country;
and as he meant to carry him farther, to execute his design, he
took an opportunity to sit down in one of the gardens on the
brink of a fountain of clear water, which discharged itself by a
lion's mouth of bronze into a basin, pretending to be tired.
"Come, nephew," said he, "you must be weary as well as I; let us
rest ourselves, and we shall be better able to pursue our walk."
After they had sat down, the magician pulled from his girdle a
handkerchief with cakes and fruit, which he had provided, and
laid them on the edge of the basin. He broke a cake in two, gave
one half to Alla ad Deen, and ate the other himself; and in
regard to the fruit, left him at liberty to take which sort he
liked best. During this short repast, he exhorted his nephew to
leave off keeping company with vagabonds, and seek that of wise
and prudent men, to improve by their conversation. "For," said
he, "you will soon be at man's estate, and you cannot too early
begin to imitate their example." When they had eaten as much as
they liked, they got up, and pursued their walk through gardens
separated from one another only by small ditches, which marked
out the limits without interrupting the communication; so great
was the confidence the inhabitants reposed in each other. By this
means, the African magician drew Alla ad Deen insensibly beyond
the gardens, and crossed the country, till they nearly reached
the mountains.
Alla ad Deen, who had never been so far before, began to find
himself much tired with so long a walk, and said to the magician,
"Where are we going, uncle? We have left the gardens a great way
behind us, and I see nothing but mountains; if we go much
further, I do not know whether I shall be able to reach the town
again?" "Never fear, nephew," said the false uncle; "I will shew
you another garden which surpasses all we have yet seen; it is
not far off; and when we come there, you will say that you would
have been sorry to have been so nigh, and not seen it." Alla ad
Deen was soon persuaded; and the magician, to make the way seem
shorter and less fatiguing, told him a great many stories.
At last they arrived between two mountains of moderate height,
and equal size, divided by a narrow valley, which was the place
where the magician intended to execute the design that had
brought him from Africa to China. "We will go no farther now,"
said he to Alla ad Deen: "I will shew you here some extraordinary
things, which, when you have seen, you will thank me for: but
while I strike a light, gather up all the loose dry sticks you
can see, to kindle a fire with."
Alla ad Deen found so many dried sticks, that before the magician
had made a light, he had collected a great heap. The magician
presently set them on fire, and when they were in a blaze, threw
in some incense which raised a cloud of smoke. This he dispersed
on each side, by pronouncing several magical words which Alla ad
Deen did not understand.
At the same time the earth trembling, opened just before the
magician, and uncovered a stone, laid horizontally, with a brass
ring fixed into the middle. Alla ad Deen was so frightened at
what he saw, that he would have run away; but the magician caught
hold of him, abused him, and gave him such a box on the ear, that
he knocked him down. Alla ad Deen got up trembling, and with
tears in his eyes, said to the magician, "What have I done,
uncle, to be treated in this severe manner?" "I have my reasons,"
answered the magician: "I am your uncle, I supply the place of
your father, and you ought to make no reply. But, child," added
he, softening, "do not be afraid; for I shall not ask any thing
of you, but that you obey me punctually, if you would reap the
advantages which I intend you." These fair promises calmed Alla
ad Deen's fears and resentment; and when the magician saw that he
was appeased, he said to him, "You see what I have done by virtue
of my incense, and the words I pronounced. Know then, that under
this stone there is hidden a treasure, destined to be yours, and
which will make you richer than the greatest monarch in the
world: no person but yourself is permitted to lift this stone, or
enter the cave; so you must punctually execute what I may
command, for it is a matter of great consequence both to you and
me."
Alla ad Deen, amazed at all he saw and heard the magician say of
the treasure which was to make him happy, forgot what was past,
and rising, said, "Well, uncle, what is to be done? Command me, I
am ready to obey." "I am overjoyed, child," said the African
magician, embracing him; "take hold of the ring, and lift up that
stone." "Indeed, uncle," replied Alla ad Deen, "I am not strong
enough, you must help me." "You have no occasion for my
assistance," answered the magician; "if I help you, we shall be
able to do nothing; take hold of the ring, pronounce the names of
your father and grandfather, then lift it up, and you will find
it will come easily." Alla ad Deen did as the magician bade him,
raised the stone with ease, and laid it on one side.
When the stone was pulled up, there appeared a cavity of about
three or four feet deep, with a little door, and steps to go down
lower. "Observe, my son," said the African magician, "what I
direct. Descend into the cave, and when you are at the bottom of
those steps you will find a door open, which will lead you into a
spacious vault, divided into three great halls, in each of which
you will see four large brass cisterns placed on each side, full
of gold and silver; but take care you do not meddle with them.
Before you enter the first hall, be sure to tuck up your vest,
wrap it about you, and then pass through the second into the
third without stopping. Above all things, have a care that you do
not touch the walls, so much as with your clothes; for if you do,
you will die instantly. At the end of the third hall, you will
find a door which opens into a garden planted with fine trees
loaded with fruit; walk directly across the garden by a path
which will lead you to five steps that will bring you upon a
terrace, where you will see a niche before you, and in that niche
a lighted lamp. Take the lamp down, and extinguish it: when you
have thrown away the wick, and poured out the liquor, put it in
your vestband and bring it to me. Do not be afraid that the
liquor will spoil your clothes, for it is not oil; and the lamp
will be dry as soon as it is thrown out. If you should wish for
any of the fruit of the garden, you may gather as much as you
please."
After these words, the magician drew a ring off his finger, and
put it on one of Alla ad Deen's, telling him that it was a
preservative against all evil, while he should observe what he
had prescribed to him. After this instruction he said, "Go down
boldly, child, and we shall both be rich all our lives."
Alla ad Deen jumped into the cave, descended the steps, and found
the three halls just as the African magician had described. He
went through them with all the precaution the fear of death could
inspire; crossed the garden without stopping, took down the lamp
from the niche, threw out the wick and the liquor, and, as the
magician had desired, put it in his vestband. But as he came down
from the terrace, seeing it was perfectly dry, he stopped in the
garden to observe the fruit, which he only had a glimpse of in
crossing it. All the trees were loaded with extraordinary fruit,
of different colours on each tree. Some bore fruit entirely
white, and some clear and transparent as crystal; some pale red,
and others deeper; some green, blue, and purple, and others
yellow: in short, there was fruit of all colours. The white were
pearls; the clear and transparent, diamonds; the deep red,
rubies; the paler, rubies; the green, emeralds; the blue,
turquoises; the purple, amethysts; and those that were of yellow
cast, sapphires. Alla ad Deen was altogether ignorant of their
worth, and would have preferred figs and grapes, or any other
fruits. But though he took them only for coloured glass of little
value, yet he was so pleased with the variety of the colours, and
the beauty and extraordinary size of the seeming fruit, that he
resolved to gather some of every sort; and accordingly filled the
two new purses his uncle had bought for him with his clothes.
Some he wrapped up in the skirts of his vest, which was of silk,
large and wrapping, and crammed his bosom as full as it could
hold.
Alla ad Deen, having thus loaded himself with riches he knew not
the value of, returned through the three halls with the same
precaution, made all the haste he could, that he might not make
his uncle wait, and soon arrived at the mouth of the cave, where
the African magician expected him with the utmost impatience. As
soon as Alla ad Deen saw him, he cried out, "Pray, uncle, lend me
your hand, to help me out." "Give me the lamp first," replied the
magician; "it will be troublesome to you." "Indeed, uncle,"
answered Alla ad Deen, "I cannot now; it is not troublesome to
me: but I will as soon as I am up." The African magician was so
obstinate, that he would have the lamp before he would help him
up; and Alla ad Deen, who had encumbered himself so much with his
fruit that he could not well get at it, refused to give it to him
till he was out of the cave. The African magician, provoked at
this obstinate refusal, flew into a passion, threw a little of
his incense into the fire, which he had taken care to keep in,
and no sooner pronounced two magical words, than the stone which
had closed the mouth of the cave moved into its place, with the
earth over it in the same manner as it lay at the arrival of the
magician and Alla ad Deen.
This action of the African magician's plainly shewed him to be
neither Alla ad Deen's uncle, nor Mustapha the tailor's brother;
but a true African. Africa is a country whose inhabitants delight
most in magic of any in the whole world, and he had applied
himself to it from his youth. After forty years' experience in
enchantments, geomancy, fumigations, and reading of magic books,
he had found out that there was in the world a wonderful lamp,
the possession of which would render him more powerful than any
monarch; and by a late operation of geomancy, he had discovered
that this lamp lay concealed in a subterraneous place in the
midst of China, in the situation already described. Fully
persuaded of the truth of this discovery, he set out from the
farthest part of Africa; and after a long and fatiguing journey,
came to the town nearest to this treasure. But though he had a
certain knowledge of the place where the lamp was, he was not
permitted to take it himself, nor to enter the .subterraneous
place, but must receive it from the hands of another person. For
this reason he had addressed himself to Alla ad Deen, whom he
looked upon as a young lad whose life was of no consequence, and
fit to serve his purpose, resolving, as soon as he should get the
lamp into his hands, to sacrifice him to his avarice and
wickedness, by making the fumigation mentioned before, and
repeating two magical words, the effect of which would remove the
stone into its place, so that no witness would remain of the
transaction.
The blow he had given Alla ad Deen was intended to make him obey
the more readily, and give him the lamp as soon as he should ask
for it. But his too great precipitation, and his fear lest
somebody should come that way during their dispute, and discover
what he wished to keep secret, produced an effect quite contrary
to what he had proposed to himself.
When the African magician saw that all his hopes were frustrated
forever, he returned the same day for Africa; but went quite
round the town, and at some distance from it, lest some persons
who had observed him walk out with the boy, on seeing him come
back without him, should entertain any suspicions, and stop him.
According to all appearances, there was no prospects of Alla ad
Deen being any more heard of. But the magician, when he had
contrived his death, forgot the ring he had put upon his finger,
which preserved him, though he knew not its virtue. It may seem
astonishing that the loss of that, together with the lamp, did
not drive the magician to despair; but magicians are so much used
to misfortunes, and events contrary to their wishes, that they do
not lay them to heart, but still feed themselves, to the end of
life, with unsubstantial notions and chimeras.
The surprise of Alla ad Deen, who had never suspected this
treachery from his pretended uncle, after all his caresses and
what he had done for him, is more easily to be imagined than
expressed. When he found himself buried alive, he cried, and
called out to his uncle, to tell him he was ready to give him the
lamp; but in vain, since his cries could not be heard. He
descended to the bottom of the steps, with a design to get into
the garden, but the door, which was opened before by enchantment,
was now shut by the same means. He then redoubled his cries and
tears, sat down on the steps, without any hopes of ever seeing
light again, and in a melancholy certainty of passing from the
present darkness into that of a speedy death.
Alla ad Deen remained in this state two days, without eating or
drinking, and on the third looked upon death as inevitable.
Clasping his hands with an entire resignation to the will of God,
he said, "There is no strength or power but in the great and high
God." In this action of joining his hands he rubbed the ring
which the magician had put on his finger, and of which he knew
not yet the virtue. Immediately a genie of enormous size and
frightful aspect rose out of the earth, his head reaching the
roof of the vault, and said to him, "What wouldst thou have? I am
ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all who may
possess the ring on thy finger; I, and the other slaves of that
ring."
At another time, Alla ad Deen, who had not been used to such
appearances, would have been so frightened at the sight of so
extraordinary a figure that he would not have been able to speak;
but the danger he was in made him answer without hesitation,
"Whoever thou art, deliver me from this place, if thou art able."
He had no sooner spoken these words, than he found himself on the
very spot where the magician had caused the earth to open.