The Blue Fairy Book
fetch a higher price. Instantly a hideous genie appeared, and asked what
she would have. She fainted away, but Aladdin, snatching the lamp, said
boldly: “Fetch me something to eat!” The genie returned with a silver
bowl, twelve silver plates containing rich meats, two silver cups, and
two bottles of wine. Aladdin’s mother, when she came to herself, said:
“Whence comes this splendid feast?” “Ask not, but eat,” replied Aladdin.
So they sat at breakfast till it was dinner-time, and Aladdin told his
mother about the lamp. She begged him to sell it, and have nothing to do
with devils. “No,” said Aladdin, “since chance hath made us aware of
its virtues, we will use it, and the ring likewise, which I shall always
wear on my finger.” When they had eaten all the genie had brought,
Aladdin sold one of the silver plates, and so on until none were left.
He then had recourse to the genie, who gave him another set of plates,
and thus they lived for many years.
One day Aladdin heard an order from the Sultan proclaimed that everyone
was to stay at home and close his shutters while the Princess, his
daughter, went to and from the bath. Aladdin was seized by a desire to
see her face, which was very difficult, as she always went veiled. He
hid himself behind the door of the bath, and peeped through a chink. The
Princess lifted her veil as she went in, and looked so beautiful that
Aladdin fell in love with her at first sight. He went home so changed
that his mother was frightened. He told her he loved the Princess so
deeply that he could not live without her, and meant to ask her in
marriage of her father. His mother, on hearing this, burst out laughing,
but Aladdin at last prevailed upon her to go before the Sultan and carry
his request. She fetched a napkin and laid in it the magic fruits from
the enchanted garden, which sparkled and shone like the most beautiful
jewels. She took these with her to please the Sultan, and set out,
trusting in the lamp. The Grand Vizier and the lords of council had
just gone in as she entered the hall and placed herself in front of the
Sultan. He, however, took no notice of her. She went every day for a
week, and stood in the same place. When the council broke up on the
sixth day the Sultan said to his Vizier: “I see a certain woman in the
audience-chamber every day carrying something in a napkin. Call her next
time, that I may find out what she wants.” Next day, at a sign from the
Vizier, she went up to the foot of the throne and remained kneeling till
the Sultan said to her: “Rise, good woman, and tell me what you want.”
She hesitated, so the Sultan sent away all but the Vizier, and bade
her speak frankly, promising to forgive her beforehand for anything she
might say. She then told him of her son’s violent love for the Princess.
“I prayed him to forget her,” she said, “but in vain; he threatened to
do some desperate deed if I refused to go and ask your Majesty for the
hand of the Princess. Now I pray you to forgive not me alone, but my
son Aladdin.” The Sultan asked her kindly what she had in the
napkin, whereupon she unfolded the jewels and presented them. He was
thunderstruck, and turning to the Vizier said: “What sayest thou? Ought
I not to bestow the Princess on one who values her at such a price?” The
Vizier, who wanted her for his own son, begged the Sultan to withhold
her for three months, in the course of which he hoped his son would
contrive to make him a richer present. The Sultan granted this, and told
Aladdin’s mother that, though he consented to the marriage, she must not
appear before him again for three months.
Aladdin waited patiently for nearly three months, but after two had
elapsed his mother, going into the city to buy oil, found every one
rejoicing, and asked what was going on. “Do you not know,” was the
answer, “that the son of the Grand Vizier is to marry the Sultan’s
daughter to-night?” Breathless, she ran and told Aladdin, who was
overwhelmed at first, but presently bethought him of the lamp. He rubbed
it, and the genie appeared, saying, “What is thy will?” Aladdin replied:
“The Sultan, as thou knowest, has broken his promise to me, and the
Vizier’s son is to have the Princess. My command is that to-night you
bring hither the bride and bridegroom.” “Master, I obey,” said the
genie. Aladdin then went to his chamber, where, sure enough, at midnight
the genie transported the bed containing the Vizier’s son and the
Princess. “Take this new-married man,” he said, “and put him outside in
the cold, and return at daybreak.” Whereupon the genie took the Vizier’s
son out of bed, leaving Aladdin with the Princess. “Fear nothing,”
Aladdin said to her; “you are my wife, promised to me by your unjust
father, and no harm shall come to you.” The Princess was too frightened
to speak, and passed the most miserable night of her life, while Aladdin
lay down beside her and slept soundly. At the appointed hour the
genie fetched in the shivering bridegroom, laid him in his place, and
transported the bed back to the palace.
Presently the Sultan came to wish his daughter good-morning. The unhappy
Vizier’s son jumped up and hid himself, while the Princess would not say
a word, and was very sorrowful. The Sultan sent her mother to her, who
said: “How comes it, child, that you will not speak to your father? What
has happened?” The Princess sighed deeply, and at last told her mother
how, during the night, the bed had been carried into some strange house,
and what had passed there. Her mother did not believe her in the least,
but bade her rise and consider it an idle dream.
The following night exactly the same thing happened, and next morning,
on the Princess’s refusal to speak, the Sultan threatened to cut off her
head. She then confessed all, bidding him to ask the Vizier’s son if it
were not so. The Sultan told the Vizier to ask his son, who owned the
truth, adding that, dearly as he loved the Princess, he had rather die
than go through another such fearful night, and wished to be separated
from her. His wish was granted, and there was an end to feasting and
rejoicing.
When the three months were over, Aladdin sent his mother to remind the
Sultan of his promise. She stood in the same place as before, and the
Sultan, who had forgotten Aladdin, at once remembered him, and sent for
her. On seeing her poverty the Sultan felt less inclined than ever to
keep his word, and asked his Vizier’s advice, who counselled him to set
so high a value on the Princess that no man living could come up to
it. The Sultan then turned to Aladdin’s mother, saying: “Good woman, a
Sultan must remember his promises, and I will remember mine, but your
son must first send me forty basins of gold brimful of jewels, carried
by forty black slaves, led by as many white ones, splendidly dressed.
Tell him that I await his answer.” The mother of Aladdin bowed low and
went home, thinking all was lost. She gave Aladdin the message, adding:
“He may wait long enough for your answer!” “Not so long, mother, as you
think,” her son replied. “I would do a great deal more than that for the
Princess.” He summoned the genie, and in a few moments the eighty slaves
arrived, and filled up the small house and garden. Aladdin made them
set out to the palace, two and two, followed by his mother. They were
so richly dressed, with such splendid jewels in their girdles, that
everyone crowded to see them and the basins of gold they carried on
their heads. They entered the palace, and, after kneeling before the
Sultan, stood in a half-circle round the throne with their arms crossed,
while Aladdin’s mother presented them to the Sultan. He hesitated no
longer, but said: “Good woman, return and tell your son that I wait for
him with open arms.” She lost no time in telling Aladdin, bidding him
make haste. But Aladdin first called the genie. “I want a scented bath,”
he said, “a richly embroidered habit, a horse surpassing the Sultan’s,
and twenty slaves to attend me. Besides this, six slaves, beautifully
dressed, to wait on my mother; and lastly, ten thousand pieces of gold
in ten purses.” No sooner said than done. Aladdin mounted his horse and
passed through the streets, the slaves strewing gold as they went. Those
who had played with him in his childhood knew him not, he had grown so
handsome. When the Sultan saw him he came down from his throne, embraced
him, and led him into a hall where a feast was spread, intending to
marry him to the Princess that very day. But Aladdin refused, saying, “I
must build a palace fit for her,” and took his leave. Once home, he said
to the genie: “Build me a palace of the finest marble, set with jasper,
agate, and other precious stones. In the middle you shall build me a
large hall with a dome, its four walls of massy gold and silver, each
having six windows, whose lattices, all except one which is to be left
unfinished, must be set with diamonds and rubies. There must be stables
and horses and grooms and slaves; go and see about it!”
The palace was finished by the next day, and the genie carried him there
and showed him all his orders faithfully carried out, even to the laying
of a velvet carpet from Aladdin’s palace to the Sultan’s. Aladdin’s
mother then dressed herself carefully, and walked to the palace with her
slaves, while he followed her on horseback. The Sultan sent musicians
with trumpets and cymbals to meet them, so that the air resounded with
music and cheers. She was taken to the Princess, who saluted her and
treated her with great honor. At night the Princess said good-by to her
father, and set out on the carpet for Aladdin’s palace, with his mother
at her side, and followed by the hundred slaves. She was charmed at the
sight of Aladdin, who ran to receive her. “Princess,” he said, “blame
your beauty for my boldness if I have displeased you.” She told him
that, having seen him, she willingly obeyed her father in this matter.
After the wedding had taken place Aladdin led her into the hall, where a
feast was spread, and she supped with him, after which they danced till
midnight. Next day Aladdin invited the Sultan to see the palace. On
entering the hall with the four-and-twenty windows, with their rubies,
diamonds, and emeralds, he cried: “It is a world’s wonder! There is only
one thing that surprises me. Was it by accident that one window was
left unfinished?” “No, sir, by design,” returned Aladdin. “I wished
your Majesty to have the glory of finishing this palace.” The Sultan was
pleased, and sent for the best jewelers in the city. He showed them
the unfinished window, and bade them fit it up like the others. “Sir,”
replied their spokesman, “we cannot find jewels enough.” The Sultan
had his own fetched, which they soon used, but to no purpose, for in
a month’s time the work was not half done. Aladdin, knowing that their
task was vain, bade them undo their work and carry the jewels back, and
the genie finished the window at his command. The Sultan was surprised
to receive his jewels again, and visited Aladdin, who showed him the
window finished. The Sultan embraced him, the envious Vizier meanwhile
hinting that it was the work of enchantment.
Aladdin had won the hearts of the people by his gentle bearing. He was
made captain of the Sultan’s armies, and won several battles for him,
but remained modest and courteous as before, and lived thus in peace and
content for several years.
But far away in Africa the magician remembered Aladdin, and by his magic
arts discovered that Aladdin, instead of perishing miserably in the
cave, had escaped, and had married a princess, with whom he was living
in great honor and wealth. He knew that the poor tailor’s son could only
have accomplished this by means of the lamp, and traveled night and day