Excerpt from the First Part Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1)
One day, when Aladdin was in a public garden, he happened to see Princess Badroulbadour, the daughter of the sultan. She was so beautiful that Aladdin fell in love with her at once.
When Aladdin told his mother of his love for the princess, she laughed and said, “What are you thinking of, my boy? You must be mad to talk so foolishly.”
“No, I am not, mother,” Aladdin replied. “No matter what you say, I am determined to win the fair princess. Nothing will make me change my mind.”
“Do not say such things, I beg you,” cried the old woman. “If the neighbours hear you, they will say you have gone mad. Who has the nerve to go and speak to the sultan about it?”
“I want you to go yourself, mother,” Aladdin answered. “Oh, dear!” she exclaimed. “Do you think I am mad too? Don’t forget who you are, my child. A tailor’s son! What have you done for the sultan? What gift will you give him so that he will let you have his only daughter as your wife?” Then Aladdin told his mother for the first time that the coloured fruits he had brought home from the cave were really priceless jewels. Even the best jewellers in town had nothing in their shops that was half so fine as the stones he had. so his mother brought them from the place where they had long been hidden, and their eyes were dazzled by the radiance and beauty of the jewels. Aladdin’s mother was sure that her son’s gift would please the sultan. Early the next morning she went to the palace with the jewels carefully wrapped in a handkerchief. She found her way into the palace hall and stood opposite the sultan and his ministers. A number of persons were called and brought before the sultan, but her turn did not come that morning. Day after day the poor woman went to the great hall and stood at the same place, but nobody seemed to take any notice of her. On the seventh day, however, the sultan sent for her and asked what she wanted. After begging his pardon for what she was about to say, she said, “I have a son named Aladdin who wishes to marry your daughter, and I cannot take this silly idea out of his head.”
The sultan burst out laughing and asked her what she was carrying in her hand. She opened the handkerchief and gave him the jewels. The sultan cried with astonishment, “How very beautiful! How very rich!” To all present it looked as if the sultan was going to give his daughter to Aladdin. And then the chief minister, who wanted his own son to marry the princess, came over and said, “Great King, the person who wishes to marry the princess must surely be able to send a greater gift. I suggest that you demand of him forty gold dishes, filled with jewels like those he has already seen you, and forty slaves to carry the dishes, and forty other slaves besides.”
The sultan nodded and, turning to Aladdin’s mother, said, “My good woman, you have heard the words of my minister. Go now to your son and tell him to do as the minister says. If Aladdin can send me this gift in three months, my daughter shall be his.”
Once more Aladdin’s mother went home disappointed. But when she told her son of the sultan’s demand, she saw that he was not at all troubled by the news. In fact, there was a smile on his face as he went into his own room. Then the old woman went off to the market place to buy the food she needed.
On her return from the market Aladdin’s mother was astonished to see the house crowded with strangers, all richly dressed. She was even more surprised when she saw the jewels they had brought in dishes of gold. Then she told herself that all this must be the work of the genie of the lamp.
Aladdin asked his mother to take the jewels and the slaves to the sultan at once. Then the procession was formed, and as they passed from street to street the people crowded round to look at the wonderful sight. So Aladdin’s mother led the procession to the sultan, and the slaves put down the shining dishes of jewels before him.
The sultan was dumb with astonishment, especially as this had been done not in three months, but in an hour’s time. At length he said to Aladdin’s mother, “Go, my good woman, and tell your son that I am waiting with open arms to welcome him. The wedding shall take place this very night. Tell him to come here immediately.”
So the old woman flew home, and Aladdin read the good news in her face. He kissed her hand and thanked her with all his heart. Then he went into his room and rubbed the lamp. At once the genie appeared, saying, “I am here. Ask what you will.”
“Genie of the lamp,” said Aladdin, “I order you to bring me a suit fit for a king to wear.”
In a moment several slaves appeared with rich clothes, and as soon as Aladdin was dressed, he said to the genie, “Now I want you to bring eighty slaves, forty to ride before me and forty to ride behind me. You must also bring me eighty thousand pieces of gold, a thousand with each slave. All these must be ready before I go to the sultan. Lastly, bring me twelve slave girls to go with my mother to the palace, and let each girl bring a beautiful dress for the princess.”
“I hear and obey,” replied the genie, and in a minute returned with everything that Aladdin had asked for. Then Aladdin mounted his horse and set out for the palace, while the slaves rode before and after him. They threw gold pieces into the crowd as the procession moved through the streets.
When the sultan met Aladdin at the palace, he was very pleased with his fine appearance. He took Aladdin by the hand and led him into the palace hall, where the wedding feast had been prepared. Music filled the air, and there was great joy in the palace. Before the banquet ended, the sultan asked Aladdin if he wished to be married that day.
“Great King,” Aladdin replied, “I would rather wait till I have built a palace to receive the princess. I beg you to give me a piece of land for the building.”
“Take whatever land you please, my son,” the sultan said. “But to my mind it would be best to build it here, on the great square in front of my palace.”
“I could wish for nothing better,” Aladdin replied.
With that he took leave of the sultan and, mounting his horse, returned to his own house amid the loud cheers of the people. As soon as he reached home he called the genie again, and ordered him to build a beautiful palace on the piece of land given by sultan.
The genie disappeared, and just before daybreak returned to Aladdin, saying, “Your palace is finished; come and say if you like it.” Aladdin found it far more beautiful than he had hoped for.
When the sultan woke up that morning, he opened the window of his bedroom and looked out. In front of his palace he saw a building. He rubbed his eyes, opened them wide, and looked again. The door-keepers and everyone else who saw it were no less surprised. They cried together, “How could such a wonderful building be completed in one night?”
Before midday Aladdin rode to the king’s palace, with his slaves before and behind him. All along the way he scattered gold among the cheering crowd. The wedding was celebrated with great rejoicing, and the princess was brought in procession to her husband’s palace. She was so dazzled by its beauty that she said to Aladdin, “I thought, my prince, that there was nothing so beautiful in the world as my father’s palace, but now I know that I was mistaken.”
After that Aladdin went riding every day, scattering gold among the people. He often gave alms to the poor with his own hand. His fame spread far and wide, and the people now looked only to God in heaven and Aladdin on earth.
Now to return to the wicked magician. After he left Aladdin in the cave, he went back to his own land. All these years he had thought that Aladdin was dead. But one day he learned by magic that Aladdin had got away with the lamp, and that he had become very rich and had married a princess. He immediately set out for the city where Aladdin lived.
On arriving there, he found everybody talking about Aladdin and his palace. He learned from the merchants that Aladdin had gone on a hunting trip, and immediately thought of a plan to get the lamp. He bought a dozen shining lamps, put them in a basket, and went about the streets, crying, “New lamps for old ones! Who will change an old lamp for a new one?”
When the people heard his cry, they laughed at him. “The man must be mad,” they said to each other, “Who would give away new lamps for old ones?” A great crowd followed him, and the street boys ran after him from place to place until he came near Aladdin’s palace. Here he began to shout louder and louder, while the children cried, “Madman, madman!”
The princess heard the noise in the street, and ordered one of the maids to go and find out what was happening. It was not long before the maid returned, laughing heartily. “Madam,” she said, “the man is crying ‘New lamps for old ones!’ There is an ugly old lamp on the shelf. Shall I take it to him and see if the old fool means what he says?” The princess, who knew nothing of the magic lamp, thought it an interesting idea, and away the maid ran to the magician with the lamp.
When the magician saw it, he knew at once that it was the very lamp he wanted. There could be no other lamp like it in this palace, where all was gold and silver. He took it eagerly out of the girl’s hand and let her choose from his basket. She picked one and carried it to the princess.
As soon as the maid went in, the magician put the lamp into his pocket, picked up his basket and went away, no longer crying, “New lamps for old!” He walked on and on until he was outside the city. Then he waited for the night, and, when all was darkness, took out the lamp and rubbed it. At once the genie appeared, saying, “I am here, master. Ask what you will.”
“Slave of the lamp,” said the magician, “I order you to take up Aladdin’s palace and set it down in my native city.”
At once the thing was done. In a minute the magician and Aladdin’s palace, together with everything in it, were carried off to a country thousands of miles away.
When the sultan got up the next morning, he opened the window and looked out in the direction of his daughter’s home. But he saw nothing. The palace was gone. Immediately he sent for his chief minister.
“Where is Aladdin?” asked the sultan. And the minister answered, “He is out hunting.” Then the sultan ordered his men to go and bring Aladdin before him in chains.
Aladdin was soon found and taken to the sultan, who would hear no word from him, but ordered him to be put to death. When the people learned of this order, they surrounded the palace and sent word to the sultan that if any harm should come to Aladdin, they would pull down the palace.
The news put the chief minister in a great fright. He said to the sultan, “My King, this order will be the end of us all. It would be far better to Pardon Aladdin, or they will pull down the palace. The people love Aladdin more than they love us.” So the sultan ordered the minister to go and tell the people that Aladdin had been pardoned.
When Aladdin found himself free, he walked up to the sultan and said, “O King, since you have kindly pardoned me, I beg you to tell me what is my crime.”
“Show him his palace,” said the sultan to the minister. When Aladdin looked from the window and saw nothing, he was too astonished to say a word.
“What did you see?” the sultan asked. “Where is your palace? And where is the princess, my only daughter?”
“Great King,” Aladdin answered, “I know nothing of all this, nor do I know what has happened.”
“Listen, Aladdin,” cried the sultan. “I have pardoned you so that you may go and find my daughter. Do not return without her. If you cannot bring her back, I will cut off your head.”
“I beg you to give me forty days,” Aladdin replied. “If I do not bring her back to you by that time, cut off my head and do with me as you please.”
“Very well,” answered the sultan, “I give you the time you ask. But do not think you can run away. I will bring you back even if you are above the clouds.”
The people were overjoyed to see Aladdin free again. For two days he walked about the town, not knowing what to do. On the third morning as he came to a lonely spot beside a river, he suddenly remembered the ring. He rubbed it, and the genie appeared, saying, “I am here, my master. Ask what you will.”
Full of joy. Aladdin said to the genie, “Bring me back my wife and my palace.”
“Master,” replied the genie, “this I cannot do. Only the slave of the lamp can do it.”
“Very well,” said Aladdin. “Since you cannot do this, take me to where my palace now stands.”
Immediately Aladdin found himself beside his own palace, which stood in a strange city. Night had fallen. Aladdin was tired out, and he lay down to sleep under a tree. It was daybreak when he woke up to the singing of birds.
The maid who opened the window saw Aladdin and told the good news to the princess. She ran to the window. Just then Aladdin happened to look up and he saw her. He entered quickly through a secret door and they rushed into each other’s arms.
After a few moments of joy and delight they sat down, and Aladdin said, “Before all else, my love, tell me what became of that old lamp which I left in my room when I went out hunting.”
“Alas!” sighed the princess. “That lamp and nothing else was the cause of all our misfortunes.” And she told him all that had happened from first to last; how they had exchanged the old lamp for a new one.
“The wicked magician carried the lamp in his pocket,” she added. “One day he took it out and showed it to me.”
Aladdin was very glad to hear this. “I want to go out now, but I shall soon return,” he said to the princess. “Tell your maid to let me in as soon as I get back. We must destroy our enemy at once.”
Then Aladdin went to the market place, and bought some strong medicine. Returning to the palace, he told his wife what she must do to help carry out his plan.
“Listen, my dear,” said Aladdin, “I want you to put on your finest dress and jewels. When the wicked magician comes, invite him to dine with you. Be pleasant to him and drink to his health. When you have given him two or three glasses, put this drug into his cup and refill it. As soon as he has drunk it up, he will fall asleep, and we shall be able to take back the lamp.
“This is a hard thing for me to do,” said the princess. “Yet it must be done if we are to save ourselves from this wicked man.”
It was not long before the magician came to the palace. The princess acted her part so well that he thought she was in love with him. He took up the poisoned cup and drank the wine. At once he fell to the floor, unconscious. The maids rushed to admit Aladdin, who was waiting outside.
Aladdin found his wife sitting at the table, with the magician lying on the floor. He kissed her hands and thanked her for all that she had done. “Now go with your maids into the next room,” he said to her, “and leave me alone for a while.”
When all the women had gone, he killed the magician and took out the lamp from his pocket. Then he called the genie and gave him his orders. In a moment the building was carried through the air and set down before the king’s palace.
Now the sultan had been very anxious about the fate of his daughter. Every morning, as soon as he got up, he would go to his window and look towards the spot where Aladdin’s palace had stood. One morning, looking out of his window, he saw before him a great building. He rubbed his eyes and looked closely at it. It was Aladdin’s palace. There could be no mistake. At once he called for his horse and went to see his daughter. The next moment they were laughing and crying in each other’s arms. The princess told her father all that had happened, and then Aladdin led him into the hall where he saw the magician lying dead on the floor. “Forgive me, my son,” he said to Aladdin, “for the wrong I have done you. You know the great love parents have for their children. And the princess is my only child.”
“Great King,” replied Aladdin, “you have done me no wrong. Let us think no more of the matter, for it is all the fault of the wicked magician.”
A few years later, the sultan died, and Aladdin came to the throne and ruled justly over the people.
