Chapter VI

About this time the African magician, who had supposed Aladdin to be dead in the cave where he had left him, learned by magic art that he had made his escape, and by the help of the genie of the wonderful lamp was living in royal splendor.

On the very next day the magician set out for the capital of China, where on his arrival he took up his lodging in an inn. There he quickly learned about Aladdin's wealth and goodness and popularity. As soon as he saw the palace he knew that none but genies, the slaves of the lamp, could have built it, and he returned to his inn all the more angry at Aladdin for having got what he wanted himself. When he learned by his magic that Aladdin did not carry the lamp about with him, but left it in the palace, he rubbed his hands with glee, and said, "Well, I shall have it now, and I shall make Aladdin return to his low estate."

The next morning he learned that Aladdin had gone with a hunting party, to be absent eight days, three of which had passed. He needed to know no more, and quickly formed his plans. He went to a shop and asked for a dozen copper lamps. The master of the shop had not so many then, but promised them the next day, and said he would have them, as the magician wished, handsome and well polished.

When the magician came back and paid for them, he put them in a basket and started directly for Aladdin's palace. As he drew near he began crying, "Who will change old lamps for new ones?" The children and people who crowded around hooted and scoffed at him as a madman or a fool, but he heeded them not, and went on crying, "Who will change old lamps for new ones?"

The princess was in the hall with the four and twenty windows, and, seeing a crowd outside, sent one of her women slaves to find out what the man was crying. The slave returned laughing, and told of the foolish offer. Another slave, hearing it, said, "Now you speak of lamps, I know not whether the princess may have observed it, but there is an old one upon a shelf of the Prince Aladdin's robing room. Whoever owns it will not be sorry to find a new one in its stead. If the princess chooses, she may have the pleasure of seeing whether this old man is silly enough to make the exchange."

The princess, who knew not the value of this lamp, thought it would be a good joke to do as her slave suggested, and in a few moments it was done. The magician did not stop to cry, "New lamps for old ones!" again, but hurried to his inn and out of the town, setting down his basket of new lamps where nobody saw him.

When he reached a lonely spot he pulled the old lamp out of his breast, and, to make sure that it was the one he wanted, rubbed it. Instantly the genie appeared and said, "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all those who have that lamp in their hands,--both I and the other slaves of the lamp."

"I command thee," replied the magician, "to bear me and the palace which thou and the other slaves of the lamp have built in this city, with all the people in it, at once to Africa."

The genie made no reply, but in a moment he and the other slaves of the lamp had borne the magician and the palace entire to the spot where he wished it to stand.

Early the next morning, when the Sultan went as usual to gaze upon Aladdin's palace, it was nowhere to be seen. How so large a building that had been standing for some years could disappear so completely, and leave no trace behind, he could not understand. The Grand Vizier was summoned to explain it. In secret be bore no good will to Aladdin, and was glad to suggest that the very building of the palace had been by magic, and that the hunting party had been merely an excuse for the removal of the palace by the same means. The Sultan was persuaded, therefore, to send a body of his guards to seize Aladdin as a prisoner of state. When he appeared the Sultan would hear no word from him, but ordered him put to death. This displeased the people so much that the Sultan, fearing a riot, granted him his life and let him speak.

"Sire," said Aladdin, "I pray you to let me know the crime by which I have lost thy favor?"

"Your crime!" answered the Sultan; "wretched man! do you not know it? Follow me, and I will show you."

Then he led Aladdin to a window and said, "You ought to know where your palace stood; look, and tell me what has become of it."

Aladdin was as much amazed as the Sultan had been. "True, it is vanished," he said after a speechless pause, "but I have had no concern in its removal. I beg you to give me forty days, and if in that time I cannot restore it, I will offer my head to be disposed of at your pleasure."

"I give you the time you ask," answered the Sultan, "but at the end of forty days forget not to present yourself before me."

The lords, who had courted Aladdin in his better days, paid him no heed as he left the palace in extreme shame. For three days he wandered about the city, exciting the pity of all he met by asking if they had seen his palace, or could tell where it was. On the third day he wandered into the country. As he approached a river he slipped and fell down a bank. Clutching at a rock to save himself, he rubbed his ring, and instantly the genie whom he had seen in the cave appeared before him. "What wouldst thou have?" said the genie. "I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all those that have that ring on their finger,--both I and the other slaves of the ring."

Aladdin had never thought of help from this quarter, and said with delight,--

"Genie, show me where the palace I caused to be built now stands, or bring it back where it first stood."

"Your command," answered the genie, "is not wholly in my power; I am only the slave of the ring, and not of the lamp."

"I command thee, then," replied Aladdin, "by the power of the ring, to bear me to the spot where my palace stands, wherever it may be."

These words were no sooner out of his mouth than he found himself in the midst of a large plain, where his palace stood, not far from a city, and directly above him was the window of his wife's chamber. Just then one of her household happened to look out and see him, and told the good news to the Princess Buddir al Buddoor. She could not believe it to be true, and hastening to the window opened it herself with a noise which made Aladdin look up. Seeing the princess, he saluted her with an air that expressed his joy, and in a moment he had entered by a private door and was in her arms.

After shedding tears of joy, they sat down, and Aladdin said, "I beg of you, princess, to tell me what is become of an old lamp which stood upon a shelf in my robing chamber."

"Alas!" answered the princess, "I was afraid our misfortune might be owing to that lamp; and what grieves me most is that I have been the cause of it. I was foolish enough to change the old lamp for a new one, and the next morning I found myself in this unknown country, which I am told is Africa."

"Princess," said Aladdin, stopping her, "you have told me all by telling me we are in Africa. Now, only tell me where the old lamp is."

"The African magician," answered the princess, "carries it carefully wrapped up in his bosom. This I know, because one day he pulled it out before me, and showed it to me in triumph."

Aladdin quickly formed and carried out a plan to leave the palace, disguise himself, buy of a druggist a certain powder which he named, and return to the princess. He told her what she must do to help his purposes. When the magician should come to the palace, she must assume a friendly manner and ask him to sup with her. "Before he leaves," said Aladdin, "ask him to exchange cups with you. This he will gladly do, and you must give him the cup containing this powder. On drinking it he will instantly fall asleep, and we shall obtain the lamp, whose slaves will do our bidding, and bear us and the palace back to the capital of China."

It was not long before the magician came to the palace, and the princess did exactly as Aladdin had bidden her. When, at the end of the evening, she offered her guest the drugged cup, he drank it, out of honor to her, to the last drop, and fell back lifeless on the sofa.

Aladdin was quickly called and said, "Princess, retire, and let me be left alone while I try to take you back to China as speedily as you were brought thence." On the dead body of the magician he found the lamp, carefully wrapped and hidden in his garments. Aladdin rubbed it, and the genie stood before him.

"Genie," said Aladdin, "I command thee to bear this palace instantly back to the place whence it was brought hither." The genie bowed his head and departed. In a moment the palace was again in China, and its removal was felt only by two little shocks, the one when it was lifted up, the other when it was set down, and both in a very short space of time.

Early the next day the Sultan was looking from his window and mourning his daughter's fate. He could not believe his eyes when first he saw her palace standing in its old place. But as he looked more closely he was convinced, and joy came to his heart instead of the grief that had filled it. At once he ordered a horse and was on his way, when Aladdin, looking from the hall of twenty-four windows, saw him coming, and hastened to help him dismount. He was brought at once to the princess, and both wept tears of joy. When the strange events had been partly explained, he said to Aladdin,--

"My son, be not displeased at the harshness I showed towards you. It rose from a father's love, and therefore you will forgive it."

"Sire," said Aladdin, "I have not the least reason to complain of your conduct, since you did nothing but what your duty required. This wicked magician, the basest of men, was the sole cause of all."