Aladdin, suddenly enveloped in darkness and deserted, knew that the magician could not be his uncle, but must be some one who had evil designs against him. Again and again he cried out that he was willing to give up the lamp. All his cries were unavailing, and at last, discouraged, he descended to the bottom of the steps, thinking to go back into the palace. Now, however, he found the door closed, and without hope of again seeing the light, he sat down on the bottom step weeping in despair. Finally his good teachings came to his aid, and he thought, "There is help and power and strength in the High God; I will pray to him." So he knelt and joined his hands in supplication. In doing so, he happened to rub the ring which the magician had put upon his finger, and immediately a genie of frightful aspect appeared. "What wouldst thou?" said the genie. "I and the other slaves of the ring serve him who wears it. I am ready to obey!" At any other time, so hideous a figure as that of the genie would have frightened Aladdin, but the danger was so great that he cried out to the spirit, "Whoever thou art, deliver me from this place." As soon as the words were uttered, Aladdin found himself on the very spot where the magician had last left him, and no sign remained of cave or opening. After returning thanks to God for his deliverance, he hurried home, and as soon as he had recovered from his weariness, he told his mother what had happened. Aladdin slept late the next morning, and when he wakened his first words were a request for something to eat. "Alas! child," said his mother, "I have no bread to give you. Everything was eaten up yesterday. I have nothing but a little cotton which I might sell." "Keep your cotton, mother, till another time," said Aladdin. "I will take the lamp which I got in the cave yesterday and try to sell it. The money will buy us our dinner and perhaps our supper." Aladdin's mother looked at the lamp and saw that it was very dirty. "Perhaps it would bring more," she said, "if I should clean it." Taking some water and sand, she began to rub the lamp, when in an instant a genie of gigantic size and hideous appearance stood before her and called out in a voice of thunder: "What wouldst thou have? I and the other slaves of the lamp that is in your hands are ready to obey thee." Terrified at the sight of the genie, Aladdin's mother fainted, but Aladdin, who had seen such an apparition before in the cave, snatched the lamp from her hands and cried out, "I am hungry; bring me something to eat." The genie disappeared, but in a moment returned with a large silver tray on which were twelve silver dishes, each containing the most delicious viands; six large white cakes lay on two silver plates; two silver flagons of wine, and two silver cups rested on the tray. All this was placed upon the carpet before Aladdin, and then the genie disappeared.