Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 1
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 1
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
Aladdin’s mother took the lamp, and said to her son, “Here it is, but it
is very dirty; if it was a little cleaner I believe it would bring
something more.” She took a little fine sand and water to clean it; but
had no sooner begun to rub it, but in an instant a hideous genie of
gigantic size appeared before her, and said to her in a voice like
thunder, “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; I, and the
other slaves of the lamp.”
Aladdin’s mother was not able to speak at the sight of this frightful
genie, but fainted away; when Aladdin, who had once before seen such
another genie in the cavern, without losing time or reflection, snatched
the lamp out of his mother’s hands, and said to the genie boldly, “I am
hungry; bring me something to eat.” The genie disappeared immediately,
and in an instant returned with a large silver basin on his head, and
twelve covered plates of the same metal, which contained some excellent
meats: six large white loaves on two other plates, and two bottles of
wine, and two silver cups in each hand. All these things he placed upon
a table, and disappeared; and all this was done before Aladdin’s mother
came out of her swoon.
Aladdin went presently, and fetched some water, and threw it in her
face, to recover her: whether that or the smell of the meats the genie
procured brought her to life again, it was not long before she came to
herself. “Mother,” said Aladdin, “do not mind this; it is nothing at
all; get up, and come and eat; here is what will put you in heart, and
at the same time satisfy my extreme hunger; do not let such fine meat be
cold, but fall to.”
His mother was very much surprised to see the great basin, twelve
plates, six loaves, and the two bottles and cups, and to smell the
delicious odour which exhaled from the plates. “Child,” said she to
Aladdin, “to whom are we obliged for this great plenty and liberality?
Has the sultan been made acquainted with our poverty, and had compassion
on us?” “It is no matter, mother,” said Aladdin, “let us sit down and
eat: for you have almost as much need of a good breakfast as myself,
when we have done, I will tell you.” Accordingly, both mother and son
sat down, and ate with the better stomach, as the table was so well
furnished. But all the time Aladdin’s mother could not forbear looking
at and admiring the basin and plates, though she could not well tell
whether they were silver or any other metal, so little accustomed were
she and her son to see such, and the novelty more than the value
attracted their attention.
In short, the mother and son sat at breakfast till it was dinner-time,
and then they thought it would be best to put the two meals together;
yet, after this, they found they should have enough left for supper, and
two meals for the next day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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