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
“With your leave, mother,” replied Aladdin, “I shall now take care how I
sell a lamp, as I was going to do, which may be so serviceable both to
you and me. Have not you been an eye-witness of what it hath procured
us, and it shall still continue to furnish us with subsistence and
maintenance. You may suppose, as I do, that my false and wicked uncle
would not have taken so much pains, and undertaken so long and tedious a
journey, if it had not been to get into his possession this Wonderful
Lamp, which he preferred before all the gold and silver which he knew
was in his halls, and which I have seen with my own eyes. He knew too
well the merit and worth of this lamp, not to prefer it to so great a
treasure; and since chance hath discovered the virtue of it to us, let
us make a profitable use of it, without making any great stir, and
drawing the envy and jealousy of our neighbours upon us. However, since
the genies fright you so much, I will take it out of your sight, and put
it where I may find it when I want it. As for the ring, I cannot resolve
to part with that neither; for, without that, you had never seen me
again; and though I am alive now, perhaps, if it was gone, I might not
be so some moments hence; therefore I hope you will give me leave to
keep that, and to wear it always on my finger. Who knows what dangers
you and I may be exposed to, which neither of us can foresee, and which
it may deliver us from?” As Aladdin’s arguments were just, and had a
great deal of weight in them, his mother had nothing to say against
them, but only replied that he might do what he pleased, but for her
part, she would have nothing to do with genies, but, would wash her
hands of them, and never say anything more about them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account