Though Aladdin’s mother, notwithstanding the beauty and lustre of the present, did not believe it so valuable as her son esteemed it, she thought it might nevertheless be agreeable to the sultan, and found that she could not have anything to say against it, but was always thinking of the request Aladdin wanted her to make to the sultan by favour of his present. “My son,” said she, “I cannot conceive that your present will have its desired effect, and that the sultan will look upon me with a favourable eye; and I am sure, that if I attempt to acquit myself on this message of yours, I shall have no power to open my mouth; and therefore I shall not only lose my labour, but the present, which you say is so extraordinary, and shall return home again in confusion, to tell you that your hopes are frustrated. I have told you the consequence, and you ought to believe me; but,” added she, “I will exert my best endeavour to please you, and wish I may have power to ask the sultan as you would have me; but certainly he will either laugh at me, or send me back like a fool, or be in so great a rage, as to make us both the victims of his fury.” She used a great many more arguments to endeavour to make him change his mind; but the charms of the princess Badr-oul-boudour had made too great an impression on his heart to dissuade him from his design. Aladdin persisted in desiring his mother to execute his resolution, and she, as much out of tenderness as for fear he should be guilty of a greater piece of extravagance, condescended to his request. As it was now late, and the time of day for going to the sultan’s palace was past, it was put off till the next. The mother and son talked of different matters the remaining part of the day; and Aladdin took a great deal of pains to encourage his mother in the task she had undertaken to go to the sultan; while she notwithstanding all his arguments, could not persuade herself she could ever succeed; and it must be confessed she had reason enough to doubt. “Child,” said she to Aladdin, “if the sultan should receive me as favourably as I wish for your sake, and should hear my proposal with calmness, and after this kind reception should think of asking me where lie your riches and your estate, (for he will sooner inquire after that than your person,)—if, I say, he should ask me the question, what answer would you have me return him?” “Let us not be uneasy, mother,” replied Aladdin, “about what may never happen. First, let us see how the sultan receives, and what answer he gives you. If it should so fall out, that he desires to be informed of all that you mention, I have thought of an answer, and am confident that the lamp, which hath subsisted us so long, will not fail me in time of need.”