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
above all things take care that there be laid in a place which you shall
point out to me, a treasure of gold and silver coin. Besides, this
palace must be well provided with kitchens, and offices, store-houses,
and rooms to keep choice furniture in, for every season of the year. I
must have stables full of the finest horses, with their equerries and
grooms, and hunting equipage. There must be officers to attend the
kitchens and offices, and women slaves to wait on the princess. You
understand what I mean; therefore go about it, and come and tell me when
all is finished.”
By the time Aladdin had instructed the genie with his intentions
respecting the building of his palace, the sun was set. The next morning
by break of day, Aladdin, whose love for the princess would not let him
sleep, was no sooner up but the genie presented himself, and said, “Sir,
your palace is finished; come and see how you like it.” Aladdin had no
sooner signified his consent, but the genie transported him thither in
an instant, and he found it so much beyond his expectation, that he
could not enough admire it. The genie led him through all the
apartments, where he met with nothing but what was rich and magnificent,
with officers and slaves, all dressed according to their rank and the
services to which they were appointed. Then the genie shewed him the
treasury, which was opened by a treasurer, where Aladdin saw heaps of
purses, of different sizes, piled up to the top of the ceiling, and
disposed in most pleasing order. The genie assured him of the
treasurer’s fidelity, and thence led him to the stables, where he shewed
him some of the finest horses in the world, and the grooms busy in
dressing them; from thence they went to the store-houses, which were
filled with all necessary provisions, both for the food and ornament of
the horses.
When Aladdin had examined the palace from top to bottom, and
particularly the hall with the four-and-twenty windows, and found it
much beyond whatever he could have imagined, he said to the genie,
“Genie, no one can be better satisfied than I am; and indeed I should be
very much to blame if I found any fault. There is only one thing
wanting, which I forgot to mention; that is, to lay from the sultan’s
palace to the door of the apartment designed for the princess, a carpet
of fine velvet for her to walk upon.” The genie immediately disappeared,
and Aladdin saw what he desired executed that minute. Then the genie
returned and carried Aladdin home, before the gates of the sultan’s
palace were opened.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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