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
The princess Badr-oul-boudour, who began to be tired with this barefaced
declaration of the African magician, interrupted him, by saying, “Let us
drink first, and then say what you will afterwards;” and at the same
time set the cup to her lips, while the African magician, who was eager
to get his wine off first, drank up the very last drop. In finishing it
he had reclined his head back, to show his eagerness, and remained some
time in that state. The princess kept her cup at her lips, till she saw
his eyes turn in his head, and he fell backwards lifeless.
The princess had no occasion to order the back-door to be opened to
Aladdin; for her women were so disposed from the great hall to the foot
of the staircase, that the word was no sooner given, that the African
magician was fallen backwards, but the door opened that instant.
As soon as Aladdin entered the hall, he saw the magician stretched
backwards on the sofa. The princess Badr-oul-boudour rose from her seat,
and ran overjoyed to him, to embrace him; but he stopped her, and said,
“Princess, it is not yet time; oblige me by retiring to your apartment,
and let me be left alone a moment, while I endeavour to transport you
back to China as quickly as you were brought from thence.”
When the princess, her women and eunuchs were gone out of the hall,
Aladdin shut the door, and going directly to the dead body of the
magician, opened his vest, and took out the lamp carefully wrapt up, as
the princess told him, and unfolding and rubbing it the genie
immediately appeared. “Genie,” said Aladdin, “I have called thee to
command thee, on the part of thy good mistress of this lamp, to
transport this palace presently into China to the same place from whence
it was brought hither.” The genie bowed his head in token of obedience,
and disappeared. Immediately the palace was transported into China, and
its removal was only felt by two little shocks, the one when it was
lifted up, the other when it was set down, and both in a very short
interval of time.
Aladdin went down to the princess’s apartment, and embracing her, said,
“I can assure you, princess, that your joy and mine will be complete
to-morrow morning.” The princess, who had not quite supped, guessing
that Aladdin might be hungry, ordered the meats that were served up in
the great hall, and were scarce touched, to be brought down. The
princess and Aladdin ate as much as they thought fit, and drank in like
manner of the African magician’s old wine: during which time their
discourse could not be any otherwise than satisfactory, and then they
retired to their own chamber.
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