Aladdin retired to his own apartment and summoned the genie of the
lamp, and required him to immediately prepare and present the gift,
before the sultan closed his morning audience, according to the terms
in which it had been prescribed. The genie professed his obedience to
the owner of the lamp, and disappeared. Within a very short time, a
train of forty black slaves, led by the same number of white slaves,
appeared opposite the house in which Aladdin lived. Each black slave
carried on his head a basin of massy gold, full of pearls, diamonds,
rubies, and emeralds.
Aladdin then addressed his mother: "Madam, pray lose no time; before
the sultan and the divan rise, I would have you return to the palace
with this present as the dowry demanded for the princess, that he may
judge by my diligence and exactness of the ardent and sincere desire I
have to procure myself the honor of this alliance."
As soon as this magnificent procession, with Aladdin's mother at its
head, had begun to march from Aladdin's house, the whole city was
filled with the crowds of people desirous to see so grand a sight. The
graceful bearing, elegant form, and wonderful likeness of each slave;
their grave walk at an equal distance from each other, the luster of
their jeweled girdles, and the brilliancy of the aigrettes of precious
stones in their turbans, excited the greatest admiration in the
spectators. As they had to pass through several streets to the palace,
the whole length of the way was lined with files of spectators.
Nothing, indeed, was ever seen so beautiful and brilliant in the
sultan's palace, and the richest robes of the emirs of his court were
not to be compared to the costly dresses of these slaves, whom they
supposed to be kings.
As the sultan, who had been informed of their approach, had given
orders for them to be admitted, they met with no obstacle, but went
into the divan in regular order, one part turning to the right and the
other to the left. After they were all entered, and had formed a
semi-circle before the sultan's throne, the black slaves laid the
golden trays on the carpet, prostrated themselves, touching the carpet
with their foreheads, and at the same time the white slaves did the
same. When they rose, the black slaves uncovered the trays, and then
all stood with their arms crossed over their breasts.
In the meantime, Aladdin's mother advanced to the foot of the throne,
and having prostrated herself, said to the sultan, "Sire, my son knows
this present is much below the notice of Princess Buddir al Buddoor;
but hopes, nevertheless, that your majesty will accept of it, and make
it agreeable to the princess, and with the greater confidence since he
has endeavored to conform to the conditions you were pleased to
impose."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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