At another time Aladdin would have been frightened at the sight of so
extraordinary a figure, but the danger he was in made him answer
without hesitation, "Whoever thou art, deliver me from this place." He
had no sooner spoken these words than he found himself on the very
spot where the magician had last left him, and no sign of cave or
opening, nor disturbance of the earth. Returning thanks to God for
being once more in the world, he made the best of his way home. When
he got within his mother's door, joy at seeing her and weakness for
want of sustenance made him so faint that he remained for a long time
as dead. As soon as he recovered, he related to his mother all that
had happened to him, and they were both very vehement in their
complaints of the cruel magician.
Aladdin slept very soundly till late the next morning, when the first
thing he said to his mother was, that he wanted something to eat, and
wished she would give him his breakfast.
"Alas! child," said she, "I have not a bit of bread to give you; you
ate up all the provisions I had in the house yesterday; but I have a
little cotton which I have spun; I will go and sell it, and buy bread
and something for our dinner."
"Mother," replied Aladdin, "keep your cotton for another time, and
give me the lamp I brought home with me yesterday. I will go and sell
it, and the money I shall get for it will serve both for breakfast and
dinner, and perhaps supper too."
Aladdin's mother took the lamp and said to her son, "Here it is, but
it is very dirty. If it were a little cleaner I believe it would bring
something more."
She took some fine sand and water to clean it. But she had no sooner
begun to rub it, than in an instant a hideous genie of gigantic size
appeared before her, and said to her in a voice of thunder, "What
wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave
of all those who have that lamp in their hands; I, and the other
slaves of the lamp."
Aladdin's mother, terrified at the sight of the genie, fainted; when
Aladdin, who had seen such a phantom in the cavern, snatched the lamp
out of his mother's hand, and said to the genie boldly, "I am hungry.
Bring me something to eat."
The genie disappeared immediately, and in an instant returned with a
large silver tray, holding twelve covered dishes of the same metal,
which contained the most delicious viands; six large white bread cakes
on two plates, two flagons of wine, and two silver cups. All these he
placed upon a carpet and disappeared; this was done before Aladdin's
mother recovered from her swoon.
Aladdin had fetched some water, and sprinkled it in her face to
recover her. Whether that or the smell of the meat effected her cure,
it was not long before she came to herself.
"Mother," said Aladdin, "be not afraid. Get up and eat. Here is what
will put you in heart, and at the same time satisfy my extreme
hunger."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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