Arabs -- Folklore; Fairy tales; Fairy tales -- Arab countries; Folklore -- Arab countries; Tales -- Arab countries
The sultan returned to his palace, but would not let Aladdin attend him.
When he came there, he found his grand vizier waiting, to whom he
related the wonder he had witnessed with the utmost admiration, and in
such terms as left the minister no room to doubt but that the fact was
as the sultan related it; though he was the more confirmed in his
belief that Aladdin's palace was the effect of enchantment, as he had
told the sultan the first moment he saw it. He was going to repeat the
observation, but the sultan interrupted him, and said: "You told me so
once before; I see, vizier, you have not forgotten your son's espousals
to my daughter." The grand vizier plainly saw how much the sultan was
prepossessed, therefore avoided disputes, and let him remain in his own
opinion. The sultan as soon as he rose every morning went into the
closet, to look at Aladdin's palace, and would go many times in a day to
contemplate and admire it.
Aladdin did not confine himself in his palace; but took care to show
himself once or twice a week in the town, by going sometimes to one
mosque, and sometimes to another, to prayers; or to visit the grand
vizier, who affected to pay his court to him on certain days; or to do
the principal lords of the court the honour to return their visits after
he had regaled them at his palace. Every time he went out, he caused two
slaves, who walked by the side of his horse, to throw handfuls of money
among the people as he passed through the streets and squares, which
were generally on these occasions crowded. Besides, no one came to his
palace gates to ask alms but returned satisfied with his liberality. In
short, he so divided his time, that not a week passed but he went either
once or twice a-hunting, sometimes in the environs of the city,
sometimes farther off; at which time the villages through which he
passed felt the effects of his generosity, which gained him the love and
blessings of the people; and it was common for them to swear by his
head. With all these good qualities he showed a zeal for the public good
which could not be sufficiently applauded. He gave sufficient proofs of
both in a revolt on the borders of the kingdom; for he no sooner
understood that the sultan was levying an army to disperse the rebels
than he begged the command of it, which he found not difficult to
obtain. As soon as he was empowered, he marched with so much expedition,
that the sultan heard of the defeat of the rebels before he had received
an account of his son-in-law's arrival in the army.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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