But far away in Africa the magician remembered Aladdin, and by his magic
arts discovered that Aladdin, instead of perishing miserably in the
cave, had escaped, and had married a princess, with whom he was living
in great honor and wealth. He knew that the poor tailor’s son could only
have accomplished this by means of the lamp, and traveled night and day
until he reached the capital of China, bent on Aladdin’s ruin. As he
passed through the town he heard people talking everywhere about a
marvellous palace. “Forgive my ignorance,” he asked, “what is this
palace you speak Of?” “Have you not heard of Prince Aladdin’s palace,”
was the reply, “the greatest wonder of the world? I will direct you
if you have a mind to see it.” The magician thanked him who spoke, and
having seen the palace, knew that it had been raised by the Genie of the
Lamp, and became half mad with rage. He determined to get hold of the
lamp, and again plunge Aladdin into the deepest poverty.
Unluckily, Aladdin had gone a-hunting for eight days, which gave the
magician plenty of time. He bought a dozen copper lamps, put them into a
basket, and went to the palace, crying: “New lamps for old!” followed
by a jeering crowd. The Princess, sitting in the hall of four-and-twenty
windows, sent a slave to find out what the noise was about, who came
back laughing, so that the Princess scolded her. “Madam,” replied the
slave, “who can help laughing to see an old fool offering to exchange
fine new lamps for old ones?” Another slave, hearing this, said: “There
is an old one on the cornice there which he can have.” Now this was the
magic lamp, which Aladdin had left there, as he could not take it out
hunting with him. The Princess, not knowing its value, laughingly
bade the slave take it and make the exchange. She went and said to the
magician: “Give me a new lamp for this.” He snatched it and bade the
slave take her choice, amid the jeers of the crowd. Little he cared, but
left off crying his lamps, and went out of the city gates to a lonely
place, where he remained till nightfall, when he pulled out the lamp
and rubbed it. The genie appeared, and at the magician’s command carried
him, together with the palace and the Princess in it, to a lonely place
in Africa.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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