Types of Children's Literature: A Collection of the World's Best Literature for Children, For Use in Colleges, Normal Schools and Library Schools
General
Types of Children's Literature: A Collection of the World's Best Literature for Children, For Use in Colleges, Normal Schools and Library Schools
Children's literature
By the next night they had eaten all the provisions the genie had
brought; and the next day Aladdin, who could not bear the thoughts of
hunger, putting one of the silver dishes under his vest, went out early
to sell it, and addressing himself to a Jew whom he met in the streets,
took him aside, and pulling out the plate, asked him if he would buy
it. The cunning Jew took the dish, examined it, and as soon as he found
that it was good silver, asked Aladdin at how much he valued it.
Aladdin, who knew not its value, and never had been used to such
traffic, told him he would trust to his judgment and honor. The Jew was
somewhat confounded at this plain dealing; and doubting whether Aladdin
understood the material or the full value of what he offered to sell,
took a piece of gold out of his purse and give it him, though it was
but the sixtieth part of the worth of the plate. Aladdin, taking the
money very eagerly, retired with so much haste, that the Jew, not
content with the exorbitancy of his profit, was vexed he had not
penetrated into his ignorance, and was going to run after him, to
endeavor to get some change out of the piece of gold; but he ran so
fast, and had got so far, that it would have been impossible for him to
overtake him.
Before Aladdin went home, he called at a baker's, bought some cakes of
bread, changed his money, and on his return gave the rest to his
mother, who went and purchased provisions enough to last them some
time. After this manner they lived, till Aladdin had sold the twelve
dishes singly, as necessity pressed, to the Jew, for the same money;
who, after the first time, durst not offer him less, for fear of losing
so good a bargain. When he had sold the last dish, he had recourse to
the tray, which weighed ten times as much as the dishes, and would have
carried it to his old purchaser, but that it was too large and
cumbersome; therefore he was obliged to bring him home with him to his
mother's, where, after the Jew had examined the weight of the tray, he
laid down ten pieces of gold, with which Aladdin was very well
satisfied.
They lived on these ten pieces in a frugal manner, and Aladdin, though
used to an idle life, had left off playing with young lads of his own
age ever since his adventure with the African magician. He spent his
time in walking about, and conversing with decent people, with whom he
gradually got acquainted. Sometimes he would stop at the principal
merchants' shops, where people of distinction met, and listen to their
discourse, by which he gained some little knowledge of the world.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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