STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 209

 

her, ‘Princess, you must take your part in the scheme which I propose
for our deliverance. You must overcome your aversion to the magician,
and assume a most friendly manner towards him, and ask him to oblige
you by partaking of an entertainment in your apartments. Before he
leaves ask him to exchange cups with you, which he, gratified at the
honour you do him, will gladly do, when you must give him the cup
containing this powder. On drinking it he will instantly fall asleep, and
we will obtain the lamp, whose slaves will do all our bidding, and
restore us and the palace to the capital of China.’

The princess obeyed to the utmost her husband’s instructions. She
assumed a look of pleasure on the next visit of the magician, and asked
him to an entertainment, which he most willingly accepted. At the
close of the evening, during which the princess had tried all she could
to please him, she asked him to exchange cups with her, and, giving the
signal, had the drugged cup brought to her, which she gave to the
magician. He drank it out of compliment to the princess to the very
last drop, when he fell backwards lifeless on the sofa.

The princess, in anticipation of the success of her scheme, had so
placed her women from the great hall to the foot of the staircase, that
the word was no sooner given that the African magician was fallen back-
wards, than the door was opened, and Aladdin admitted to the hall.
The princess rose from her seat, and ran overjoyed to embrace him; but
he stopped her, and said, ‘ Princess, retire to your apartment, and let
me be left alone, while I endeavour to transport you back to China as
speedily as you were brought from thence.’

When the princess, her women, and slaves were gone out of the hall,
Aladdin shué the door, and going directly to the dead body of the
magician, opened his vest, took out the lamp, which was carefully
wrapped up, and rubbing it, the genie immediately appeared. ‘ Genie,’
said Aladdin, ‘I command thee to transport this palace instantly to the
place from whence it was brought hither.’ The genie bowed his head
in token of obedience, and disappeared. Immediately the palace was
transported into China, and its removal was only felt by two little
shocks, the one when it was lifted up, the other when it was set down.
and both in a very short interval of time.

On the morning after the restoration of Aladdin’s palace, the sultan
was looking out of his window, and mourning over the fate of his
daughter, when he thought that he saw the vacancy created by the
disappearance of the palace to be again filled up. On looking more
attentively, he was convinced beyond the power of doubt that it
was his son-in-law’s palace. Joy and gladness succeeded to sorrow
and grief. He at once ordered a horse to be saddled, which he
mounted that instant, thinking he could not make haste enough to
the place.

Aladdin rose that morning by daybreak, put on one of the most
magnificent habits his wardrobe afforded, and went up into the hall

oO

of twenty-four windows, from whence he perceived the sultan approach-