| Aladdin waited patiently for nearly three months, but after two had elapsed, his mother, going into the city to buy oil, found everyone
rejoicing, and asked what was going on. "Do you not know," was the
answer, "that the son of the Grand Vizier is to marry the Sultan's daughter tonight?" Breathless she ran and told Aladdin, who was
overwhelmed at first, but presently bethought him of the lamp. He
rubbed it and the genie appeared, saying: "What is thy will?" Aladdin replied: "The Sultan, as thou knowest, has broken his promise to me,
and the vizier's son is to have the Princess. My command is that
to-night you bring hither the bride and bridegroom." "Master, I obey,"said the genie. Aladdin then went to his chamber, where, sure enough,
at midnight the genie transported the bed containing the vizier's son
and the Princess. "Take this new-married man," he said, "and put him outside in the cold, and return at daybreak." Whereupon the genie took
the vizier's son out of bed, leaving Aladdin with the Princess. "Fear
nothing," Aladdin said to her; "you are my wife, promised to me by your unjust father, and no harm will come to you." The Princess was too
frightened to speak, and passed the most miserable night of her life,
while Aladdin lay down beside her and slept soundly. At the appointed hour the genie fetched in the shivering bridegroom, laid him in his
place, and transported the bed back to the palace. | |