Journeys Through Bookland Volume Iii Part 33

In the meantime the festivities in honor of the princess's marriage were conducted at the sultan's palace with great magnificence. When the ceremonies were concluded, the princess and her husband retired to the chamber prepared for them. But no sooner had they lain down than the genie, the faithful slave of the lamp, to the great amazement and alarm of both the bride and the groom, took up the bed and in an instant transported them all to the chamber of Aladdin.

"Remove the bridegroom," said Aladdin to the genie, "and keep him a prisoner till to-morrow morning; then return with him here."

When Aladdin was left alone with the princess, he tried to quiet her fears and to explain to her the treachery practiced upon him by the sultan. Then, drawing his scimitar, he laid it down between them to show her that he would treat her with the utmost possible respect, and secure her safety.

At break of day, the genie appeared bringing back the bridegroom, whom he had entranced and left motionless outside the door of Aladdin's chamber during the night. By Aladdin's command the couch with the bride and groom was transported into the sultan's palace. A moment after the genie had set the couch down in the chamber of the palace, the sultan came to the door to offer his good wishes to his daughter.

The grand vizier's son, who had almost perished from cold by standing in his thin undergarment all night, hurried to the robing chamber and dressed himself.

Having opened the door, the sultan went to the bedside, kissed the princess on the forehead, and was greatly surprised to find her apparently in the greatest affliction. He left the room in a few moments and hurried to the apartments of the sultaness, whom he told of the princess's melancholy.

"Sire," said the sultaness, "I will go and see her; she will not receive me in the same manner."

Nevertheless, the princess received the sultaness with sighs and tears, but after some persuasion she told her mother all that had happened during the night. The sultaness urged her to say nothing about it, as no one would believe so strange a tale. Naturally the grand vizier's son, proud of being the sultan's son-in-law, was more than willing to keep silence.

The next night everything happened precisely as it had on the preceding night, but the second morning the princess told the sultan everything she had told her mother. On hearing this strange piece of news he summoned the grand vizier and declared the marriage canceled, for he feared even worse treatment from the invisible agency which had troubled the young couple.

Everybody was astonished at the sultan's change of mind, but no one except Aladdin knew the cause, and he kept profound silence.

On the very day that the three months expired, Aladdin's mother went again to the divan and stood in the same place. The sultan knew her and directed her to be brought before him.

Having prostrated herself before him, she said, "Sire, I come at the end of three months to ask of you the fulfilment of the promise you have made to my son."

The sultan had not thought that the request of Aladdin's mother was made seriously, so he consulted with the vizier, who suggested that the sultan should not refuse Aladdin's request, but should attach such conditions to the marriage as would be impossible for Aladdin to fulfill.

"Good woman," said the sultan after he had made his decision, "sultans ought to abide by their word, and I will keep mine by making your son happy in marriage with the princess, my daughter. But I cannot marry her without some further proof that your son is able to support her in royal state. Tell him then that I will fulfill my promise when he sends me forty trays of ma.s.sy gold filled with jewels such as those he has given me already, each tray borne by a black slave, who shall be led by a young and handsome white slave, all dressed magnificently. Go and tell your son what I say. I will wait for his answer."

"Where," said she on her way home, "can Aladdin get so many large gold trays and such precious stones to fill them? He will not be much pleased with my errand this time."

When she came home, she told Aladdin the whole story and added, laughing, "The sultan expects your answer immediately. I believe he will have to wait long enough."

"Not so long, mother, as you imagine," replied Aladdin. "This demand is a mere trifle. I will prepare at once to satisfy his request."

In a very short time after Aladdin had retired to his apartment and conversed again with the genie of the lamp, a train of forty black slaves led by the same number of white slaves appeared opposite the house in which Aladdin lived. Each black slave carried on his head a basin of ma.s.sy gold, full of pearls, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.

"Mother," said Aladdin, "pray lose no time; before the sultan and his divan rise, be there with this present as the dowry demanded for the princess, so that he may know how diligent and exact I am, and how sincere I am in wis.h.i.+ng the honor of this alliance." As soon as this magnificent procession, with Aladdin's mother at its head, had begun to march from Aladdin's house, the whole city was filled with the crowds of people desirous to see so grand a sight. The graceful bearing, elegant form, and wonderful likeness of the slaves; their grave walk at an equal distance from each other, the l.u.s.ter of their jeweled girdles, and the brilliancy of the aigrettes of precious stones in their turbans, excited the greatest admiration in the spectators. As they had to pa.s.s through several streets to the palace, the whole length of the way was lined with files of spectators.

Nothing, indeed, was ever seen so beautiful and brilliant in the sultan's palace, and the richest robes of the emirs of his court were not to be compared to the costly dresses of these slaves, whom they supposed to be kings.

As the sultan, who had been informed of their approach, had given orders for them to be admitted, they met with no obstacle, but went into the divan in regular order, one part turning to the right and the other to the left. After they were all entered, and had formed a semicircle before the sultan's throne, the black slaves laid the golden trays on the carpet, prostrated themselves, touching the carpet with their foreheads, and at the same time the white slaves did likewise. When they rose, the black slaves uncovered the trays, and then all stood with their arms crossed over their b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

In the meantime, Aladdin's mother advanced to the foot of the throne, and having prostrated herself, said to the sultan, "Sire, my son knows this present is much below the notice of Princess Buddir al Buddoor; but hopes, nevertheless, that your majesty will accept of it, and make it agreeable to the princess, and with the greater confidence since he has endeavored to conform to the conditions you were pleased to impose."

The sultan, overpowered at the sight of such more than royal magnificence, replied without hesitation to the words of Aladdin's mother: "Go and tell your son that I wait with open arms to embrace him; and the more haste he makes to come and receive the princess my daughter from my hands, the greater pleasure he will do me."

As soon as Aladdin's mother had retired, the sultan put an end to the audience; and rising from his throne ordered that the princess's attendants should come and carry the trays into their mistress's apartment, whither he went himself to examine them with her at his leisure. The fourscore slaves were conducted into the palace; and the sultan, telling the princess of their magnificent apparel, ordered them to be brought before her apartment, that she might see through the lattices he had not exaggerated in his account of them.

In the meantime Aladdin's mother reached home, and showed in her air and countenance the good news she brought to her son.

"My son," said she, "you may rejoice, for you are arrived at the height of your desires. The sultan has declared that you shall marry the Princess Buddir al Buddoor. He waits for you with impatience."

Aladdin, delighted with this news, said little, but hurried into his chamber. Here he rubbed his lamp, and the obedient genie appeared.

"Genie," said Aladdin, "convey me at once to a bath, and supply me with the richest and most magnificent robe ever worn by a monarch."

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the genie, making Aladdin as well as himself invisible, took the latter into an elegant marble bath, where the youth was well rubbed and washed with scented waters. When he came out from the bath, his skin was as clear as that of a child, and his body lightsome and free.

When the bath was finished, Aladdin found before him a robe, the magnificence of which astonished him. By the genie's aid he put on the robe, and was returned to his chamber.

"Have you any further command?" asked the genie.

"Yes," answered Aladdin, "bring me a charger that surpa.s.ses in goodness and beauty the best in the sultan's stable. Give him a rich saddle and bridle, and other caparisons to correspond with his value.

Furnish me with twenty slaves, as richly clothed as those who carried the present to the sultan, to walk by my side and to follow me, and twenty more to go before me in two ranks. Bring my mother six women slaves to attend her, all dressed as richly as any slave of the Princess Buddir al Buddoor, each slave carrying a complete dress fit for any sultaness. I want also ten thousand pieces of gold in ten purses; go, and make haste."

The genie executed all these difficult commands in a moment. Then Aladdin, taking the women slaves, each carrying on her head a beautiful dress wrapped in a piece of silver tissue, presented them to his mother, saying that the dresses were brought for her use. Of the ten purses, Aladdin gave his mother four. The other six he left in the hands of the slaves who brought them, telling them to throw the money by handfuls among the people as the procession went to the sultan's palace.

When Aladdin had thus prepared himself for his first interview with the sultan, he dismissed the genie, and immediately mounting his charger, began his march, and though he never had been on horseback before, appeared with a grace the most experienced horseman might envy. The innumerable concourse of people through whom he pa.s.sed made the air echo with their acclamations, especially every time the six slaves who carried the purses threw handfuls of gold among the populace.

On Aladdin's arrival at the palace, the sultan was surprised to find him more richly and magnificently robed than he had ever been himself, and was impressed with his good looks and dignity of manner, which were so different from what he expected in the son of one so humble as Aladdin's mother. He embraced him with demonstrations of joy, and when Aladdin would have fallen at his feet, held him by the hand, and made him sit near his throne. He shortly after led him, amidst the sounds of trumpets, haut-boys, and all kinds of music, to a magnificent entertainment, at which the sultan and Aladdin ate by themselves, and the great lords of the court, according to their rank and dignity, sat at different tables.

After the feast, the sultan sent for the chief cadi, and commanded him to draw up a contract of marriage between the Princess Buddir al Buddoor and Aladdin. When the contract had been drawn, the sultan asked Aladdin if he would stay in the palace and complete the ceremonies of the marriage that day.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "GENIE, BUILD ME A PALACE"]

"Sire," said Aladdin, "though great is my impatience to enter on the honor granted me by your majesty, yet I beg you to permit me first to build a palace worthy to receive the princess your daughter. I pray you to grant me sufficient ground near your palace, and I will have it completed with the utmost expedition." The sultan granted Aladdin his request, and again embraced him. After which Aladdin took his leave with as much politeness as if he had been bred up and had always lived at court.

Aladdin returned home in the order he had come, amidst the acclamations of the people, who wished him all happiness and prosperity. When Aladdin entered his room, he took down the lamp, rubbed it, and when the genie appeared as usual, said, "Genie, build me a palace fit to receive the Princess Buddir al Buddoor. Let it be made of nothing less than porphyry, jasper, agate, lapis lazuli, and the finest marble. Let its walls be ma.s.sive gold and silver brick laid alternately. Let each front contain six windows, and let the lattices of these, excepting one, which must be left unfinished, all sparkle with diamonds, rubies and emeralds. Let there be an inner and an outer court in front of the palace, and a s.p.a.cious garden; provide a safe treasure-house, and fill it with gold and silver. Let there be also kitchens and storehouses, stables full of the finest horses, with their equerries and grooms, and hunting equipage, officer, attendants, and slaves, both men and women, for the princess and myself. Go and execute my wishes."

As Aladdin gave these commands to the genie, the sun was setting. It was morning when the genie returned and transported Aladdin in a moment to the palace he had made. The genie led Aladdin through all the apartments, where were officers and slaves, clothed according to their rank. The treasury was opened by a treasurer, and there Aladdin saw large vases of different sizes ranged around the chambers, and all filled to the top with money. In the stables were some of the finest horses in the world, and the grooms were busy dressing them. In the storehouses was everything necessary, both for food and ornament.

Aladdin examined every portion of the palace, and particularly the hall with the four and twenty windows, which far exceeded his fond expectations.

"Genie," he said, "everything is as I wished. Only one thing now is lacking. Lay immediately a fine carpet for the princess to walk upon from the sultan's palace to mine."

In an instant the carpet was laid, and the genie disappeared.

When the sultan's porters came to open the gates the next morning, they were amazed to find what had been an unoccupied garden filled with a magnificent palace. They ran with the strange tidings to the grand vizier, who hastened to the sultan.

"It must be the palace," said the sultan, "which I gave Aladdin permission to build for my daughter. He has wished to let us see what wonders can be done in a single night."

In the meantime Aladdin had sent his mother to the Princess Buddir al Buddoor to tell her that the palace would be ready for her reception in the evening. While the mother, attended by her women slaves, was in the apartments of the princess, the sultan himself came in and was surprised to find the woman whom he had seen in such humble guise at his divan, now more richly appareled than his own daughter. Aladdin, too, rose in the opinion of the monarch, because the young man had shared his wealth and honors with his mother.

Shortly after his mother's departure, Aladdin mounted his horse, and attended by his magnificent retinue, left the paternal home forever.

With him he took, you may be sure, the wonderful lamp to which he owed all his good fortune, and the ring which had been given him as a talisman.

That night the sultan entertained Aladdin with the greatest magnificence, and at the conclusion of the marriage ceremony the princess took leave of her father. Bands of music, followed by a hundred stately ushers and a hundred black mutes in two files, with their officers at their head, led the procession. Four hundred of the sultan's young pages carried torches on each side, which together with the illumination of the two palaces made the night as light as day.

Thus the princess, accompanied also by Aladdin's mother, walked along the carpet which was spread to the palace of her husband. There Aladdin was ready to receive her, and to lead her into a large hall lighted with an infinite number of wax candles.

A feast consisting of the most delicate viands was then served upon dishes of ma.s.sy gold. Plates, basins, goblets, were all of the most exquisite workmans.h.i.+p.