speak falsely. Indeed all she said was sooth, and these two nights

proved to us the evilest of our nights instead of being nights of
pleasure and marriage joys. But what befell me was the greater evil,

because instead of sleeping abed with my bride, I lay in the wardrobe,
a black hole, frightful, noisome of stench, truly damnable, and my

ribs were bursten with cold." In fine, the young man told his father
the whole tale, adding as he ended it: "O dear father mine, I

implore thee to speak with the Sultan that he may set me free from
this marriage. Yes, indeed 'tis a high honor for me to be the Sultan's

son-in-law, and especially the love of the Princess hath gotten hold
of my vitals, but I have no strength left to endure a single night

like unto these two last."
The Wazir, hearing the words of his son, was saddened and

sorrowful exceedingly" target="_blank" title="ad.非常地，极度地">exceedingly, for it was his desire to advance and promote
his child by making him son-in-law to the Sultan. So he became

thoughtful and perplexed about the affair and the devicewhereby to
manage it, and it was sore grievous for him to break off the marriage,

it having been a rare enjoyment to him that he had fallen upon such
high good fortune. Accordingly he said: "Take patience, O my son,

until we see what may happen this night, when we will set watchmen
to ward you. Nor do thou give up the exalted distinction which hath

fallen to none save to thyself." Then the Wazir left him and,
returning to the sovereign, reported that all told to him by the

Lady Badr al-Budur was a true tale. Whereupon quoth the Sultan, "Since
the affair is on this wise, we require no delay," and he at once

ordered all the rejoicings to cease and the marriage to be broken off.
This caused the folk and the citizens to marvel at the matter,

especially when they saw the Grand Wazir and his son leaving the
palace in pitiable plight for grief and stress of passion, and the

people fell to asking, "What hath happened, and what is the cause of
the wedding being made null and void?"

Nor did any know aught of the truth save Aladdin, the lover who
claimed the Princess's hand, and he laughed in his sleeve. But even

after the marriage was dissolved, the Sultan forgot nor even
recalled to mind his promise made to Aladdin's mother, and the same

was the case with the Grand Wazir, while neither had any inkling of
whencebefell them that which had befallen. So Aladdin patiently

awaited the lapse of the three months after which the Sultan had
pledged himself to give him to wife his daughter. But soon as ever the

term came, he sent his mother to the Sultan for the purpose of
requiring him to keep his covenant. So she went to the palace, and

when the King appeared in the Divan and saw the old woman standing
before him, he remembered his promise to her concerning the marriage

after a term of three months, and he turned to the Minister and
said: "O Wazir, this be the ancient dame who presented me with the

jewels and to whom we pledged our word that when the three months
had elapsed we would summon her to our presence before all others." So

the Minister went forth and fetched her, and when she went in to the
Sultan's presence she saluted him and prayed for his glory and

permanence of prosperity. Hereat the King asked her if she needed
aught, and she answered: "O King of the Age, the three months' term

thou assignedst to me is finished, and this is thy time to my son
Aladdin with thy daughter, the Lady Badr al-Budur."

The Sultan was distraught at this demand, especially when he saw the
old woman's pauper condition, one of the meanest of her kind, and

yet the offering she had brought to him was of the most magnificent,
far beyond his power to pay the price. Accordingly he turned to the

Grand Wazir and said: "What device is there with thee? In very sooth I
did pass my word, yet meseemeth that they be pauper folk, and not

persons of high condition." The Grand Wazir, who was dying of envy and
who was especially saddened by what had befallen his son, said to

himself, "How shall one like this wed the King's daughter and my son
lose this highmost honor?" Accordingly he answered his sovereign,

speaking privily: "O my lord, 'tis an easy matter to keep off a poor
devil such as this, for he is not worthy that thy Highness give his

daughter to a fellow whom none knoweth what he may be." "By what
means," inquired the Sultan, "shall we put off the man when I

pledged my promise, and the word of the kings is their bond?"
Replied the Wazir: "O my lord, my rede is that thou demand of him

forty platters made of pure sand gold and full of gems (such as the
woman brought thee aforetime), with forty white slave girls to carry

the platters and forty black eunuch slaves." The King rejoined: "By
Allah, O Wazir, thou hast spoken to the purpose, seeing that such

thing is not possible, and by this way we shall be freed."
Then quoth he to Aladdin's mother: "Do thou go and tell thy son that

I am a man of my word even as I plighted it to him, but on condition
that he have power to pay the dower of my daughter. And that which I

require of him is a settlement consisting of twoscore platters of
virgin gold, all brimming with gems the like of those thou

broughtest to me, and as many white handmaids to carry them and
twoscore black eunuch slaves to serve and escort the bearers. An thy

son avail hereto, I will marry him with my daughter." Thereupon she
returned home wagging her head and saying in her mind: "Whence can

my poor boy procure these platters and such jewels? And granted that
he return to the enchanted treasury and pluck them from the

trees- which, however, I hold impossible- yet given that he bring
them, whence shall he come by the girls and the blacks?" Nor did she

leave communing with herself till she reached her home, where she
found Aladdin awaiting her, and she lost no time in saying: "O my son,

did I not tell thee never to fancy that thy power would extend to
the Lady Badr al-Budur, and that such a matter is not possible to folk

like ourselves?"
"Recount to me the news," quoth he, so quoth she: "O my child,

verily the Sultan received me with all honor according to his
custom, and meseemeth his intentions toward us be friendly. But

thine enemy is that accursed Wazir, for after I addressed the King
in thy name as thou badest me say, 'In very sooth the promised term is

past,' adding, "Twere well an thy Highness would deign issue
commandment for the espousals of thy daughter the Lady Badr al-Budur

to my son Aladdin,' he turned to and addressed the Minister, who
answered privily, after which the Sultan gave me his reply." Then

she enumerated the King's demand and said: "O my son, he indeed
expecteth of thee an instant reply, but I fancy that we have no answer

for him." When Aladdin heard these words, he laughed and said: "O my
mother, thou affirmest that we have no answer and thou deemest the

case difficult exceedingly" target="_blank" title="ad.非常地，极度地">exceedingly, but compose thy thoughts and arise and
bring me somewhat we may eat. And after we have dined, an the

Compassionate be willing, thou shalt see my reply. Also the Sultan
thinketh like thyself that he hath demanded a prodigious dower in

order to divert me from his daughter, whereas the fact is that he hath
required of me a matter far less than I expected. But do thou fare

forth at once and purchase the vision" target="_blank" title="n.供应；规定；条款">provision and leave me to procure
thee a reply."

So she went out to fetch her needful from the bazaar and Aladdin
retired to his chamber and, taking the lamp, rubbed it, when

forthright appeared to him its slave and said, "Ask, O my lord, whatso
thou wantest." The other replied: "I have demanded of the Sultan his

daughter to wife, and he hath required of me forty bowls of purest
gold each weighing ten pounds and all to be filled with gems such as

we find in the gardens of the hoard; furthermore, that they be borne
on the heads of as many white handmaids, each attended by her black

eunuch slave, also forty in full rate. So I desire that thou bring all
these into my presence." "Hearkening and obeying, O my lord," quoth

the slave and, disappearing for the space of an hour or so,
presently returned bringing the platters and jewels, handmaids and

eunuchs. Then, setting them before him, the Marid cried: "This be what
thou demandest of me. Declare now an thou want any matter or service

other than this." Aladdin rejoined: "I have need of naught else, but
an I do, I will summon thee and let thee know."

The slave now disappeared, and after a little while, Aladdin's