Yorkshire J.S. Publishing and Stationery Co, Limited. Ageu*a~Dear. and Son, Lndgate HH1. id^u— iL ALADDIN, OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP ^LADDIN was the son of Mustapha, a very poor tailo* in one of the rich provinces of China. When the boy was old enough to learn a trade, his father took him into his own work-shop ; but Aladdin, having been brought up in a very careless manner, loved play more than work, neg- lecting his business, and frequenting the company of all sorts of idle boys and vagabonds. His father dying while he was yet very young, he spent his whole time in the streets, and his poor mother was obliged to spin cotton night and day to procure a sufficiency of the coarsest fare for their support. She did this the more willingly as she loved him dearly, and always promised herself that, as her son grew older, he would be ashamed of his idleness, and become a worthy and indus- trious man. One day as Aladdin was playing as usual amidst a who^e troop of boys, a stranger passing by stood still to observe hi m. This stranger was a famous African magician, who having need of the assistance of some ignorant person, no sooner beheld Aladdin than he knew, by his whole air, manners, and appear- ance, that he was an idle good-for-nothing boy, and very fit to be made a tool of. The magician then artfully inquired of some persons standing near, the name and character of Aladdin, and their answers confirmed the opinion he had already formed of his bad habits. The stranger, now pressing in among the crowd of boys, clapped his hand on Aladdin's shoulder, and said, u My good lad, art thou not the son of Mustapha, the tailor?" .ALADDIN. " Yes, Sir," said Aladdin, " but my fa- ther has been dead this long time." " Alas ! M cried the stranger, '' what afflict- ing tidings ! [ am thy father's bro- ther, my child, and have been for many years travelling into foreign countries; and now, that I expected to be happy with my brother at home, I find him dead." The poor old woman burst into tears, as she related her tale to the magician, and he turning to Aladdin, said, " This is a sad account, nephew, but it is never too late to mend. You must think of getting your own living, and I will assist you to the very utmost of my power. The next morning early the magician came for Aladdin, and carried him to a great warehouse where all sorts of clothes suitable for all ranks, were sold ready made. Aladdin was presently equipped in a neat suit, for which he paid liberally. He then led the boy through the principal streets of the city, pointing out to him the finest shops, and many rarities, till they came to the extremity of the town. As it was a fine day, the magician proposed that they should continue their walk, and they passed through the public gardens, Aladdin becoming more and more delighted every instant with the fine things he saw, and the conversation of his uncle, who at length invited him to sit down beside a beautiful fountain, and regale himself with some cakes and fruit he had purposely brought with him. Aladdin having feasted heartily on these dainties, they rose up and pursued their walk, crossing innumerable fine gardens and fine meadows, the magician all the while telling a number of diverting stories, till they arrived at the entrance of a nar- ALADDIN, row valley bounded on each side by lofty and barren mountains Suddenly the magician stood still, and in a rough tone of voice perfectly unlike his former mode of speaking, commanded Aladdin to gather together some sticks for a fire. Aladdin obeyed, trembling, and when he had collected a large heap, the magician set them on fire. Presently the blaze rose high, and the magician threw a powder into the fire, and pronounced some mystical words, which Aladdin did not understand. In- stantly they were surrounded by a thick smoke ; the earth shook beneath their feet ; the mountain burst asunder, and discovered a broad flat stone, with a large brass ring fixed in the middle of it. " Know, Aladdin, that under this stone lies hid a treasure that will make you richer than the greatest monarch on the earth, and of which I alone know how to make you master." On hearing this, Aladdin promised to do what- ever he was desired. " Come then," said the ma- gician, " take hold of that brass ring, and lift up the stone." When the stone was pul- led up, there appeared a deep hollow cave in the earth, and a narrow flight of steps. " Come, child," said the magician, " you must im- mediately descend into that cavern. At the bottom of these steps you will find a door standing open, and this leads to a long vaulted place which is divided into three large halls, filled with gold and silver. After entering at this door, you must pass through these halls quickly, without touching any thing you see there, and, remember, your disobedience will be punished by instant death. When you arrive at the end o* the third hall, you will find a very fine garden, planted with 6 ALADDIN trees bearing the moat beautiful and delicate fruits, which must cross by a path that will bring you to a magnificent race, where you will perceive a lamp burning in a niche. Take the lamp down, and put out the light, and bring it to me. Tf you feel a desire for any of the fruit of the garden, you may gather as much as you please." After having said this, the magician drew a ring off his finger, and putting it on Aladdin's, informed him that it was a preservative against all evil, if he faithfully obeyed his direc- tions. Aladdin immediately jumped into the cave ; he then crossed the garden without stopping, and taking down the lamp from the niche, threw out the wick and the liquor, and, as the magician had desired him put the lamp into his bosom. As he came down from the terrace, he was greatly surpri- sed to observe the branches of ihe trees were loaded as he thought, with beautiful pieces of glass of all colours, that dazzled his eves with their lustre ; and though he would rather have found peaches, figs, and grapes, yet these pieces of coloured glass were so very pretty, that he could not help filling his pockets, and two purses his uncle had given him with them. The magician was expecting him at the mouth of the cave with extreme impatience. " Pray, uncle," said Aladdin, when he came to the stairs, "give me your hand to assist me in getting out." " Yes, yes ; but give me the lamp first, it will be trouble- some to you," said the magician. " T cannot, dear uncle, till I am out of this place," replied Aladdin. " Wretch !" roared the magician in a fury, " deliver it this instant." ALADDIN. 7 "No, I will not," said Aladdin, " till you have helped me out of the cave." The magician's eyes flashed fire : " Villian, thou shalt re- pent thy obstinacy!" he exclaimed, stretching out his arm to strike Aladdin, when some powder he still held in his hand dropped into the fire. The rock shook with thunder, the great stone moved into its place, and Aladdin remained buried alive in this cavern of treasure. In vain he cried and wrung his hands ; his cries could not be heard ; the doors of the halls were closed by the same enchantment that had closed the rock, and he was left to perish in total darkness. Aladdin remained in this state two days without tasting food, and on the third day he looked on death as inevitable. Clasping his hands with agony, to think of his own destruction and his mother's sorrow, he chanced to press the ring the magi- cian had put on his finger; immediately an enormous genie rose out of the earth, and said "What wouldst thou have with me ? I am ready to obey thy com- mands — I, and the other slaves of that ring." Aladdin, trem- bling with fear, said, "Deliv( r me, I beseech thee, from this place, if thou art able." He had no sooner .spoke than the earth opened, and he found himself on the very spot where he had been brought by the magician ; and then hastened home. When Aladdin had recovered, and had been embraced a thousand times by his mother, he began to relate to her all that had befallen him. " Ah, my son," she cried, " I see clearly now that that man was no brother of thy father's. He was a wicked enchanter, who meant to make you useful to him in some bad purpose or other. Beware of him. 8 ALADDIN Aladdin promised to take his mother's good advice, and en- treated her to bring him same food, as he was almost starved. Alas ! the poor old woman had neither food nor money in the house. "Mother/' said Aladdin, do not mind it. Pray, dry your tears, and reach me the lamp I put on the shelf just now, and I will go and sell it." The old woman took down the lamp, and, thinking it would sell better if it were cleaner, she began to rub it with sand. Instantly a hideous genie stood before her, and said in a voice like thunder, " What wouldst thou have ? I am ready to obey thy commands — I and all the other slaves of that lamp." Aladdin, having seen the former genie, was less frightened than his mother, who fainted away, while he said boldly, " I am hungry, bring me something to eat." The genie disap- peared, and presently returned with twelve large plates of silver full of the most savoury meats, six white loaves, two bottles of wine, and two silver drinking cups. Having placed them all in order on a table, he vanished. One day, while Aladdin was walking through the city, he heard a proclamation, commanding all the people to retire in- to their houses, as the beautiful princess Balroudour, whom no one must look upon, was com- ing to the pub- lic baths. Now, it happened that in these baths there was a very large hall which was the en- trance ; and as soon as the prin- cess passed the gate, she pulled off her veil, thinking she wa? only surrounded by her own slaves. There was a crevice in the door, behind which Aladdin had hid himself, so that ho could see the princess; and her uncommon beauty made so deep an impression on him, that he thought of nothing else. ALADDIN. 9 and neglected his employment and his meals. At length, un- able to conceal his love any longer, "Mother," said he, "I love the Princess Balroudour to distraction, and you must de- mand her for me in marriage of the sultan." Since I have frequented the shops of the jewellers, I have learned to know the value of those things 1 used to call pieces of glass ; it is with those things that I intend to purchase the good-will of the sultan/' Aladdin then sent her to borrow a large china dish, which he filled with the finest jewels from his heap, and after tying it up carefully in two napkins, the poor old woman set out for the sultan's palace with a heavy heart, fearing she should be punished for her presumption. She instantly fell on her knees, and be- sought the sul- tan's pardon, who commanded her to speak on and fear nothing. She then related the story of her son's falling in love with the princess, and the advice she had given him, stopping at every three words, to entreat the sultan's forgiveness, who only smiled, and asked what was tied up in her napkin. She presented the dish to the vizier, who handed it over to the sultan. When the dish was uncovered, he actually started with sur- prise, for he had never before seen jewels of such size and lustre. " Your son," said he, " can be no ordinary person, if he affords to make such presents as these." The vizier now approached, and whispered something to the sultan, who nodded, and then turning to Aladdin's mother, said, " Go, and tell your son that he shall have the Princess Balroudour in marriage, as soon as he sends me forty basins of massy gold, filled with such jewels as these, carried by forty black slaves, \tmm^M0^' 1.0 ALADDIN. besides horses, who shall be led by forty white slaves, all magnificently clothed. Go, hasten home, and declare my will to your son." Aladdin rubbed the lamp, and the genie stood before him, whom he commanded to bring the jewels, with the black and white slaves as the sultan had required. Aladdin, at length, obtained the consent of the sultan, and when he went to ask the hand of the princess, he rode in full pomp, with a long train of slaves, bearing magni- ficent presents. Aladdin again sought the genie's help, in building a mag- nificent palace, which was fur- nished in the most elegant style, Btables, footmen, men and women ser- vants, cellais of wine, fruit ga±dens, and every luxury, far excelling the grandeur of the sultan. The marriage was celebrated with great splendour, and Aladdin's name spread through the land. The magician soon heard of Aladdin's fame, and sought to obtain possession of the lamp, while he was out on an hunting excursion, which he got in exchange for a new one, by representing himself as a dealer ; and when he got possession of the lamp, he instantly commanded the genie to transport him, the palace, and the princess, to the remotest corner of Africa. The confusion of the sultan was indescribable, when he found the palace vanished, and his daughter lost. He threat- ened to take away the life of Aladdin, unless the princess was restored to him within forty days. Aladdin left the sultan in distress, and on his road he stoop- ed to wash his eyes at a brook, when he slipped his foot, and catching hold of a piece of rock, he pressed the ring which he wore on his finger, that the magician had given him, and the ALADDIN, 11 genie appeared, saying, " What wouldst thou have?" "I command thee to transport me to the place where my palace has been removed to." Instantly, Aladdin found himself in his own palace, and in the arms of his princess, A plan was soon concerted in order to get possession of the lamp. The princess invited the magician to supper, ex- changed her cup of wine which contained a sleeping powder, with his, which he drank, and then fell senseless on the floor, Aladdin snatched the lamp, put it into his bosom, and threw the traitor into an adjoining meadow. Aladdin summoned the genie of the lamp, ordered his pal- ace to be immediately transported to its original station, and soon all sorrow was turned into joy, the city was illuminated, and the sultan and all the people greatly rejoiced. When the magician awakened, and found what had been done, he made another attempt to secure the lamp. He went to the cell of a holy woman named Fatima, and slew her, dressed himself in her clothes, and obtained an entrance into the palace in her name. The pretended Fatima was kindly entertained by the princess, and while going through the palace, suggested, that a roc's egg should be hung up in the hall. Aladdin summoned the genie of the lamp, requested that a roc's egg should at once be hung up. " What !" said the genie, "after all that has been done to serve thee, dost thou wish me to hang up my master. Had this been thy con- trivance, I would have reduced thy palace to a heap of ruins, but the magician is now under thy roof, go, punish his crimes. " Aladdin feigned sick, Fatima was sent for, and as she ap- proached the couch on which he lay, Aladdin seized a dagger, and plunged it into her heart, when he at once discovered in the garb of Fatima, — the traitor magician. In a short time after this, the sultan died without a son, and Aladdin and the Princess Balroudour ascended the throne, where they reigned together many years, and left behind them a numerous, virtuous, and illustrious progeny. 33~7£>c ■^2-SJ^^^S^5 1 WEBB, MILLINGTON, & Co.'s zpiensrisr-^sr u n 1. Aladdin, or the Wonderful Lamp. 2. Gulliver's Travels. 3. Little Jack and tlie Goat. 4. Children in Wood. 5. 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