A Tale from the Arabian Nights

  Aladdin and the Magic Lamp – part 3

  (A tale from the Arabian nights)

   After a long time, from far away in Africa the wicked magician remembered Aladdin. He used his magic arts and discovered that Aladdin was instead of perishing miserably in the cave, had escaped, and had married a princess, with whom he was living in great wealth and honor. He knew that the poor tailor's son could only have achieved this by means of the magic lamp. He wanted to destroy Aladdin and retrieves the genie of the magic lamp. 
   One day he came to the city of Aladdin, he heard people talking everywhere about a marvelous palace. He used a trick and disguising himself as a merchant, he went to the city crying few old and new lamps in his shoulder. At that time, Aladdin had gone a-hunting for eight days, which gave the magician plenty of time. The magician went to the palace and crying, "New lamps for old!" 

   Princess jasmine sent her maid out with the old lamp in her husband’s cupboard. When the magician saw the lamp, he was overjoyed. Taking the magic lamp he rushed away in joy leaving his basket of lamps behind.
   The magician went out of the city gates to a lonely place, where he remained till nightfall. Then he pulled out the lamp and rubbed it. The genie appeared and the magician's command the genie to carry him together with the palace and the princess Jasmine in it, to a lonely place in Africa.
   The genie of the magic lamp obeyed his current master’s order. Aladdin returned his palace and his wife had gone. He at once knew what happened. In vain did he search for his palace? The genie had taken it far across the seas where the wicked magician lived in the place in great splendor. 
   Next morning the Sultan looked out of the window towards Aladdin's palace and rubbed his eyes. He found that there was no palace and everything was vanished. He called the vizier and asked what had become of the palace. The vizier looked out too, and was lost in surprise. The Sultan burst in anger and sent thirty men on horseback to fetch Aladdin in chains. They found him and forced him to go with them on foot. He was carried before the Sultan, who ordered the executioner to cut off his head. The executioner made Aladdin kneel down, bandaged his eyes, and raised his sword to strike.
   Suddenly, Aladdin cried to the sultan,”My lord, give me few more days. I will find out your daughter and get back all of my wealth.” Then the sultan relished him and granted his request.
   Aladdin was very sad. Finding no way to get back Jasmine, he did not wish to live any longer. Aladdin went to a lake to kill himself. As he rubbed his hands in despair, he accidentally rubbed the magic ring on his finger. At once the genie appeared before him. 
   "Save my life, genie," said Aladdin, "and bring my palace and Jasmine back." 
   "That is not in my power," said the genie; "I am only the slave of the ring, you must ask the slave of the lamp."
   Aladdin understood what the genie of the ring said. He told the genie of the ring, "But you can take me to the palace, and set me down under my dear wife's window." 
   He at once found himself in Africa, under the window of the princess. He called Jasmine and kissed her. Aladdin said to Jasmine, "I beg of you, Princess, in God's name, before we speak of anything else, tell me what happened with an old lamp which I left on the cupboard, when I went a-hunting." 

   Then jasmine explained everything what was happened. The princess realized what she had done.
   “The wicked magician wishes to marry me!”, lamented the princess.
   “Don’t worry my dear! First tell me where is the little lamp?”, asked Aladdin.  
   “The magician carries it in his belt.”, replied Jasmine. 
   “You must get it somehow.” said Aladdin. 
   That night the princess agreed to marry the magician. “I wish to drink some wine to celebrate.” Said Jasmine. She then cleverly poisoned the magician and took the lamp.
   Soon, with the help of the genie of the lamp, Aladdin took his palace to his old city. The people were happy to see them back and they lived happily thereafter in their magnificent palace. 



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