Page:The fairy tales of science.djvu/357

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The Wonderful Lamp.


"Know the great genius of this land
Has many a light aërial band,
Who all, beneath his high command,
Harmoniously,
As arts or arms they understand,
Their labours ply."—Burns.


Genii, afrits, and ghouls, have long since lost their terrors, but the wonderful stories told about them will continue to charm the youthful mind for centuries to come. Chief among these stories is that of Aladdin, the poor boy, who became the fortunate possessor of a wonderful lamp, which gave him control over a powerful race of genii. By merely rubbing the lamp he summoned these superhuman servants, who waited on him hand and foot, brought him untold wealth, transported him from place to place, and fulfilled his wildest desires. Upon this beautiful Arabian romance we ground our concluding fairy tale of science.

Our wonderful lamp is merely a poetical image of Science. The lamp of science dispels intellectual darkness, and floods the world with its all-pene-