entrance into which is stopped up, and gather them off the trees? But where will he get so many slaves such as the sultan requires? It is altogether out of his power, and I believe he will not be so well satisfied with my embassy this time.' When she came home, full of these thoughts, she said to her son, 'Indeed, child, I would not have you think any further of your marriage with the Princess Badroulboudour. The sultan received me very kindly, and I believe he was well disposed to you; but if I am not very much deceived, the grand vizier has made him change his mind.' Then she gave her son an exact account of what the sultan said to her, and the conditions on which he consented to the match. Afterwards she said to him, 'The sultan expects your answer immediatey; but,' continued she, laughing, 'I believe he may wait long enough.'
'Not so long, mother, as you imagine,' replied Aladdin; 'the sultan is mistaken if he thinks by this exorbitant demand to prevent my entertaining thoughts of the princess; his demand is but a trifle to what I could have done for her. But go and get us something for dinner, and leave the rest to me.'
As soon as Aladdin's mother was gone out to market, Aladdin took the lamp, and rubbed it; the genie appeared, and offered his services as usual. 'The sultan,' said Aladdin to him, 'demands forty large basins of massy gold, brim-full of the fruits of the garden from whence I took this lamp you are slave tb; and these he expects to have carried by as many black slaves, each preceded by a young, handsome, well-made white slave, richly clothed. Go and fetch me this present as soon as possible, that I may send it to him before the divan breaks up.' The genie told him his command should be immediately obeyed, and disappeared.
A little while afterwards the genie returned with forty black slaves, each bearing on his head a basin of massy gold of twenty marks weight, full of pearls, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, all larger and more beautiful than those presented to the sultan before. Each basin was covered with a silver stuff, embroidered with flowers of gold; all these, and the white slaves, quite filled the house which was but a small one, and the little court before it, and a little garden behind. The genie asked Aladdin if he had any other
