left, but beheld nothing more than he had formerly been used to see from his window. His amazement was so great, that he stood for some time turning his eyes to the spot where the palace had stood, but where it was no longer to be seen. He could not comprehend how so large a palace as Aladdin’s, which he had seen plainly every day for some years, and but the day before, should vanish so soon, and not leave the least remains behind.
“Certainly,” said he to himself, “I am not mistaken; it stood there: if it had fallen, the materials would have lain in heaps; and if it had been swallowed up by an earthquake, there would be some mark left.’’ At last he retired to his apartment, not without looking behind him before he quitted the spot, ordered the grand vizier to be sent for with expedition, and in the meantime sat down, his mind agitated by so many different conjectures that he knew not what to resolve.
The grand vizier did not make the sultan wait long for him, but came with so much precipitation, that neither he nor his attendants, as they passed, missed Aladdin’s palace; neither did the porters, when they opened the palace gates, observe any alteration.
When he came into the sultan’s presence, he said to him: “The haste in which your majesty sent for me makes me believe something extraordinary has happened, since you know this is a day of public audience, and I should not have failed of attending at the usual time.” “Indeed,” said the sultan, “it is something very extraordinary, as you say, and you will allow it to be so: tell me what is become of Aladdin’s palace?” ‘‘His palace!” replied the grand vizier in amazement; “I thought as I passed it stood in its usual place.” “Go into my closet,” said the sultan, ‘‘and tell me if you can see it.”
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