Aladdin

by Antoine Galland

There once lived a poor tailor, who had a son called Aladdin,
a careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play all day long in
the streets with little idle boys like himself. This so grieved the
father that he died; yet, in spite of his mother's tears and prayers,
Aladdin did not mend his ways. One day, when he was playing in the
streets as usual, a stranger asked him his age, and if he was not
the son of Mustapha the tailor. "I am, sir," replied Aladdin;
"but he died a long while ago." On this the stranger, who was
a famous African magician, fell on his neck and kissed him saying:
"I am your uncle, and knew you from your likeness to my brother.
Go to your mother and tell her I am coming." Aladdin ran home
and told his mother of his newly found uncle. "Indeed, child," she
said, "your father had a brother, but I always thought he was dead."
However, she prepared supper, and bade Aladdin seek his uncle,
who came laden with wine and fruit. He fell down and kissed the
place where Mustapha used to sit, bidding Aladdin's mother not to
be surprised at not having seen him before, as he had been forty
years out of the country. He then turned to Aladdin, and asked
him his trade, at which the boy hung his head, while his mother
burst into tears. On learning that Aladdin was idle and would
learn no trade, he offered to take a shop for him and stock it with
merchandise. Next day he bought Aladdin a fine suit of clothes and
took him all over the city, showing him the sights, and brought him home
at nightfall to his mother, who was overjoyed to see her son so fine.

Next day the magician led Aladdin into some beautiful gardens a
long way outside the city gates. They sat down by a fountain and
the magician pulled a cake from his girdle, which he divided
between them. Then they journeyed onwards till they almost reached
the mountains. Aladdin was so tired that he begged to go back,
but the magician beguiled him with pleasant stories and lead him
on in spite of himself. At last they came to two mountains
divided by a narrow valley. "We will go no farther," said
his uncle. "I will show you something wonderful; only do you
gather up sticks while I kindle a fire." When it was lit the
magician threw on it a powder he had about him, at the same time
saying some magical words. The earth trembled a little in front
of them, disclosing a square flat stone with a brass ring in the
middle to raise it by. Aladdin tried to run away, but the
magician caught him and gave him a blow that knocked him down.
"What have I done, uncle?" he said piteously; whereupon the
magician said more kindly: "Fear nothing, but obey me. Beneath
this stone lies a treasure which is to be yours, and no one else
may touch it, so you must to exactly as I tell you." At the word
treasure Aladdin forgot his fears, and grasped the ring as he was
told, saying the names of his father and grandfather. The stone
came up quite easily, and some steps appeared. "Go down," said
the magician; "at the foot of those steps you will find an open
door leading into three large halls. Tuck up your gown and go
through them without touching anything, or you will die instantly.
These halls lead into a garden of fine fruit trees. Walk on till
you come to niche in a terrace where stands a lighted lamp. Pour
out the oil it contains, and bring it me." He drew a ring from
his finger and gave it to Aladdin, bidding him prosper.

Aladdin found everything as the magician had said, gathered some
fruit off the trees, and, having got the lamp, arrived at the
mouth of the cave. The magician cried out in a great hurry:
"Make haste and give me the lamp." This Aladdin refused to do until
he was out of the cave. The magician flew into a terrible passion,
and throwing some more powder on to the fire, he said something,
and the stone rolled back into its place.

The man left the country, which plainly showed that he was no
uncle of Aladdin's but a cunning magician, who had read in his
magic books of a wonderful lamp, which would make him the most
powerful man in the world. Though he alone knew where to find it,
he could only receive it from the hand of another. He had picked
out the foolish Aladdin for this purpose, intending to get the
lamp and kill him afterwards.

For two days Aladdin remained in the dark, crying and lamenting.
At last he clasped his hands in prayer, and in so doing rubbed
the ring, which the magician had forgotten to take from him.
Immediately an enormous and frightful genie rose out of the earth,
saying: "What wouldst thou with me? I am the Slave of the Ring,
and will obey thee in all things." Aladdin fearlessly replied,
"Deliver me from this place!" whereupon the earth opened, and he
found himself outside. As soon as his eyes could bear the light
he went home, but fainted on the threshold. When he came to
himself he told his mother what had passed, and showed her the
lamp and the fruits he had gathered in the garden, which were in
reality precious stones. He then asked for some food. "Alas!
child," she said, "I have nothing in the house, but I have spun a
little cotton and will go sell it." Aladdin bade her keep her
cotton, for he would sell the lamp instead. As it was very dirty,
she began to rub it, that it might fetch a higher price.
Instantly a hideous genie appeared, and asked what she would have.
She fainted away, but Aladdin, snatching the lamp, said boldly:
"Fetch me something to eat!" The genie returned with a silver
bowl, twelve silver plates containing rich meats, two silver cups,
and two bottles of wine. Aladdin's mother, when she came to herself,
said: "Whence comes this splendid feast?" "Ask not, but eat,"
replied Aladdin. So they sat at breakfast till it was dinner-time,
and Aladdin told his mother about the lamp. She begged him to sell it,
and have nothing to do with devils. "No," said Aladdin, "since chance
hath made us aware of its virtues, we will use it, and the ring likewise,
which I shall always wear on my finger." When they had eaten all the
genie had brought, Aladdin sold one of the silver plates, and so on
until none were left. He then had recourse to the genie, who gave him
another set of plates, and thus they lived many years.

One day Aladdin heard an order from the Sultan proclaimed that
everyone was to stay at home and close his shutters while the
Princess his daughter went to and from the bath. Aladdin was
seized by a desire to see her face, which was very difficult,
as she always went veiled. He hid himself behind the door of
the bath, and peeped through a chink. The Princess lifted her veil
as she went in, and looked so beautiful that Aladdin fell in love
with her at first sight. He went home so changed that his mother
was frightened. He told her he loved the Princess so deeply he
could not live without her, and meant to ask her in marriage of
her father. His mother, on hearing this, burst out laughing, but
Aladdin at last prevailed upon her to go before the Sultan and
carry his request. She fetched a napkin and laid in it the magic
fruits from the enchanted garden, which sparkled and shone like
the most beautiful jewels. She took these with her to please the
Sultan, and set out, trusting in the lamp. The Grand Vizier and
the lords of council had just gone in as she entered the hall and
placed herself in front of the Sultan. He, however, took no
notice of her. She went every day for a week, and stood in the
same place. When the council broke up on the sixth day the Sultan
said to his Vizier: "I see a certain woman in the audience-chamber
every day carrying something in a napkin. Call her next time,
that I may find out what she wants." Next day, at a sign from
the vizier, she went up to the foot of the throne and remained
kneeling until the Sultan said to her: "Rise, good woman, and
tell me what you want." She hesitated, so the Sultan sent away
all but the Vizier, and bade her speak freely, promising to
forgive her beforehand for anything she might say. She then told
him of her son's violent love for the Princess. "I prayed him to
forget her," she said, "but in vain; he threatened to do some
desperate deed if I refused to go and ask your Majesty for the
hand of the Princess. Now I pray you to forgive not me alone,
but my son Aladdin." The Sultan asked her kindly what she had in
the napkin, whereupon she unfolded the jewels and presented them.
He was thunderstruck, and turning to the vizier, said: "What
sayest thou? Ought I not to bestow the Princess on one who
values her at such a price?" The Vizier, who wanted her for his
own son, begged the Sultan to withhold her for three months, in
the course of which he hoped his son could contrive to make him a
richer present. The Sultan granted this, and told Aladdin's
mother that, though he consented to the marriage, she must not
appear before him again for three months.

Aladdin waited patiently for nearly three months, but after two
had elapsed, his mother, going into the city to buy oil, found
everyone rejoicing, and asked what was going on. "Do you not
know," was the answer, "that the son of the Grand Vizier is to
marry the Sultan's daughter tonight?" Breathless she ran and told
Aladdin, who was overwhelmed at first, but presently bethought
him of the lamp. He rubbed it and the genie appeared, saying:
"What is thy will?" Aladdin replied: "The Sultan, as thou knowest,
has broken his promise to me, and the vizier's son is to have
the Princess. My command is that to-night you bring hither
the bride and bridegroom." "Master, I obey," said the genie.
Aladdin then went to his chamber, where, sure enough, at
midnight the genie transported the bed containing the vizier's
son and the Princess. "Take this new-married man," he said, "and
put him outside in the cold, and return at daybreak." Whereupon
the genie took the vizier's son out of bed, leaving Aladdin with
the Princess. "Fear nothing," Aladdin said to her; "you are my
wife, promised to me by your unjust father, and no harm will come
to you." The Princess was too frightened to speak, and passed
the most miserable night of her life, while Aladdin lay down
beside her and slept soundly. At the appointed hour the genie
fetched in the shivering bridegroom, laid him in his place,
and transported the bed back to the palace.

Presently the Sultan came to wish his daughter good-morning.
The unhappy Vizier's son jumped up and hid himself, while the
Princess would not say a word and was very sorrowful. The Sultan
sent her mother to her, who said: "How comes it, child, that you
will not speak to your father? What has happened?" The Princess
sighed deeply, and at last told her mother how, during the night,
the bed had been carried into some strange house, and what had
passed there. Her mother did not believe her in the least,
but bade her rise and consider it an idle dream.

The following night exactly the same thing happened, and next
morning, on the Princess's refusing to speak, the Sultan
threatened to cut off her head. She then confessed all, bidding
him ask the Vizier's son if it were not so. The Sultan told the
Vizier to ask his son, who owned the truth, adding that, dearly
as he loved the Princess, he had rather die than go through
another such fearful night, and wished to be separated from her.
His wish was granted, and there was an end of feasting and rejoicing.

For part 2 click below