ALADDIN

ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP
IT hath reached me, O King of the Age, that there dwelt in a city of

the cities of China a man which was a tailor, withal a pauper, and
he had one son, Aladdin hight. Now this boy had been from his babyhood

a ne'er-do-well, a scapegrace. And when he reached his tenth year, his
father inclined to teach him his own trade, and, for that he was

overindigent to expend money upon his learning other work or craft
or apprenticeship, he took the lad into his shop that he might be

taught tailoring. But, as Aladdin was a scapegrace and a ne'er-do-well
and wont to play at all times with the gutter boys of the quarter,

he would not sit in the shop for a single day. Nay, he would await his
father's leaving it for some purpose, such as to meet a creditor, when

he would run off at once and fare forth to the gardens with the
other scapegraces and low companions, his fellows. Such was his

case- counsel and castigation were of no avail, nor would he obey
either parent in aught or learn any trade. And presently, for his

sadness and, sorrowing because of his son's vicious indolence, the
tailor sickened and died.

Aladdin continued in his former ill courses, and when his mother saw
that her spouse had deceased and that her son was a scapegrace and

good for nothing at all, she sold the shop and whatso was to be
found therein and fell to spinning cotton yarn. By this toilsome

industry she fed herself and found food for her son Aladdin the
scapegrace, who, seeing himself freed from bearing the severities of

his sire, increased in idleness and low habits. Nor would he ever stay
at home save at meal hours while his miserablewretched mother lived

only by what her hands could spin until the youth had reached his
fifteenth year. It befell one day of the days that as he was sitting

about the quarter at play with the vagabond boys, behold, a dervish
from the Maghrib, the Land of the Setting Sun, came up and stood

gazing for solace upon the lads. And he looked hard at Aladdin and
carefully considered his semblance, scarcely noticing his companions

the while. Now this dervish was a Moorman from Inner Morocco, and he
was a magician who could upheap by his magic hill upon hill, and he

was also an adept in astrology. So after narrowlyconsidering Aladdin,
he said in himself, "Verily, this is the lad I need and to find whom I

have left my natal land." Presently he led one of the children apart
and questioned him anent the scapegrace saying, "Whose son is he?" And

he sought all information concerning his condition and whatso
related to him.

After this he walked up to Aladdin, and drawing him aside, asked, "O
my son, haply thou art the child of Such-a-one the tailor?" and the

lad answered, "Yes, O my lord, but 'tis long since he died." The
Maghrabi, the magician, hearing these words, threw himself upon

Aladdin and wound his arms around his neck and fell to bussing him,
weeping the while with tears trickling a-down his cheeks. But when the

lad saw the Moorman's case, he was seized with surprise thereat and
questioned him, saying, "What causeth thee weep, O my lord, and how

camest thou to know my father?" "How canst thou, O my son," replied
the Moorman, in a soft voice saddened by emotion, "question me with

such query after informing me that thy father and my brother is
deceased? For that he was my brother german, and now I come from my

adopted country and after long exile I rejoiced with exceeding joy
in the hope of looking upon him once more and condoling with him

over the past. And now thou hast announced to me his demise. But blood
hideth not from blood, and it hath revealed to me that thou art my

nephew, son of my brother, and I knew thee amongst all the lads,
albeit thy father, when I parted from him, was yet unmarried."

Then he again clasped Aladdin to his bosom, crying: "O my son, I
have none to condole with now save thyself. And thou standest in stead

of thy sire, thou being his issue and representative and 'whoso
leaveth issue dieth not,' O my child!" So saying, the magician put

hand to purse, and pulling out ten gold pieces, gave them to the
lad, asking, "O my son, where is your house and where dwelleth she,

thy mother and my brother's widow?" Presently Aladdin arose with him
and showed him the way to their home, and meanwhile quoth the

wizard: "O my son, take these moneys and give them to thy mother,
greeting her from me, and let her know that thine uncle, thy

father's brother, hath reappeared from his exile and that
Inshallah- God willing- on the morrow I will visit her to salute her

with the salaam and see the house wherein my brother was homed and
look upon the place where he lieth buried." Thereupon Aladdin kissed

the Maghrabi's hand, and after running in his joy at fullest speed
to his mother's dwelling entered to her clean contrariwise to his

custom, inasmuch as he never came near her save at mealtimes only.
And when he found her, the lad exclaimed in his delight: "O my

mother, I give thee glad tidings of mine uncle who hath returned
from his exile, and who now sendeth me to salute thee." "O my son,"

she replied, "meseemeth thou mockest me! Who is this uncle, and how
canst thou have an uncle in the bonds of life?" He rejoined: "How

sayest thou, O my mother, that I have no living uncles nor kinsmen,
when this man is my father's own brother? Indeed he embraced me and

bussed me, shedding tears the while, and bade me acquaint thee
herewith." She retorted, "O my son, well I wot thou haddest an

uncle, but he is now dead, nor am I ware that thou hast other eme."
The Moroccan magician fared forth next morning and fell to finding

out Aladdin, for his heart no longer permitted him to part from the
lad. And as he was to-ing and fro-ing about the city highways, he came

face to face with him disporting himself, as was his wont, amongst the
vagabonds and the scapegraces. So he drew near to him, and taking

his hand, embraced him and bussed him. Then pulled out of his poke two
dinars and said: "Hie thee to thy mother and give her these couple

of ducats and tell her that thine uncle would eat the evening meal
with you. So do thou take these two gold pieces and prepare for us a

succulent supper. But before all things, show me once more the way
to your home." "On my head and mine eyes be it, O my uncle," replied

the lad and forewent him, pointing out the street leading to the
house. Then the Moorman left him and went his ways and Aladdin ran

home and, giving the news and the two sequins to his parent, said, "My
uncle would sup with us."

So she arose straightway and, going to the market street, bought all
she required. Then, returning to her dwelling, she borrowed from the

neighbors whatever was needed of pans and platters, and so forth,
and when the meal was cooked and suppertime came she said to

Aladdin: "O my child, the meat is ready, but peradventure thine
uncle wotteth not the way to our dwelling. So do thou fare forth and

meet him on the road." He replied, "To hear is to obey," and before
the twain ended talking a knock was heard at the door. Aladdin went

out and opened, when, behold, the Maghrabi, the magician, together
with a eunuch carrying the wine and the dessert fruits. So the lad led

them in and the slave went about his business. The Moorman on entering
saluted his sister-in-law with the salaam, then began to shed tears

and to question her, saying, "Where be the place whereon my brother
went to sit?" She showed it to him, whereat he went up to it and

prostrated himself in prayer and kissed the floor, crying: how scant
is my satisfaction and how luckless is my lot, for that I have lost

thee, O my brother, O vein of my eye!" And after such fashion he
continued weeping and wailing till he swooned away for excess of

sobbing and lamentation, wherefor Aladdin's mother was certified of
his soothfastness. So, coming up to him, she raised him from the floor

and said, "What gain is there in slaying thyself?"
As soon as he was seated at his ease, and before the food trays were

served up, he fell to talking with her and saying: "O wife of my
brother, it must be a wonder to thee how in all thy days thou never

sawest me nor learnst thou aught of me during the lifetime of my
brother who hath found mercy. Now the reason is that forty years ago I

left this town and exiled myself from my birthplace and wandered forth
over all the lands of Al-Hind and Al-Sind and entered Egypt and

settled for a long time in its magnificent city, which is one of the
world wonders, till at last I fared to the regions of the setting