before, and would have kept him to dine. But Aladdin answered, "I beg your Majesty to excuse me from accepting that honour to-day: I come to ask you to partake of a repast in the Princess's palace, with the Grand Vizier and the lords of your Court." The Sultan, who was burning with curiosity to see the palace, immediately consented; and as Aladdin's palace was so near, the procession set off at once, Aladdin riding at the Sultan's right hand, and the Grand Vizier on the left; the guards and principal officers of the Court walking before them, and the courtiers and great lords following their master.

The Sultan was infinitely astonished at the splendour he beheld, and passed more than an hour in going from one apartment to another. Afterwards he breakfasted with his son-in-law, and called a council of the officers of his Court who were present to decide upon the necessary arrangements for the solemnization of the marriage on a scale of magnificence suited to the occasion. A somewhat lengthy discussion took place, in which every one present, excepting the Grand Vizier, appeared highly interested; but Aladdin, confident in the resources at his command, solicited the Sultan to leave the arrangements in his hands, and assured him that if he failed in giving satisfaction, he was prepared to forfeit the Sultan's favour, which he so much valued, and submit to any degradation or punishment he might think proper to inflict. The Sultan was satisfied, and in due time Aladdin sent a numerous train to bring his bride, the fair Princess Badroulboudour, home to his palace. There were a hundred female slaves, all magnificently dressed, followed by a hundred male attendants, and an equal number of black slaves, and four hundred pages carrying flambeaux, and many bands of music. No royal prince could have a goodlier train

of attendants to fetch home his bride. The Princess herself was charmed with the appearance of the bridegroom, and everything went off exceedingly well.

The marriage was celebrated with a degree of regal magnificence. The wedding feast was held in the great hall of Aladdin's palace, which was illuminated by an enormous number of tapers. The dishes were of massive gold; and the genie of the lamp had provided a banquet fit for an emperor's wedding. Even the Princess, accustomed as she was to splendour, was struck with wonder at this magnifi

cence that astonished every beholder: earth, air, and water appeared to have vied with each other in contributing to the splendour of the scene. Musicians filled the air with dulcet sounds; poets recited odes in praise of the beauty of the Princess and the magnificence of Aladdin; slaves bearing open bags full of gold pieces scattered them among the assembled crowds; every open space in the city was filled with tables covered with the choicest viands, which appeared to be replenished as fast as they were consumed. Seven days were the festivities continued without interruption, until every one in the city, from the Sultan to the lowest mendicant, declared himself exhausted with enjoyment. Inside the palace of Aladdin the genie of the lamp had been furnished with ample employment. His present master appeared to possess a fertility of imagination as regards luxurious enjoyment that no earthly power could satisfy; but the resources of the genie of the lamp appeared inexhaustible.

For some time the Princess Badroulboudour and Aladdin lived very happily in their palace. But the African magician, who had retired in a rage after shutting up Aladdin in the cave, had one day the curiosity to wish to know what had become of the poor tailor's boy, though he had little doubt that he had perished in the cave. He consulted his magic books, and found that Aladdin was not only alive, and in possession of the lamp, but had married the Sultan's beautiful daughter.

Great was his astonishment and his anger. "This miserable son of a tailor," he cried, "has found out the secret of the lamp, and its virtues! I thought he must certainly perish; but he is alive, and has reaped the fruits of my toils and dangers and knowledge. But I will prevent him from enjoying them long, or else I will perish."

Rage and malice at once took possession of his heart. He thought how he might be revenged on Aladdin, and was not long in maturing a plan for that purpose. He disguised himself as a pedlar, and came to the city in which Aladdin's palace was built. Here he purchased half a dozen lamps, and went from door to door crying out, "New lamps for old ones! New lamps for old ones!" so that he soon had a crowd of

boys at his heels hooting and jeering him. He persevered, however, until he came in front of Aladdin's palace. The Princess Badroulboudour was there, but Aladdin was out hunting. Amused at the apparent stupidity of the lamp merchant, the Princess sent out one of her slaves to exchange an old lamp for a new one little did she suspect that it was Aladdin's wonderful lamp with which she was parting.

As soon as the magician had the lamp in his possession, he made the best of his way home. When he got there he rubbed the lamp, and commanded the genie, who instantly appeared, to transport the palace, with the Princess in it, to a certain part of Africa. The genie obeyed.

When the Sultan rose that morning he was terribly surprised to see a vacant space where Aladdin's palace had stood overnight. He could hardly believe his eyes. The Vizier declared himself as much amazed as the Sultan, when, being hastily summoned by his startled master, he saw that Aladdin's beautiful palace had really disappeared. And then his old jealousy of Aladdin. as a rival of his own son for the hand of Princess Badroulboudour revived; and he reminded the Sultan his master, with malicious triumph in his face,

this, was in a most terrible rage, and sent at once for Aladdin. The messenger found him returning from hunting, and brought him before his enraged father-in-law, who wanted in the first paroxysm of his anger to have Aladdin's head chopped off. But bethinking himself that he was thus giving up the last chance of recovering his daughter, he altered his mind, and allowed Aladdin forty days' time in which to bring her back. Poor Aladdin went away very disconsolate, for he had little chance of finding the Princess. For some days he wandered about from place to place with despair raging in his heart. It appeared to Aladdin as though a huge barrier had been suddenly interposed between him and all future hope. The revulsion of feeling consequent upon so sudden a change of position was terrible in the extreme, and Aladdin looked forward to the termination of the forty days as a relief. last, one day, as he climbed a mountain in the vain hope of beholding some sign of his palace in the distance, he resolved to put an end to his own life, and so get rid of all his woes at once. A river ran close by, and into this he resolved to cast himself; but first he determined to say his prayers, and to wash his face and hands, according to custom. Descending from the rock he had climbed in the hope of

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