"Anonymous - Alladin and the Wonderful Lamp" - читать интересную книгу автора (Anonymous)

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.

When the three months were over, Aladdin sent his mother to
remind the Sultan of his promise. She stood in the same place as
before, and the Sultan, who had forgotten Aladdin, at once
remembered him, and sent for her. On seeing her poverty the
Sultan felt less inclined than ever to keep his word, and asked
his Vizier's advice, who counselled him to set so high a value on
the Princess that no man living would come up to it. The Sultan
than turned to Aladdin's mother, saying: "Good woman, a sultan