Английские сказки для мальчиков / English Fairy Tales for Boys - стр. 10
“Forgive my ignorance,” he asked, “what is this palace you speak of?[57]”
“Did you not hear about Prince Aladdin’s palace,” was the reply, “the greatest wonder of the world?”
The magician saw the palace and became half mad with rage.
He bought a dozen copper lamps and put them into a basket. Then he went to the palace, crying, “New lamps for old![58]”
Aladdin was not at the palace at the moment. The princess sent a slave to find out what the noise was about.[59]
“Your Majesty,” replied the slave, “an old fool offers to exchange fine new lamps for old ones.”
Another slave said, “We have a very old lamp, let’s change it.”
But this was the magic Lamp, which Aladdin left there. The princess did not know its value. She went and said to the magician, “Give me a new lamp for this.”
The wizard immediately exchanged the lamps. After that the wizard went away and rubbed the Lamp. The Jinn appeared. The magician ordered the Jinn to carry him, together with the palace and the princess, to a lonely place in Africa.
The next morning the Sultan did not see the Aladdin’s palace: it disappeared! He sent thirty men on horseback[60] to fetch Aladdin in chains.
“Where is my palace and my daughter?” asked the Sultan.
Aladdin could not say a word.
“I must have my daughter back![61] And you must find her or lose your head.”
Aladdin begged for forty days to find her. For three days he asked everyone what became of his palace. Nobody knew the answer.
He came to the banks of a river and rubbed the magic ring he still wore. Another Jinn appeared.
“Save my life, Jinn,” said Aladdin, “and bring my palace back.”
“That is not in my power,” said the Jinn. “I am only the Slave of the Ring. You must ask the Slave of the Lamp.”
“But you,” said Aladdin, “can take me to the palace and set me down under my wife’s window.”
He at once found himself in Africa, under the window of the princess. That morning the princess rose earlier than usual. As she was dressing, one of her women saw Aladdin. The princess ran and opened the window. They were very happy to see each other again.
“Please forgive me,” said the princess. “I didn’t know anything about the Lamp. So I gave it to the wizard. He is very evil, and he wants to marry me.”
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