and every one striving to show their joy according to their ability.  The streets were crowded with officers in habits of ceremony, mounted on horses richly caparisoned, each attended by a great many footmen.  Aladdin’s mother asked the oil merchant what was the meaning of all this preparation of public festivity.  “Whence came you, good woman,” said he, “that you don’t know that the grand vizier’s son is to marry the Princess Buddir al Buddoor, the sultan’s daughter, to-night?  She will presently return from the bath; and these officers whom you see are to assist at the cavalcade to the palace, where the ceremony is to be solemnised.”

Aladdin’s mother, on hearing these news, ran home very quickly.  “Child,” cried she, “you are undone! the sultan’s fine promises will come to nought.  This night the grand vizier’s son is to marry the Princess Buddir al Buddoor.”

At this account, Aladdin was thunderstruck, and he bethought himself of the lamp, and of the genie who had promised to obey him; and without indulging in idle words against the sultan, the vizier, or his son, he determined, if possible, to prevent the marriage.

When Aladdin had got into his chamber, he took the lamp, rubbed it in the same place as before, when immediately the genie appeared, and said to him, “What wouldst thou have?  I am ready to obey thee as thy slave; I, and the other slaves of the lamp.”  “Hear me,” said Aladdin; “thou hast hitherto obeyed me, but now I am about to impose on thee a harder task.  The sultan’s daughter, who was promised me as my bride, is this night married to the son of the grand vizier.  Bring them both hither to me immediately they retire to their bedchamber.”

“Master,” replied the genie, “I obey you.”

Aladdin supped with his mother as was their wont, and then went to his own apartment, and sat up to await the return of the genie, according to his commands.

In the mean time the festivities in honour of the princess’s marriage were conducted in the sultan’s palace with great magnificence.  The ceremonies were at last brought to a conclusion, and the princess and the son of the vizier retired to the bedchamber prepared for them.  No sooner had they entered it, and dismissed their attendants, than the genie, the faithful slave of the lamp, to the great amazement and alarm of the bride and bridegroom, took up the bed, and by an agency invisible to them, transported it in an instant into Aladdin’s chamber, where he set it down.  “Remove the bridegroom,” said Aladdin to the genie, “and keep him a prisoner till to-morrow dawn, and then return with him here.”  On Aladdin being left alone with the princess, he endeavoured to assuage her fears, and explained to her the treachery practiced upon him by the sultan her father.  He then laid himself down beside her, putting a drawn scimitar between them, to show that he was determined to secure her safety, and to treat her with the utmost possible respect.  At break of day, the genie appeared at the appointed hour, bringing back the bridegroom, whom by breathing upon he had left motionless and entranced at the door of Aladdin’s chamber during the night, and at Aladdin’s command transported the couch with the bride and bridegroom on it, by the same invisible agency, into the palace of the sultan.