is this palace you speak Of?” “Have you not heard of Prince Aladdin’s palace,” was the reply, “the greatest wonder of the world?  I will direct you if you have a mind to see it.”  The magician thanked him who spoke, and having seen the palace, knew that it had been raised by the Genie of the Lamp, and became half mad with rage.  He determined to get hold of the lamp, and again plunge Aladdin into the deepest poverty.

Unluckily, Aladdin had gone a-hunting for eight days, which gave the magician plenty of time.  He bought a dozen copper lamps, put them into a basket, and went to the palace, crying:  “New lamps for old!” followed by a jeering crowd.  The Princess, sitting in the hall of four-and-twenty windows, sent a slave to find out what the noise was about, who came back laughing, so that the Princess scolded her.  “Madam,” replied the slave, “who can help laughing to see an old fool offering to exchange fine new lamps for old ones?” Another slave, hearing this, said:  “There is an old one on the cornice there which he can have.”  Now this was the magic lamp, which Aladdin had left there, as he could not take it out hunting with him.  The Princess, not knowing its value, laughingly bade the slave take it and make the exchange.  She went and said to the magician:  “Give me a new lamp for this.”  He snatched it and bade the slave take her choice, amid the jeers of the crowd.  Little he cared, but left off crying his lamps, and went out of the city gates to a lonely place, where he remained till nightfall, when he pulled out the lamp and rubbed it.  The genie appeared, and at the magician’s command carried him, together with the palace and the Princess in it, to a lonely place in Africa.

Next morning the Sultan looked out of the window toward Aladdin’s palace and rubbed his eyes, for it was gone.  He sent for the Vizier and asked what had become of the palace.  The Vizier looked out too, and was lost in astonishment.  He again put it down to enchantment, and this time the Sultan believed him, and sent thirty men on horseback to fetch Aladdin in chains.  They met him riding home, bound him, and forced him to go with them on foot.  The people, however, who loved him, followed, armed, to see that he came to no harm.  He was carried before the Sultan, who ordered the executioner to cut off his head.  The executioner made Aladdin kneel down, bandaged his eyes, and raised his scimitar to strike.  At that instant the Vizier, who saw that the crowd had forced their way into the courtyard and were scaling the walls to rescue Aladdin, called to the executioner to stay his hand.  The people, indeed, looked so threatening that the Sultan gave way and ordered Aladdin to be unbound, and pardoned him in the sight of the crowd.  Aladdin now begged to know what he had done.  “False wretch!” said the Sultan, “come thither,” and showed him from the window the place where his palace had stood.  Aladdin was so amazed that he could not say a word.  “Where is my palace and my