Page:Aladdin, or, The wonderful lamp.pdf/12

12 ALADDIN OR THE As soon as Aladdin found that their provisions and money were spent, he took one of these plates, and went to look lor his Jew chapman again; and passing by a goldsmith’s shop, the goldsmith perceiving him, called to him, and said, My lad, I have often observed you go by, loaded as you are at present, and talk with such a Jew, and then come back again empty handed. I imagine that you carry something that you sell to him; but perhaps you do not know what a rogue he is. What I tell you is for your own good. If you will show me what you now carry, and if it is to be sold, I will give you the full worth of it; or I will direct you to other merchants who will not cheat you.

The hopes of getting more money for his plate induced Aladdin to pull it from under his coat, and shew it to the goldsmith. The old man, who at first sight saw that it was made of the finest silver, asked him if he had sold any such as that to the Jew, and Aladdin told him plainly that he had sold him twelve such, for a piece of gold each. What a villain cried the goldsmith; I will let you see how much the Jew has cheated you.

The goldsmith took a pair of scales, weighed the plate and after he had told Aladdin how much an ounce of fine silver was worth, he demonstrated to him that his plate was worth by weight sixty pieces of gold, which he paid him down immediately.

Though Aladdin and his mother had an inexhaustible treasure of money in their lamp, and might have had whatever they had a mind to every time it failed, yet they lived with the same frugality as before, except that Aladdin went more neat: as for his mother, she wore no clothes but what she earned by her spinning cotton. They went on for many years by the help of the produce which Aladdin, from time to time, made of his lamp.

One day, as Aladdin was walking about the town, he heard an order of the sultan’s published, for all people to shut up their shops and houses, and keep within doors, while the princess Badroulboudour, the sultan’s daughter, went to the baths and back again.

This public order inspired Aladdin with a great curiosity to see the princess’s face, which he could not do without placing himself behind the door of the bath, which was so situated that he could not fail of seeing her face.

Aladdin had not waited long before the princess came, and he could see her plainly through a chink of the door without being seen. When she came within three or four paces from the door of the baths, she took off her veil, and gave Aladdin an opportunity of a full look at her.

The princess was the most beautiful brunette in the world; her eyes were large, lively, and sparkling; her looks sweet and modest; her nose was of a just proportion and without a fault; her mouth small, her lips of a vermilion red, and charmingly agreeable in symmetry; in a word, all the features of her face were perfectly regular. With all these perfections the princess had so delicate a shape, so majestic an air, that the sight of her was sufficient to inspire respect.

After the princess had passed by Aladdin, and entered the baths, he remained some time astonished, and in a kind of ecstasy. But at last