Page:Aladdin, or, The wonderful lamp.pdf/17

 ask of you, said Aladdin, is, That as soon as the bride and bridegroom are in bed, you bring them both hither in their bed. Master, replied the genius, I will obey you.

In the mean time, every thing was prepared with the greatest magnificence in the sultan’s palace to celebrate the princess’s nuptials; and the evening was spent with all the usual ceremonies and rejoicings till midnight. When the new-married couple had retired to bed, the genius took up the bed, and transported it in an instant into Aladdin’s chamber, where he set it down. Aladdin, did not suffer the vizier’s son to remain long in bed with the princess. Take this new-married man, said he to the genius, and shut him up in the house of office, and come again to-morrow morning after day break. The genius present took the vizier’s son out of bed, and carried him in his shirt whither Aladdin bid him; and after he had breathed upon him, which prevented his stirring, he left him there.

Great as was Aladdin’s love for the princess Badroulboudour, he did not talk much to her when they were alone; but only said with a passionate air, Fear nothing, adorable princess; If I have been forced to come to this extremity, it is not with any intention of affronting you, but to prevent an unjust rival’s possessing you contrary to the sultan your father's promise in favour of me. The fright and amazement of so unexpected an adventure had put her into such a condition, that he could not get one word from her. However, he undressed himself, and got into the vizier’s son’s place, and lay with his back to the princess, putting a sabre between himself and her, to show that he deserved to be punished, if he attempted any thing against her honour.

The genius came at the hour appointed, and said to him, I am here, master; what are your commands? Go, said Aladdin, fetch the vizier’s son out of the place where you left him, and put him into his bed again, and carry it to the sultan’s palace. The genius did so; and as soon as he had set down the nuptial-bed in its proper place, the sultan opened the door to wish her good morning. The grand vizier’s son, no sooner heard the door open, but he got out of bed, and ran into the wardrobe, where he had undressed himself the night before.

The sultan went to the bedside, kissed the princess between the eyes, according to custom, wishing her a good-morrow, and asked her, smiling how she had passed the night. She only cast at him a sorrowful look expressive of great affliction or great dissatisfaction. He said a few words to her; but finding that he could not get a word from her, he attributed it to her modesty, and retired. Nevertheless he suspected that there was something extraordinary in this silence, and thereupon went immediately to the sultaness’s apartment, and told her in what a state he found the princess, and how she received him. Sir, said the sultaness, all new-married people always have a reserve about them the next day; she will be quite another thing in two or three days time, and then she will receive the sultan her father as she ought; but I will go and see her, added she; I am very much deceived if she receives me in the same manner.