Page:Fairy tales from the Arabian nights.djvu/461

 Suddenly the genie, as the faithful slave of the lamp, to the great amazement of bride and bridegroom, took them up, and transported them in an instant to Aladdin's house, where he set them down.

Aladdin had waited impatiently for this moment. 'Take this man,' said he to the genie, 'and shut him up, and come again to-morrow.' The genie took the vizier's son and carried him away; and after he had breathed upon him, which prevented his stirring, he left him.

Great as was Aladdin's love for the Princess Badroulboudour, he did not talk much to her, but only said, 'Fear nothing, adorable princess; you are in safety. 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 marrying you contrary to the sultan your father's promise to me.'

The princess, who knew nothing of these particulars, gave very little attention to what Aladdin said. The fright and amazement of so surprising and unexpected an adventure had put her into such a condition that he could not get one word from her.

Next morning the genie 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 then take them back to the sultan's palace.' The genie presently returned with the vizier's son, and in an instant they were transported into the palace. But we must observe, that all this time the genie never appeared to either the princess or the grand vizier's son. His hideous form would have made them die with fear. Neither did they hear anything of the discourse between Aladdin and him; they only perceived the motion, and their transportation from one place to another; which we may well imagine was enough to frighten them.

Next day the princess was very melancholy and alarmed, and the sultan and his wife thought she must either be mad, or else have had a bad dream.

The rejoicings lasted all that day in the palace, and the sultaness, who never left the princess, did all she could to divert her.

But the princess continued so gloomy and ill-tempered that