Page:Fairy tales from the Arabian nights.djvu/486

 Then drawing his sabre, he prepared to strike the blow by flourishing it three times in the air, waiting for the sultan's signal to separate his head from his body.

At that instant the grand vizier, perceiving that the populace had forced the guard of horse, and crowded the great square before the palace, and were scaling the walls in several places and beginning to pull them down to force their way in, said to the sultan, before he gave the signal, 'I beg of your majesty to consider what you are going to do, since you will risk your palace being forced; and who knows what fatal consequences may attend it?'

'My palace forced!' replied the sultan; 'who can have such boldness?'

'Sir,' answered the grand vizier, 'if your majesty will but cast your eyes towards the great square, and on the palace walls, you will know the truth of what I say.'

The sultan was so frightened when he saw so great a crowd, and perceived how enraged they were, that he ordered the executioner to put his sabre in the scabbard immediately, and to unbind Aladdin; and at the same time bade the officers declare to the people that the sultan had pardoned him and that they might retire.

Then all those who had already got upon the walls and were witnesses of what had passed, got quickly down, overjoyed that they had saved the life of a man they dearly loved, and published the news among the rest, which was presently confirmed by the officers from the top of the terraces. The justice which the sultan had done to Aladdin soon disarmed the populace of their rage; the tumult abated, and the mob dispersed.

When Aladdin found himself at liberty, he turned towards the balcony, and perceiving the sultan, raised his voice, and said to him in a moving manner, 'I beg of your majesty to add one favour more to that which I have already received, which is, to let me know my crime.'

'Your crime!' answered the sultan; 'perfidious wretch! do you not know it? Come up hither, and I will show you.'

Aladdin went up, and presented himself to the sultan, who walked in front, without looking at him, saying, 'Follow me;'