Page:Sinbad the sailor & other stories from the Arabian nights.djvu/161

 speechless; then, when he found words, he commanded that the whole cortège should present itself, with the jewels, to the Lady Bedr-el-Budur in her Palace. So, in due order and with perfect grace of movement, the damsels took up their precious burdens; and thus, escorted by the slaves, and led by Aladdin's mother, they went in to the Sultan's daughter. While they were laying this dowry before her, Aladdin's mother returned to the Sultan and spoke with him. "O King of the Age," she said, "'tis but a mere trifle, and scarcely worthy of the priceless rarity of thy fair daughter."

"What sayest thou?" said the Sultan, addressing the Grand Vizier. "He who can control such wealth is surely worthy of my daughter." But the wily Vizier, who had twice persuaded the Sultan, and had twice been beaten, was minded to chance a third attempt, for he could not bear to see the Lady Bedr-el-Budur pass to Aladdin without a struggle. "O my Lord," he said, green with envy, "rich though these things be, thinkest thou they are worth one single curl of thy daughter's head? Thou art the King of Earth, and the Lady Bedr-el-Budur is thy daughter: this gift is not worthy of her."

"Perchance that is why thy son feared to bring the like lest I should be displeased," returned the Sultan sharply, for he saw that the Grand Vizier was envious to excess. Then he added to Aladdin's mother: "Tell thy son he need fear not but that I shall keep my promise; but bid him come hither to me with all haste, so that I may look upon his face and accept him as my son-in-law; for the marriage shall be this very night."

Aladdin's mother flushed red with joy—redder than she had ever known as a girl. The Grand Vizier turned white 113