and thou wilt find
thyself in thine own country with the palace." And immediately this
befell in the twinkling of an eye and the Maugrabin was transported,
with Alaeddin's palace and all that was therein, to the land of Africa.

So much for the enchanter, and now let us return to the Sultan and
Alaeddin. The Sultan, of his love and affection for his daughter the
Lady Bedrulbudour, was wont, every day, when he awoke from his sleep,
to open the window and look at her therefrom; so he arose on the morrow,
according to his wont, and opened his chamber-window, so he might
see his daughter; but [571] when he put out his head and looked for
Alaeddin's palace, he beheld nothing but a place swept [and level],
like as it was aforetime, and saw neither palace nor inhabitants; [572]
whereat amazement clad him and his wit was bewildered and he fell
to rubbing his eyes, so haply they were bleared or dimmed. Then he
proceeded to look closely till at last he was certified that there was
neither trace nor sign left of the palace and knew not what was come of
it; whereupon he redoubled in perplexity and smote hand upon hand
and his tears ran down upon his beard, for that he knew not what had
befallen his daughter. So he sent forthright to fetch the Vizier,
who came in to him and seeing him in that woeful state, said to him,
"Pardon, O King of the Age (God keep thee from harm!) why art thou
woeful?" Quoth the Sultan, "Meseemeth thou knowest not of my affair."
And the Vizier said to him, "By Allah, O my lord, I have no knowledge
of aught whatsoever." "Then," rejoined the Sultan, "thou hast not looked
towards Alaeddin's palace." "Nay, O my lord," replied the Vizier, "it
is yet shut." And the Sultan said to him, "Since thou hast no news of
aught, rise and look at it from the window and see where it is, this
palace of Alaeddin's, whereof thou sayest that it is yet shut." The
Vizier arose and looked from the window towards Alaeddin's palace,
but could see nothing, neither palace nor aught else; so his wit was
bewildered and he was amazed and returned to the Sultan, who said to
him, "Now knowest thou the cause of my distress and seest Alaeddin his
palace, whereof thou saddest that it was shut." "O King of the Age,"
rejoined the Vizier, "I told Thy Grace aforetime that this palace and
these affairs were all of them [the work of] enchantment."

At this the Sultan was fired with wrath and said to him, "Where is
Alaeddin?" And he answered, "He is