en it failed he set out immediately on
his return to Africa, but avoided the town, that none might ask him
what had become of the boy.

II

Aladdin was indeed in a sorry plight. He called for his uncle, but in
vain. The earth was closed above him, and the palace door at the foot
of the steps. His cries and tears brought him no help. At last he
said, "There is no strength or power but in the great and high God;"
and in joining his hands to pray he rubbed the ring which the magician
had put on his finger. Instantly a genie of frightful aspect appeared
and said, "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee. I serve
him who possesses the ring on thy finger,--I and the other slaves of
that ring."

At another time Aladdin would have been frightened at the sight of
such a figure; but his danger gave him courage to say, "Whoever thou
art, deliver me from this place."

He had no sooner spoken these words than he found himself outside the
cave, of which no sign was to be seen on the surface of the earth. He
lost no time in making his way home, where he fainted from weakness,
and afterwards told his mother of his strange adventure. They were
both very bitter against the cruel magician, but this did not prevent
Aladdin from sleeping soundly until late the next morning. As there
was nothing for breakfast, he bethought him of selling the lamp in
order to buy food. "Here it is," said his mother, "but it is very
dirty. If I rub it clean I believe it will bring more."

No sooner had she begun to rub it than a hideous genie of gigantic
size appeared before her, and said in a voice of thunder, "What
wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave
of all those who have the lamp in their hands,--I and the other slaves
of the lamp."

In terror at the sight, Aladdin's mother fainted; but the boy, who had
already seen a genie, said boldly, "I am hungry; bring me something to
eat."

[Illustration: NO SOONER HAD SHE BEGUN TO RUB IT THAN A HIDEOUS GENIE
OF GIGANTIC SIZE APPEARED BEFORE HER AND SAID IN A VOICE OF THUNDER:
"WHAT WOULD'ST THOU HAVE? I AM READY TO OBEY THEE AS THY SLAVE, AND THE
SLAVE OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE THE LAMP IN THEIR HANDS,--I AND THE OTHER
SLAVES OF THE LAMP." IN TERROR AT THE SIGHT ALADDIN'S MOTHER FAINTED,
BUT THE BOY, WHO HAD ALREADY SEEN A GENIE, SAID BOLDLY, "I AM HUNGRY;
BRING ME SOMETHING TO EAT"]

The genie disappeared, and returned in an instan