me this. Why, in a hall of such beauty, was one
window left incomplete?"

"Sire," said Aladdin, "I left it so, that you should have the glory of
finishing this hall."

"I take your wish kindly," said the Sultan, "and will give orders
about it at once."

When the jewelers and goldsmiths were called they undertook to finish
the window, but needed all the jewels the Sultan could give and the
Grand Vizier lend for the work. Even the jewels of Aladdin's gift were
used, and after working for a month the window was not half finished.
Aladdin therefore dismissed them all one day, bade them undo what they
had done, and take the jewels back to the Sultan and Vizier. Then he
rubbed his lamp, and there was the genie.

"Genie," he said, "I ordered thee to leave one of the four and twenty
windows imperfect, and thou hast obeyed me. Now I would have thee make
it like the rest." And in a moment the work was done.

The Sultan was greatly surprised when the chief jeweler brought back
the stones and said that their work had been stopped, he could not
tell why. A horse was brought, and the Sultan rode at once to
Aladdin's palace to ask what it all meant. One of the first things he
saw there was the finished window. He could hardly believe it to be
true, and looked very closely at all the four and twenty to see if he
was deceived. When he was convinced he embraced Aladdin and kissed him
between the eyes and said,--

"My son, what a man you are to do such things in the twinkling of an
eye! there is not your fellow in the world; the more I know of you the
more I admire you."

Aladdin won not only the love of the Sultan, but also of the people.
As he went to one mosque or another to prayers, or paid visits to the
Grand Vizier and lords of the court, he caused two slaves who walked
by the side of his horse to throw handfuls of money to the people in
the streets. Thus he lived for several years, making himself dear to
all.

VI

About this time the African magician, who had supposed Aladdin to be
dead in the cave where he had left him, learned by magic art that he
had made his escape, and by the help of the genie of the wonderful
lamp was living in royal splendor.

On the very next day the magician set out for the capital of China,
where on his arrival he took up his lodging in an inn. There he
quickly learned about Aladdin's wealth and goodness and popularity. As
soon as he saw the palace he knew