d
not been able to finish it.

"Now I may speak! I am innocent."

The populace who saw what had happened bowed down before her as if
she had been a saint, but she sank lifeless in her brother's arms, so
great had been the strain, the terror, and the suffering she had
endured.

"Yes, innocent she is indeed," said the eldest brother, and he told
them all that had happened.

While he spoke a wonderful fragrance spread around as of millions of
roses. Every fagot in the pile had taken root and shot out branches,
and a great high hedge of red roses had arisen. At the very top was
one pure white blossom; it shone like a star, and the king broke it
off and laid it on Elise's bosom, and she woke with joy and peace in
her heart.

All the church bells began to ring of their own accord, and the
singing birds flocked around them. Surely such a bridal procession
went back to the palace as no king had ever seen before!

ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP

There once lived a poor tailor who had a son called Aladdin, a
careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play all day long in the
streets with little idle boys like himself. This so grieved the father
that he died; yet, in spite of his mother's tears and prayers, Aladdin
did not mend his ways. One day, when he was playing in the streets as
usual, a stranger asked him his age, and if he was not the son of
Mustapha the tailor. "I am, sir," replied Aladdin; "but he died a long
while ago." On this the stranger, who was a famous African magician,
fell on his neck and kissed him, saying: "I am your uncle, and knew
you from your likeness to my brother. Go to your mother and tell her I
am coming." Aladdin ran home and told his mother of his newly found
uncle. "Indeed, child," she said, "your father had a brother, but I
always thought he was dead." However, she prepared supper, and bade
Aladdin seek his uncle, who came laden with wine and fruit. He
presently fell down and kissed the place where Mustapha used to sit,
bidding Aladdin's mother not to be surprised at not having seen him
before, as he had been forty years out of the country. He then turned
to Aladdin, and asked him his trade, at which the boy hung his head,
while his mother burst into tears. On learning that Aladdin was idle
and would learn no trade, he offered to take a shop for him and stock
it with merchandise. Next day he bought Aladdin a fine suit of clothes
and took him all over the city, showing him the sigh