ve Aladdin the message, adding: "He may wait long enough for
your answer!"

"Not so long, mother, as you think," her son replied "I would do a
great deal more than that for the princess."

He summoned the genie, and in a few moments the eighty slaves arrived,
and filled up the small house and garden.

Aladdin made them set out to the palace, two and two, followed by his
mother. They were so richly dressed, with such splendid jewels in
their girdles, that everyone crowded to see them and the basins of gold
they carried on their heads.

They entered the palace, and, after kneeling before the Sultan, stood
in a half-circle round the throne with their arms crossed, while
Aladdin's mother presented them to the Sultan.

He hesitated no longer, but said: "Good woman, return and tell your
son that I wait for him with open arms."

She lost no time in telling Aladdin, bidding him make haste. But
Aladdin first called the genie.

"I want a scented bath," he said, "a richly embroidered habit, a horse
surpassing the Sultan's, and twenty slaves to attend me. Besides this,
six slaves, beautifully dressed, to wait on my mother; and lastly, ten
thousand pieces of gold in ten purses."

No sooner said than done. Aladdin mounted his horse and passed through
the streets, the slaves strewing gold as they went. Those who had
played with him in his childhood knew him not, he had grown so handsome.

When the Sultan saw him he came down from his throne, embraced him, and
led him into a hall where a feast was spread, intending to marry him to
the princess that very day.

But Aladdin refused, saying, "I must build a palace fit for her," and
took his leave.

Once home he said to the genie: "Build me a palace of the finest
marble, set with jasper, agate, and other precious stones. In the
middle you shall build me a large hall with a dome, its four walls of
massy gold and silver, each side having six windows, whose lattices,
all except one, which is to be left unfinished, must be set with
diamonds and rubies. There must be stables and horses and grooms and
slaves; go and see about it!"

The palace was finished by next day, and the genie carried him there
and showed him all his orders faithfully carried out, even to the
laying of a velvet carpet from Aladdin's palace to the Sultan's.
Aladdin's mother then dressed herself carefully, and walked to the
palace with her slaves, while he followed her on horseback. The Sultan
sent m