,
after this they found they should have enough left for supper, and two
meals for the next day.

When Aladdin's mother had taken away and set by what was left, she
went and sat down by her son on the sofa, saying, "I expect now that
you will satisfy my impatience, and tell me exactly what passed
between the genie and you while I was in a swoon."

He readily complied with her request.

She was in as great amazement at what her son told her as at the
appearance of the genie, and said to him, "But, son, what have we to
do with genies? I never heard that any of my acquaintance had ever
seen one. How came that vile genie to address himself to me, and not
to you, to whom he had appeared before in the cave?"

"Mother," answered Aladdin, "the genie you saw is not the one who
appeared to me. If you remember, he that I first saw called himself
the slave of the ring on my finger; and this you saw, called himself
the slave of the lamp you had in your hand; but I believe you did not
hear him, for I think you fainted as soon as he began to speak."

"What!" cried the mother, "was your lamp then the occasion of that
cursed genie's addressing himself to me rather than to you? Ah! my
son, take it out of my sight, and put it where you please. I had
rather you would sell it than run the hazard of being frightened to
death again by touching it; and if you would take my advice, you would
part also with the ring, and not have anything to do with genies, who,
as our prophet has told us, are only devils."

"With your leave, mother," replied Aladdin, "I shall now take care how
I sell a lamp which may be so serviceable both to you and me. That
false and wicked magician would not have undertaken so long a journey
to secure this wonderful lamp if he had not known its value to exceed
that of gold and silver. And since we have honestly come by it, let us
make a profitable use of it, without making any great show and
exciting the envy and jealousy of our neighbors. However, since the
genies frighten you so much, I will take it out of your sight, and put
it where I may find it when I want it. The ring I cannot resolve to
part with; for without that you had never seen me again; and though I
am alive now, perhaps, if it were gone, I might not be so some moments
hence. Therefore I hope you will give me leave to keep it, and to wear
it always on my finger."

Aladdin's mother replied that he might do what he pleased; for her
part, she would have n