our palace would be the wonder of the universe."

"My good mother," said the princess, "what is a roc, and where may one
get an egg?"

"Princess," replied the pretended Fatima, "it is a bird of prodigious
size, which inhabits the summit of Mount Caucasus; the architect who
built your palace can get you one."

After the princess had thanked the false Fatima for what she believed
her good advice, she conversed with her upon other matters; but she
could not forget the roc's egg, which she resolved to request of
Aladdin when next he should visit his apartments. He did so in the
course of that evening, and shortly after he entered, the princess
thus addressed him: "I always believed that our palace was the most
superb, magnificent, and complete in the world: but I will tell you
now what it wants, and that is a roc's egg hung up in the midst of the
dome."

"Princess," replied Aladdin, "it is enough that you think it wants
such an ornament; you shall see by the diligence which I use in
obtaining it, that there is nothing which I would not do for your
sake."

Aladdin left the Princess Buddir al Buddoor that moment, and went up
into the hall of four-and-twenty windows, where, pulling out of his
bosom the lamp, which after the danger he had been exposed to he
always carried about him, he rubbed it; upon which the genie
immediately appeared.

"Genie," said Aladdin, "I command thee, in the name of this lamp,
bring a roc's egg to be hung up in the middle of the dome of the hall
of the palace."

Aladdin had no sooner pronounced these words than the hall shook as if
ready to fall; and the genie said, in a loud and terrible voice, "Is
it not enough that I and the other slaves of the lamp have done
everything for you, but you, by an unheard-of ingratitude, must
command me to bring my master, and hang him up in the midst of this
dome? This attempt deserves that you, the princess, and the palace
should be immediately reduced to ashes; but you are spared because
this request does not come from yourself. Its true author is the
brother of the African magician, your enemy whom you have destroyed.
He is now in your palace, disguised in the habit of the holy woman
Fatima, whom he has murdered; at his suggestion your wife makes this
pernicious demand. His design is to kill you; therefore take care of
yourself." After these words the genie disappeared.

Aladdin resolved at once what to do. He returned to the princess's
apartment, and