The Children's Hour Volume V Part 16

This was the end of the INGENIOUS GENTLEMAN OF LA MANCHA, whose native place Cid Hamet has not thought fit precisely to mention, with design that all the towns and villages in La Mancha should contend amongst themselves for the honor of adopting and keeping him as their own, as the seven cities of Greece did for Homer. We omit here the lamentations of Sancho, of Don Quixote's niece and the housekeeper, and the new epitaphs upon his tomb; but Samson Carrasco set this upon it:--

"A valiant gentleman lies here, So brave that, to his latest breath, Immortal glory was his care, And made him triumph over death.

Of small account he held the world, Whose fears its ridicule belied; And if he like a madman lived, At least he like a wise one died."

THE ARABIAN NIGHTS

THE STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP

I

In one of the large and rich cities of China there once lived a tailor named Mustapha. He was so poor that by the hardest daily labor he could barely support himself and his family, which consisted only of his wife and a son.

This son, Aladdin, was a very careless, idle, and disobedient fellow.

He would leave home early in the morning and play all day in the streets and public places. When he was old enough, his father tried to teach him the tailor's trade, but Mustapha no sooner turned his back than the boy was gone for the day. He was frequently punished, but in vain; and at last the father gave him up as a hopeless idler, and in a few months died of the grief Aladdin caused him.

The boy, now free from restraint, became worse than ever. Until he was fifteen, he spent all his time with idle companions, never thinking how useless a man this would make of him. Playing thus with his evil mates one day, a stranger pa.s.sing by stood to observe him.

The stranger was a person known as the African magician. Only two days before, he had arrived from Africa, his native country; and, seeing in Aladdin's face something that showed the boy to be well fitted for his purposes, he had taken pains to learn all that he could find out about him.

"Child," he said to Aladdin, calling him aside, "was not your father called Mustapha the tailor?"

"Yes, sir," answered the boy; "but he has been dead a long time."

Then the African magician embraced Aladdin and kissed him, saying with tears in his eyes, "I am your uncle. I knew you at first sight; you are so like my dear brother." Then he gave the boy a handful of money, and said, "Give my love to your mother, and tell her that I will visit her to-morrow, that I may see where my good brother lived and died."

"You have no uncle," said Aladdin's mother when she had heard his story. "Neither your father nor I ever had a brother."

Again the next day the magician found Aladdin playing in the streets, and embraced him as before, and put two pieces of gold into his hand, saying, "Carry this to your mother. Tell her I shall come to sup with you to-night; but show me first where you live."

This done, Aladdin ran home with the money, and all day his mother made ready to receive their guest. Just as they began to fear that he might not find the house, the African magician knocked at the door, and came in, bringing wine and fruits of every sort. After words of greeting to them both, he asked only to be placed where he might face the sofa on which Mustapha used to sit.

"My poor brother!" he exclaimed. "How unhappy am I, not to have come soon enough to give you one last embrace!"

Then he told Aladdin's mother how he had left their native land of China forty years ago, had traveled in many lands, and finally settled in Africa. The desire had seized him to see his brother and his home once more, and therefore he had come, alas! too late.

When the widow wept at the thought of her husband, the African magician turned to Aladdin and asked, "What business do you follow?

Are you of any trade?"

The boy hung his head, and his mother added to his shame by saying, "Aladdin is an idle fellow. He would not learn his father's trade, and now will not heed me, but spends his time where you found him, in the streets. Unless you can persuade him to mend his ways, some day I must turn him out to s.h.i.+ft for himself."

Again the widow wept, and the magician said,--

"This is not well, nephew. But there are many trades beside your father's. What say you to having a shop, which I will furnish for you with fine stuffs and linens? Tell me freely."

This seemed an easy life, and Aladdin, who hated work, jumped at the plan. "Well, then," said the magician, "come with me to-morrow, and, after clothing you handsomely, we will open the shop."

Soon after supper the stranger took his leave. On the next day he bought the boy his promised clothes, and entertained him with a company of merchants at his inn. When he brought Aladdin home to his mother at night, she called down many blessings on his head for all his kindness.

Early the next morning the magician came for Aladdin, saying they would spend that day in the country, and on the next would buy the shop. So away they walked through the gardens and palaces outside one of the gates of the city. Each palace seemed more beautiful than the last, and they had gone far before Aladdin thought the morning half gone. By the brink of a fountain they rested, and ate the cakes and fruit which the magician took from his girdle. At the same time he gave the boy good advice about the company he should keep. On they went again after their repast, still farther into the country, till they nearly reached the place, between two mountains, where the magician intended to do the work that had brought him from Africa to China.

"We will go no farther now," said he to Aladdin. "I will show you here some strange things. While I strike a light, gather me all the loose, dry sticks you can see, to kindle a fire with."

There was soon a great heap of them, and when they were in a blaze the magician threw in some incense, and spoke magical words which Aladdin did not understand.

This was scarcely done when the earth opened just before the magician, and they both saw a stone with a bra.s.s ring fixed in it. Aladdin was so frightened that he would have run away, but the magician seized him and gave him a box on the ear that knocked him down.

"What have I done, to be treated so?" cried Aladdin, trembling.

"I am your uncle," was the answer; "I stand in your father's place; make no replies. But, child," he added, softening, "do not be afraid.

I shall ask nothing but that you obey me promptly, if you would have the good things I intend for you. Know, then, that under this stone there is a treasure that will make you richer than the greatest monarch on earth. No one but yourself may lift this stone or enter the cave; so you must do instantly whatever I command, for this is a matter of great importance to both of us."

"Well, uncle, what is to be done?" said Aladdin, losing his fear.

"Take hold of the ring and lift up that stone."

"Indeed, uncle, I am not strong enough; you must help me."

"No," said the magician; "if I help you we can do nothing. Lift it yourself, and it will come easily." Aladdin obeyed, raised the stone with ease, and laid it on one side.

When the stone was pulled up, there appeared a staircase about three or four feet deep, leading to a door. "Descend, my son," said the magician, "and open that door. It will lead you into a palace divided into three great halls. Before you enter the first, tuck up your robe with care. Pa.s.s through the three halls, but never touch the walls, even with your clothes. If you do you will die instantly. At the end of the third hall you will find a door opening into a garden planted with trees loaded with fine fruit. Walk directly across the garden to a terrace, where you will see a niche before you, and in the niche a lighted lamp. Take it down and put it out. Throw away the wick and pour out the liquor, which is not oil and will not hurt your clothes; then put the lamp into your waistband and bring it to me." The magician then took a ring from his finger and put it on Aladdin's, saying, "This is a talisman against all evil, so long as you obey me.

Go, therefore, boldly, and we shall both be rich all our lives."

Aladdin descended, found all to be as the magician had said, and carefully obeyed his orders. When he had put the lamp into his waistband, he wondered at the beauty of the fruit in the garden, white, red, green, blue, purple, yellow, and of all other colors, and gathered some of every sort. The fruits were really precious jewels; but Aladdin, ignorant of their immense value, would have preferred figs, grapes, or pomegranates. Nevertheless, he filled two purses his uncle had given him, besides the skirts of his vest, and crammed his bosom as full as it would hold.

Then he returned with extreme care, and found the magician anxiously waiting.

"Pray, uncle," he said, "lend me your hand to help me out."

"Give me the lamp first," replied the magician. "It will be troublesome to you."

"Indeed, uncle, I cannot now, but I will as soon as I am up."

The magician was bent on taking it at once from his hand, but the boy was so laden with his fruit that he flatly refused to give it over before getting out of the cave. This drove the magician into such a pa.s.sion that he threw more incense into the fire, spoke two magical words, and instantly the stone moved back into its place, with the earth above it, as it had been when they first reached the spot.

Aladdin now saw that he had been deceived by one who was not his uncle, but a cruel enemy. In truth, this man had learned from his magic books about the secret and value of the wonderful lamp, which would make him richer than any earthly ruler if he could but receive it freely given into his hands by another person. He had chosen Aladdin for this purpose, and when it failed he set out immediately on his return to Africa, but avoided the town, that none might ask him what had become of the boy.

II

Aladdin was indeed in a sorry plight. He called for his uncle, but in vain. The earth was closed above him, and the palace door at the foot of the steps. His cries and tears brought him no help. At last he said, "There is no strength or power but in the great and high G.o.d;"

and in joining his hands to pray he rubbed the ring which the magician had put on his finger. Instantly a genie of frightful aspect appeared and said, "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee. I serve him who possesses the ring on thy finger,--I and the other slaves of that ring."