“Stop!” he cried, “this is the very place I am in search of.  Gather some sticks that we may make a fire.”

Aladdin quickly did as he was bid, and had soon gathered together a great heap of dry sticks.  The Magician then set fire to them, and the heap blazed up merrily.  With great care the old man now sprinkled some curious-looking powder on the flames, and muttered strange words.  In an instant the earth beneath their feet trembled, and they heard a rumbling like distant thunder.  Then the ground opened in front of them, and showed a great square slab of stone with a ring in it.

By this time Aladdin was so frightened that he turned to run home as fast as he could, but the Magician caught him, and gave him such a blow that he fell to the earth.

“Why dost thou strike me, uncle?” sobbed Aladdin.

“Do as I bid thee,” said the Magician, “and then thou shalt be well treated.  Dost thou see that stone?  Beneath it is a treasure which I will share with thee.  Only obey me, and it will soon be ours.”

As soon as Aladdin heard of a treasure, he jumped up and forgot all his fears.  He seized the ring as the Magician directed, and easily pulled up the stone.

“Now,” said the old man, “look in and thou wilt see stone steps leading downwards.  Thou shalt descend those steps until thou comest to three great halls.  Pass through them, but take care to wrap thy coat well round thee that thou mayest touch nothing, for if thou dost, thou wilt die instantly.  When thou hast passed through the halls thou wilt come into a garden of fruit-trees.  Go through it until thou seest a niche with a lighted lamp in it.  Put the light out, pour forth the oil, and bring the lamp to me.”

So saying the Magician placed a magic ring upon Aladdin’s finger to guard him, and bade the boy begin his search.

Aladdin did exactly as he was told and found everything just as the Magician had said.  He went through the halls and the garden until he came to the lamp, and when he had poured out the oil and placed the lamp carefully inside his coat he began to look about him.

He had never seen such a lovely garden before, even in his dreams.  The fruits that hung upon the trees were of every color of the rainbow.  Some were clear and shining like crystal, some sparkled with a crimson light and others were green, blue, violet, and orange, while the leaves that shaded them were silver and gold.  Aladdin did not guess that these fruits were precious stones, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, but they looked so pretty that he filled all his pockets with them as he passed back through the garden.

The Magician was eagerly peering down the stone steps when Aladdin began to climb up.

“Give me the lamp,” he cried, stretching his hand for it.

“Wait until I get out,” answered Aladdin, “and then I will give it thee.”

“Hand it up to me at once,” screamed the old man angrily.