He had no sooner spoken these words than he found himself outside the cave, of which no sign was to be seen on the surface of the earth.  He lost no time in making his way home, where he fainted from weakness, and afterwards told his mother of his strange adventure.  They were both very bitter against the cruel magician, but this did not prevent Aladdin from sleeping soundly until late the next morning.  As there was nothing for breakfast, he bethought him of selling the lamp in order to buy food.  “Here it is,” said his mother, “but it is very dirty.  If I rub it clean I believe it will bring more.”

No sooner had she begun to rub it than a hideous genie of gigantic size appeared before her, and said in a voice of thunder, “What wouldst thou have?  I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all those who have the lamp in their hands,—­I and the other slaves of the lamp.”

In terror at the sight, Aladdin’s mother fainted; but the boy, who had already seen a genie, said boldly, “I am hungry; bring me something to eat.”

[Illustration:  NO SOONER HAD SHE BEGUN TO RUB IT THAN A HIDEOUS GENIE OF GIGANTIC SIZE APPEARED BEFORE HER AND SAID IN A VOICE OF THUNDER:  “WHAT WOULD’ST THOU HAVE?  I AM READY TO OBEY THEE AS THY SLAVE, AND THE SLAVE OF ALL THOSE WHO HAVE THE LAMP IN THEIR HANDS,—­I AND THE OTHER SLAVES OF THE LAMP.”  IN TERROR AT THE SIGHT ALADDIN’S MOTHER FAINTED, BUT THE BOY, WHO HAD ALREADY SEEN A GENIE, SAID BOLDLY, “I AM HUNGRY; BRING ME SOMETHING TO EAT”]

The genie disappeared, and returned in an instant with a large silver tray, holding twelve covered silver dishes filled with tempting viands, six large white bread cakes on two plates, two flagons of wine, and two silver cups.  All these he placed upon a carpet, and disappeared before Aladdin’s mother had come out of her swoon.

When she was herself again, they satisfied their hunger, and still there was enough food for the rest of that day and two meals on the next.  This they put aside, and Aladdin’s mother made him tell of all that had passed between him and the genie during her swoon.  The simple woman thought it all a dangerous and wicked business, and begged Aladdin to sell both the lamp and the ring; but he persuaded her to let him keep them both, on the condition that she should have nothing to do with genies again.

When they had eaten all the food left from the feast the genie brought, Aladdin sold the silver plates one by one to a Jew, who cheated him by paying but a small part of their value, and yet made the boy think himself rich.  The tray he sold last, and when the money it brought was spent he rubbed the lamp again, and again the genie appeared, and provided the mother and son with another feast and other silver dishes.  These kept them in funds for some time longer, especially as Aladdin had the good fortune to meet with an honest goldsmith, who paid him the full value of the metal.  Aladdin, all the while, by visiting the shops of merchants, was gaining knowledge of the world and a desire to improve himself.  From the jewelers he came to know that the fruits he had gathered when he got the lamp were not merely colored glass, but stones of untold value, the rarest in the city.  This, however, he had the prudence not to tell to any one, even his mother.