IV

Of course Aladdin had not forgotten the Sultan’s promise, and on the very day which ended the three months, his mother came again to the divan, and stood in her old place.  When the Sultan saw her she was called forward, and, having bowed to the floor, she said,—­

“Sire, I come at the end of three months to ask you to fulfill the promise you made to my son.”

The Sultan could hardly believe the request had been made in earnest, and, after a few words with the Grand Vizier, decided to propose terms which one of Aladdin’s humble position could not possibly fulfill.

“Good woman,” he said, “it is true that sultans ought to abide by their word, and I am ready to keep mine.  But as I cannot marry my daughter without further proof that your son will be able to support her in royal state, you may tell him that I will fulfill my promise so soon as he shall send me forty trays of massy gold, full of the same sort of jewels you have already given me, and carried by forty black slaves, who shall be led by as many young and handsome white slaves, all dressed magnificently.  When this is done, I will bestow my daughter, the princess, upon him.  Go, good woman, and tell him so, and I will wait till you bring me his answer.”

As Aladdin’s mother hurried home she laughed to think how far the Sultan’s demand would be beyond her son’s power.  “He awaits your answer,” she said to Aladdin when she had told him all, and added, laughing, “I believe he may wait long.”

“Not so long as you think,” replied Aladdin.  “This demand is a mere trifle.  I will prepare to answer it at once.”

In his own chamber he summoned the genie of the lamp, who appeared without delay, and promised to carry out Aladdin’s commands.  Within a very short time, a train of forty black slaves, led by as many white slaves, appeared opposite the house in which Aladdin lived.  Each black slave carried on his head a basin of massy gold, full of pearls, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.  Aladdin then said to his mother,—­

“Madam, pray lose no time.  Go to the Sultan before he leaves the divan, and make this gift to him, that he may see how ardently I desire his daughter’s hand.”

With Aladdin’s mother at its head, the procession began to move through the streets, which were soon filled with people praising the beauty and bearing of the slaves, splendidly dressed, and walking at an equal distance from one another.  At the palace nothing so brilliant had ever been seen before.  The richest robes of the court looked poor beside the dresses of these slaves.  When they had all entered they formed a half-circle around the Sultan’s throne; the black slaves laid the golden trays on the carpet, touched it with their foreheads, and at the same time the white slaves did likewise.  When they rose the black slaves uncovered the trays, and then all stood with their arms crossed over their breasts.

This done, Aladdin’s mother advanced to the throne, bowed to the floor, and said,—­