“Princess,” said Aladdin, stopping her, “you have told me all by telling me we are in Africa.  Now, only tell me where the old lamp is.”

“The African magician,” answered the princess, “carries it carefully wrapped up in his bosom.  This I know, because one day he pulled it out before me, and showed it to me in triumph.”

Aladdin quickly formed and carried out a plan to leave the palace, disguise himself, buy of a druggist a certain powder which he named, and return to the princess.  He told her what she must do to help his purposes.  When the magician should come to the palace, she must assume a friendly manner and ask him to sup with her.  “Before he leaves,” said Aladdin, “ask him to exchange cups with you.  This he will gladly do, and you must give him the cup containing this powder.  On drinking it he will instantly fall asleep, and we shall obtain the lamp, whose slaves will do our bidding, and bear us and the palace back to the capital of China.”

It was not long before the magician came to the palace, and the princess did exactly as Aladdin had bidden her.  When, at the end of the evening, she offered her guest the drugged cup, he drank it, out of honor to her, to the last drop, and fell back lifeless on the sofa.

Aladdin was quickly called and said, “Princess, retire, and let me be left alone while I try to take you back to China as speedily as you were brought thence.”  On the dead body of the magician he found the lamp, carefully wrapped and hidden in his garments.  Aladdin rubbed it, and the genie stood before him.

“Genie,” said Aladdin, “I command thee to bear this palace instantly back to the place whence it was brought hither.”  The genie bowed his head and departed.  In a moment the palace was again in China, and its removal was felt only by two little shocks, the one when it was lifted up, the other when it was set down, and both in a very short space of time.

Early the next day the Sultan was looking from his window and mourning his daughter’s fate.  He could not believe his eyes when first he saw her palace standing in its old place.  But as he looked more closely he was convinced, and joy came to his heart instead of the grief that had filled it.  At once he ordered a horse and was on his way, when Aladdin, looking from the hall of twenty-four windows, saw him coming, and hastened to help him dismount.  He was brought at once to the princess, and both wept tears of joy.  When the strange events had been partly explained, he said to Aladdin,—­

“My son, be not displeased at the harshness I showed towards you.  It rose from a father’s love, and therefore you will forgive it.”

“Sire,” said Aladdin, “I have not the least reason to complain of your conduct, since you did nothing but what your duty required.  This wicked magician, the basest of men, was the sole cause of all.”

VII