"My princess," said Aladdin, "I think I can regain possession of the lamp and deliver you. But to execute this design, I must go to the town. I shall return by noon and will then tell you what to do. In the meantime I shall disguise myself, and I beg that the private door may be opened at my first knock."
When Aladdin came out of the palace, he saw a peasant going into the country and hastened after him. After some persuasion the peasant agreed to change clothes with Aladdin, and the latter entered the city in disguise. Here, after traversing several streets, he entered one of the largest and best drug stores, and asked the druggist if he had a certain powder.
The druggist, noticing Aladdin's poor clothing, said, "I have the powder, but it is very costly."
Aladdin, understanding the druggist's insinuation, drew out his purse, showed him some gold, and asked for a half a dram of the powder, which was weighed and passed over. Aladdin gave the druggist a gold piece and hastened back to the palace which he entered by the private door.
"Princess," he said, as he came into her apartment, "you must carry out your part in this scheme for our deliverance. Overcome your aversion for the magician; assume a friendly manner, and invite him to an entertainment in your apartment. Before he leaves, ask him to exchange cups with you. Gratified at the honor you do him, he will gladly exchange, when you must hand him the cup into which I place this powder. On drinking it he will fall instantly asleep, and we shall obtain the lamp with its slaves, who will restore us and the palace to the capital of China."
The princess obeyed her husband's instructions, and the next night at the entertainment, when the magician drank the glass out of compliment to the princess, he fell back lifeless on the sofa. Anticipating success, she had arranged it so that the moment the magician fell senseless, Aladdin should be admitted to her apartment.
The princess arose from her seat and ran overjoyed to embrace her husband, but he stopped her, saying, "Princess, retire to your own room and leave me alone while I try to transport you back to China as speedily as you were brought hither."
When everybody had withdrawn, Aladdin shut the door and went directly to the body of the magician, opened his vest, took out the lamp, unwrapped it carefully, and rubbed it as of old. The genie immediately appeared.
"Genie," said Aladdin, "I command thee to transport the palace instantly back to the place from which it was brought."
Everything happened as Aladdin commanded, and the removal was felt only by two little shocks: one when the palace was lifted up, and the other when it was set down, and both in a very short interval of time.