The next morning the sultan, looking out of his window, and mourning over the fate of his daughter, was astonished to see the vacant place again filled up with his son-in-law's palace. Joy and gladness succeeded to sorrow and grief. Ordering a horse to be saddled, he mounted it that instant, but could not make haste enough to satisfy himself.
That morning Aladdin rose at daybreak, put on one of his most magnificent habits and walked out into the hall of the four and twenty windows, from whence he saw the sultan approaching, and hastened down to assist his ruler in dismounting.
He conducted the sultan directly to the princess's apartment, and the happy father and his daughter embraced each other with tears of joy.
For a short interval they were engaged in mutual explanations, and the sultan said, "My son, be not displeased at my proceedings against you; they arose from my paternal love, and therefore, you ought to forgive any harshness that I may have shown."
"Sire, I have not the least reason to complain of your conduct, since that infamous magician, the basest of men, was the sole cause of my misfortune," replied Aladdin.
Now the African magician, who had thus been twice foiled in his endeavor to ruin Aladdin, had a younger brother who was as skilful a magician, and who exceeded him in wickedness and hatred of mankind. For many years they had been under an agreement to communicate with each other once a year, no matter how widely separated they might be.
The younger brother, not having received his usual annual communication, cast a horoscope to find out what was amiss, and discovered that his brother had been poisoned, and that the poisoner, though a person of mean birth, was married to a princess, a sultan's daughter, and lived in the capital of the kingdom of China. This discovery caused the younger brother to resolve upon immediate revenge, and he set out across plains, rivers, mountains and deserts for China. After incredible fatigue, he reached the capital city, and there he took lodging at a khan. Here by his magic powers he found that Aladdin was the person who caused the death of his brother. At that time the city was talking about the wonderful miracles of a woman called Fatima, who had retired from the world to a little cell, where she performed marvelous cures.
Thinking this woman might be serviceable to him in the project he had conceived, the magician inquired minutely about the holy woman.
"What!" said the person whom he asked, "have you never seen nor heard of her? The whole town admires her for her fasting, her austerities and her exemplary life. Excepting Mondays and Fridays, she never stirs out of her little cell. When she does come forth into the town, she does an infinite amount of good, healing men of all kinds of diseases by simply placing her hand upon them." That very night the wicked magician went to the hermitage of the holy woman and stabbed her to death. Then in the morning he dyed his face the same hue as hers, put on her garb, covered his face with her veil, drew her large belt about his waist, and taking his stick, went to the palace of Aladdin.
The people gathered about this holy woman, as they imagined the magician to be, in a great crowd. Some begged his blessing, others kissed his hand, while others, more reserved, touched only the hem of his garment; still others, suffering from disease, stooped for him to lay his hands upon them. The magician, muttering some words in the form of a prayer, did continually as he was asked, counterfeiting so well that no one suspected he was not the holy woman.