Alaeddin and the Enchanted Lamp

by Unknown

When the Maugrabin had made an end of his speech, he drew from his finger a ring and putting it on Alaeddin's finger, said to him, "And this ring, O, my son, shall deliver thee from all hurt and all fear that may betide thee, provided thou observe all that I have said to thee. So now arise and go down; gird thy loins and summon up thy resolution and fear not, for that thou art a man and not a child; and after this, O my son, thou shalt in a little time become the richest of mankind." So Alaeddin arose and going down into the underground, found the four chambers and in each four jars of gold. He passed them by with all care and precaution, even as the Maugrabin had bidden him, and entering the garden, fared on there through till he came to the dais and mounting the stair, entered [235] and found the lamp. So he quenched it and pouring out the oil that was therein, put it in his sleeve; then, going down into the garden, he fell to gazing upon its trees, whereon were birds extolling with their songs [236] the perfection of the Great Creator, and he had not seen them as he entered. Now the fruits of these trees were all precious stones, each tree bearing fruit of one colour and kind of jewel, and these fruits were of all colours, green and white and yellow and red and what not else of colours. Their glitterance outshone the rays of the sun in its forenoon splendour and the bigness of each jewel overpassed description; suffice it that not one of them might be found with the greatest of the kings of the world, [237] no, nor a gem half the bigness of the smallest that was there.

Alaeddin [238] entered among the trees and proceeded to gaze upon them and upon these things which amazed the sight and ravished the sense and observing them, saw that, instead of fruits, they bore magnificent jewels from the mines, emeralds and diamonds and rubies and pearls and topazes [239] and the like of precious stones, such as confounded the wit. Now, for that this was a thing Alaeddin had never in his life seen, neither was he of ripe age, so he should know the value of these jewels, by reason of his being yet a young lad, he thought that they were all glass or crystal; so he gathered of them what filled his sleeves [240] and fell to looking an they were grapes or figs and the like of fruits that might be eaten or not; but, finding them like glass, he proceeded to gather in his sleeve [241] of every kind that was upon the trees, albeit he knew not jewels nor their worth, saying in himself, since he had been baulked in his intent of eating, "I will gather of these fruits of glass and will play with them at home." Accordingly he proceeded to pluck and put in his pockets [242] and his sleeves [243] till he filled them; after which he filled his girdle with the fruits and girt himself withal; in fine, he carried off as much as he might, purposing to lay them up with him in the house by way of ornament, for that he thought them glass, as I have said. Then he quickened his pace, of his fear of his uncle the Maugrabin, and hastened through the four chambers and the [outer] vault nor looked, as he returned, at the jars of gold, albeit he might now have taken of them. [244]

When he came to the stair [245] and ascended it and there remained to him but a small matter, to wit, the last step, which was much higher than the others, he could not avail to mount it of himself, having regard to that which he was carrying; so he said to the Maugrabin, "O my uncle, give me thy hand and help me up." Quoth he, "O my son, give me the lamp and lighten thyself; maybe it is that which hindereth thee." "Nay, O my uncle," answered Alaeddin, "the lamp hindereth me nought; but do thou give me thy hand and when I am up, I will give thee the lamp." The enchanter, who wanted the lamp and that only, fell to urging Alaeddin to give it him; but the latter, having wrapped it within his clothes, with purses [246] of jewel-fruits atop of it, [247] could not reach it with his hand, so he might give it him. [248] The [249] Maugrabin was instant with him to give him the lamp and was like to lose his wits for rage, seeing he attained not his object, albeit Alaeddin still promised him that he would give it him as soon as he was forth of the vault, [and that] without lying thought or ill intent. Then, when he saw that Alaeddin would not give it him, he was angry with an exceeding anger and abandoning all hope of the lamp, conjured and enchanted and cast perfumes into the midst of the fire; whereupon the slab immediately turned over [250] and shut [251] of itself by the might of his enchantments; the earth covered it like as it was before and Alaeddin abode under the ground, unable to come forth.

Thus the enchanter—forasmuch as he was a stranger and no uncle of Alaeddin, as he said, but had counterfeited himself and avouched leasing, so he might get the lamp by means of the lad, unto whom that treasure was fortuned by the stars-shut up [252] the earth upon him and left him to die of hunger. Now this accursed Maugrabin wizard was from the city of Africa [253] in Hither Barbary and had from his childhood been addicted to magic and all the occult arts, for which the city in question is renowned. He ceased not from his tenderest years to study and learn in his native land Africa till he became versed in all sciences, and of the much skill and proficiency which he acquired, by dint of study and application for the space of forty years, in the matter of incantations and conjurations, it was discovered to him, [254] one day of the days, that among the uttermost of the cities of China was a city called El Kelaas and in this city a vast treasure, the like whereof no king of the kings of the world ever possessed; but the rarest [was] that in this treasure [was] [255] a wonderful lamp, [256] whereat if one should come, there might no man be found on earth richer than he, whether in might or in wealth, nor might the greatest king in the world avail unto aught of the riches of this lamp and its puissance and virtue. Moreover [257] he saw that this treasure was to be achieved by means of a lad of mean birth, by name Alaeddin, who was of the city aforesaid, and that it was eath to take and unarduous: so he tarried not, but equipped himself forthright for the voyage to China, as we have said, and did that which he did with Alaeddin, thinking to come by the lamp. But his endeavour was baffled and his expectation baulked and his toil wasted in vain; whereupon he sought to kill Alaeddin and closed up the earth upon him by his sorcery, so he might die (and the live hath no slayer [258]); moreover, he purposed by this that Alaeddin should not come forth and that the lamp should not be brought up from under the earth. Then he went his ways and returned to his country Africa, woeful and despairing of his hope.

So much for the enchanter and as for what came of Alaeddin, after the earth closed over him, he fell to calling upon the Maugrabin, whom he thought his uncle, to give him his hand, so he might come forth the underground to the surface of the earth; but, when he found that none returned him an answer, he was ware of the cheat which the Maugrabin had put upon him and knew that he was none of his uncle, but a liar and a sorcerer. Therewith he despaired of his life and knew, to his woe, that there was no more going forth for him upon the face of the earth; so he fell to weeping and lamenting over that which had befallen him. Then, after a little, he arose and went down, that he might see if God the Most High had vouchsafed him a door whereby he might go forth; and he went seeking right and left, but saw nought save darkness and four walls shut upon him; for that the Maugrabin sorcerer had by his enchantments locked all the doors and had even shut up the garden, so he might leave him no door whereby he should come forth upon the face of the earth and so hasten his death upon him. Alaeddin's weeping redoubled and his lamentation waxed when he saw all the doors shut and eke the garden, for that he thought to solace himself with them [259] a little; but he found them locked, so he fell to crying out and weeping, as he whose hope is cut off, and returning, sat down upon the steps of the stair whereby he had entered the vault, weeping [260] and wailing; and indeed he had lost hope.

But it is a small matter for God (extolled be His perfection and exalted be He) whenas He willeth a thing, to say to it "Be," and it is; for that He createth relief out of the midst of stress; by token that, when the Maugrabin enchanter sent Alaeddin down into the vault, he gave him a ring and put it on his finger, saying, "This ring will deliver thee from all stress, an thou be in calamities or vicissitudes, and will remove from thee troubles; yea, it will be thy helper whereassoever thou art;" and this was by the foreordinance of God the Most High, so it might be the means of Alaeddin's deliverance. So, as he sat weeping and bewailing his case and indeed his hope was cut off of life and despair was heavy upon him, he fell, of the excess of his anguish, to wringing [261] his hands, after the wont of the woeful; then, raising them [to heaven], he made supplication to God, saying, "I testify that there is no God but Thou alone, the Mighty, the Powerful, the Conquering, the Giver of Life and Death, [262] Creator and Accomplisher [263] of necessities, Resolver of difficulties and perplexities and Dispeller thereof, [264] Thou my sufficiency, Thou the most excellent Guardian, and I testify that Mohammed is Thy servant and Thine apostle. O my God, I conjure Thee, by his [265] glory with Thee, deliver me from my extremity."

Whilst he was thus supplicating God and wringing his hands in the excess of his affliction for that which had befallen him of calamity, he chanced to rub upon the ring, and immediately, behold, a genie [266] rose up before him and said to him, "Here am I; thy slave is before thee. Seek whatsoever thou wilt, for that I am his slave who hath the ring in hand, the ring of my lord." [267] Alaeddin looked and saw a Marid, [268] as he were of the Jinn of our lord Solomon, standing before him, and shuddered at his frightful aspect; but, when he heard the genie say to him, "Seek whatsoever thou wilt, for that I am thy slave, since the ring of my lord is on thy hand," he took heart and bethought him of the Maugrabin's speech to him, whenas he gave him the ring. So he rejoiced exceedingly and took courage and said to him, "O slave of the lord of the ring, I will of thee that thou bring me out upon the face of the earth." Hardly had he made an end of that his speech when, behold, the earth opened and he found himself without, at the door of the treasure, to wit, upon the surface of the earth.

Now, he had been three days under the earth, sitting in the treasure in the dark; so, when the light of day smote on his face and the rays of the sun, he might not unclose his eyes, but took to opening them little by little and shutting them again till they became stronger and grew used to the light and were cleared of the darkness. Then, [269] seeing himself upon the surface of the earth, he rejoiced exceedingly, but marvelled to find himself overagainst the entrance of the treasure, whereby he went down, whenas the Maugrabin enchanter opened it; and now the stone was shut down and the earth levelled, nor was there any sign therein of a door. So he redoubled in wonderment and thought himself otherwhere; nor was he assured that he was in the very place, till he saw whereas they had kindled the fire of sticks and brushwood and whereas the Maugrabin enchanter had made his fumigations and conjurations. Then he turned right and left and saw the gardens afar off and looked at the way and knew it for that by which they had come. So he gave thanks to God the Most High, who had brought him out on the earth's face and had delivered him from death, after he had given up hope of life. Then he arose and fared homeward, by the way which he knew, till he came to the city and entering, betook himself to their house and went in to his mother. When he saw her, he fell down before her, of the greatness of the joy which possessed him for his deliverance, and swooned away for the affright and the weariness which he had suffered, more by token that he was weak with hunger.

Now his mother had been woebegone since he left her and sat wailing and weeping for him; so, when she saw him come in to her, she rejoiced in him with an exceeding joy, but grief overwhelmed her, whenas she saw him fall aswoon upon the earth. However, she wasted no time in vain lamentation, but hastened to sprinkle water on his face and sought of her neighbours somewhat of perfumes, to which she made him smell. When he was a little recovered, he prayed her bring him somewhat to eat, saying to her, "O my mother, these three days past I have eaten nothing." So she arose and setting before him that which she had ready, said to him, "Rise, O my son, eat and restore thyself; and when thou art rested, tell me what hath happened to thee and what calamity hath befallen thee. I will not question thee now, because thou art weary." So, [270] when he had eaten and drunken and had refreshed himself and was rested and restored, he said to her, "Alack, mother mine, I have a sore grief against thee in that thou leftest me to yonder accursed man, who strove for my destruction. Indeed, he sought to kill me; nay, I saw death face to face from that accursed wretch, whom thou deemedst mine uncle, and but for God the Most High, who delivered me from him, [I had perished]. Marry, both I and thou, O my mother, suffered ourselves to be deluded by him after the measure of that which the accursed promised to do with me of good and of the love which he professed for me. Know, then, O my mother, that this man is an accursed Maugrabin enchanter, a liar, a deceiver, an impostor and a hypocrite; methinketh the devils that be under the earth are not his match, may God put him to shame in every book! [271] Hear, O my mother, what this accursed did; nay, all I shall tell thee is truth and soothfastness. Do but see the villain's duplicity; bethink thee of the promises he made me that he would do me all manner of good [272] and the love he professed to me, and how he did all this that he might accomplish his purpose; nay, his intent was to kill me, and praised be God for my deliverance! Hearken, O my mother, and learn what this accursed one did."

Then he told her all that had befallen him from the time of his leaving her, weeping the while for excess of joy; how the Maugrabin brought him to the hill, wherein was the treasure, and how he conjured and fumigated. "And indeed. O my mother," said he, "there overcame me exceeding fear, whenas the hill clove in sunder and the earth opened before me by his enchantments; and I quaked with terror at the voice of the thunder which I heard and the darkness which befell of his spells and fumigations, and of my dismay at these portents, I would have fled. When he saw me offer to flee, he reviled me and smote me, dealing me a buffet which caused me swoon for pain [273] but, inasmuch as the treasure was opened and he could not go down into it himself, seeing he had opened it by my means and that it was in name and not for him, he knew, being a foul sorcerer, that it might [only] be achieved through me and that this adventure was [reserved] for me. [274] Accordingly [275] he applied himself to make his peace with me, that he might send me down into the treasure, now it was opened, and attain his object by my means; and when he sent me down, he gave me a ring, which he had on his hand, and put it on my finger. So I descended into the treasure and found four chambers, all full of gold and silver and the like; but this all was nothing and the accursed one charged me take nought thereof. Thence I entered a magnificent garden, [276] all full of high trees, whose fruits ravished the wits, O my mother, for that they were all of various-coloured crystal, [277] and I fared on till I came to the pavilion [278] wherein was this lamp; whereupon I took it forthright and quenching it, poured out that which was therein."