In the meantime, everything was prepared with the greatest magnificence in the sultan’s palace, to celebrate the princess’s nuptials; and the evening was spent with all the usual ceremonies and great rejoicings till midnight, when the grand vizier’s son, on a signal given him by the chief of the princess’s eunuchs, slipped away from the company, and was introduced by that officer into the princess’s apartment, where the nuptial bed was prepared. He went to bed first, and in a little time after, the sultaness, accompanied by her own women, and those of the princess, brought the bride, who, according to the custom of new-married ladies, made great resistance. The sultaness herself helped to undress her, put her into bed by a kind of violence; and after having kissed her, and wished her good night, retired with all the women, and the last who came out shut the door.
No sooner was the door shut, but the genie, as the faithful slave of the lamp, and punctual in executing the command of those who possessed it, without giving the bridegroom the least time to caress his bride, to the great amazement of them both, took up the bed, and transported it in an instant into Aladdin’s chamber, where he set it down.
Aladdin, who waited impatiently for this moment, did not suffer the vizier’s son to remain long in bed with the princess. “Take this new-married man,” said he to the genie, “and shut him up in the house of office, and come again to-morrow morning after daybreak.” The genie presently took the vizier’s son out of bed, and carried him in his shirt whither Aladdin bid him; and after he had breathed upon him, which prevented his stirring, he left him there.
Great as was Aladdin’s love for the princess Badr-oul-boudour, he did not talk much to her when they were alone; but only said with a passionate air, “Fear nothing, adorable princess; you are here in safety; for, notwithstanding the violence of my passion, which your charms have kindled, it shall never exceed the bounds of the profound respect I owe you. If I have been forced to come to this extremity, it is not with any intention of affronting you but to prevent an unjust rival’s possessing you contrary to the sultan your father’s promise in favour of me.”
The princess, who knew nothing of these particulars, gave very little attention to what Aladdin could say. The fright and amazement of so unexpected an adventure had put her into such a condition, that could not get one word from her. However, he undressed himself and got into the vizier’s son’s place, and lay with his back to the princess, putting a sabre between himself and her, to show that he deserved to be punished, if he attempted anything against her honour.
Aladdin, very well satisfied with having thus deprived his rival of the happiness he had flattered himself with enjoying that night, slept very quietly, though the princess Badr-oul-boudour never passed a night so ill in her life; and if we consider the condition the genie left the grand vizier’s son in, we may imagine that the new bridegroom spent it much worse.
Aladdin had no occasion the next morning to rub the lamp to call the genie; he came at the hour appointed, and just when he had done dressing himself, and said to him, “I am here, master; what are your commands?” “Go,” said Aladdin, “fetch the vizier’s son out of the place where you left him, and put him into his bed again, and carry it to the sultan’s palace, from whence you brought it.” The genie presently returned with the vizier’s son. Aladdin took up his sabre, the bridegroom was laid by the princess, and in an instant the nuptial bed was transported into the same chamber of the palace from whence it had been brought. But we must observe, that all this time the genie never appeared either to the princess or the grand vizier’s son. His hideous form would have made them die with fear. Neither did they hear anything of the discourse between Aladdin and him; they only perceived the motion of the bed, and their transportation from one place to another; which we may well imagine was enough to frighten them.
As soon as the genie had set down the nuptial-bed in its proper place, the sultan, curious to know how the princess his daughter had spent the wedding-night, opened the door to wish her good morning. The grand vizier’s son, who was almost perished with cold, by standing in his shirt all night, and had not had time to warm himself in bed, no sooner heard the door open, but he got out of bed, and ran into the wardrobe, where he had undressed himself the night before.
The sultan went to the bed-side, kissed the princess between the eyes, according to custom, wishing her a good-morrow, and asked her smiling, how she had passed the night. But lifting up her head, and looking at her more earnestly, he was extremely surprised to see her so melancholy, and that neither by a blush nor any other sign she could satisfy his curiosity. She only cast at him a sorrowful look, expressive of great affliction or great dissatisfaction. He said a few words to her; but finding that he could not get a word from her, he attributed it to her modesty, and retired. Nevertheless, he suspected that there was something extraordinary in this silence, and thereupon went immediately to the sultaness’s apartment, and told her in what a state he found the princess, and how she received him. “Sir,” said the sultaness, “your majesty ought not to be surprised at this behaviour; all new-married people always have a reserve about them the next day; she will be quite another thing in two or three days’ time, and then she will receive the sultan her father as she ought; but I will go and see her,” added she; “I am very much deceived if she receives me in the same manner.”
As soon as the sultaness was dressed, she went to the princess’s apartment, who was still in bed. She undrew the curtain, wished her good-morrow, and kissed her. But how great was her surprise when she returned no answer; and looking more attentively at her, she perceived her to be very much dejected, which made her judge that something had happened which she did not understand. “How comes it, child,” said the sultaness, “that you do not return my caresses? Ought you to treat your mother after this manner? And do you think I do not know what may have happened in your circumstances? I am apt to believe you do not think so, and something extraordinary has happened: come, tell me freely, and leave me no longer in a painful suspense.”