When the supper was ended, and the table taken away, there entered a company of dancers, who danced, according to the custom of the country, several figure dances, ending with a dancing man and woman, who performed their parts with surprising lightness and agility, and shewed all the address they were capable of. About midnight, Aladdin, according to the custom of that time in China, rose up and presented his hand to the princess Badr-oul-boudour to dance with her, and to finish the ceremonies of their nuptials. They danced with so good a grace, that they were the admiration of all the company. When they left off, Aladdin did not let the princess’s hand go, but led her to the apartment where the nuptial bed was prepared. The princess’s women helped to undress her, and put her to bed: Aladdin’s officers did the same by him, and then all retired. Thus ended the ceremonies and rejoicings at the marriage of Aladdin with the princess Badr-oul-boudour.
The next morning when Aladdin awaked, his valets-de-chambre presented themselves to dress him, and brought him another habit as rich and magnificent as that he wore the day before. Then he ordered one of the horses appointed for his use to be got ready, mounted him, and went in the midst of a large troop of slaves to the sultan’s palace. The sultan received him with the same honours as before, embraced him, placed him on the throne near him, and ordered in breakfast. Aladdin replied, “I beg your majesty will dispense with me from accepting that honour to-day; I came to ask you to come and take a repast in the princess’s palace, attended by your grand vizier, and all the lords of your court.” The sultan consented with pleasure, rose up immediately, and, as it was not far off, went thither on foot, with Aladdin on his right hand, the grand vizier on his left, preceded by the chiaoux and principal officers of his palace, and followed by all the great lords of his court.
The nearer the sultan approached Aladdin’s palace, the more he was struck with its beauty, but was much more amazed when he entered it; and could not forbear breaking out into exclamations of approbation. But when he came into the hall with the four-and-twenty windows, into which Aladdin had invited him, and had seen the ornaments, and, above all, cast his eyes on the windows, enriched with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, all large perfect stones; and when Aladdin had observed to him, that it was as rich on the outside, he was so much surprised, that he remained some time motionless. After he recovered himself, he said to his vizier, “Is it possible that there should be such a stately palace so nigh my own, and I be an utter stranger to it till now?” “Sir,” replied the grand vizier, “your majesty may remember that the day before yesterday, you gave Aladdin, whom you accepted for your son-in-law, leave to build a palace over against your own, and that very day at sunset there was no palace on this spot, and yesterday I had the honour first to tell you that the palace was built and finished.” “I remember it,” replied the sultan, “but never imagined that the palace was one of the wonders of the world; for where in all the world besides shall we find walls built of courses of massy gold and silver, instead of courses of brick, stone, or marble: and diamonds, rubies, and emeralds set thick about the windows? There never was anything mentioned like it in this world before.”
The sultan would examine and admire the beauty of all the windows and counting them, found that there were but three-and-twenty windows that were so richly adorned, and he was greatly astonished that the twenty-fourth was left imperfect. “Vizier,” said he, for that minister made a point of never leaving him, “I am surprised that a hall of this magnificence should be left thus imperfect.” “Sir,” replied the grand vizier, “without doubt Aladdin only wanted time to finish this window like the rest; for it is not to be supposed but that he has sufficient jewels for it, and that he will set about it the first opportunity.”
Aladdin, who had left the sultan to go and give some orders, returned just as the vizier had given that prince his supposed reasons. “Son,” said the sultan to him, “this hall is the most worthy of admiration of any hall in the world; there is only one thing that surprises me, which is, to find one of the windows unfinished. Is it from the forgetfulness or negligence of the workmen or want of time, that they have not put the finishing stroke to so beautiful a piece of architecture?” “Sir,” answered Aladdin, “it was for none of these reasons that your majesty sees it in this condition. The thing was done by design, and it was by my orders that the workmen left it thus, since I had a mind that your majesty should have the glory of finishing this hall and the palace also together, and I beg of you to approve of my good intention, that I may remember the favours I have received from you.” “If you did it with this intention,” replied the sultan, “I take it kindly, and will give orders about it immediately.” He accordingly sent for the most considerable jewellers and goldsmiths in his capital.
In the meantime, the sultan went out of this hall, and Aladdin led him into that where he had regaled the princess Badr-oul-boudour on their wedding-day. The princess came immediately afterwards, and received the sultan her father with an air that shewed how much she was satisfied with her marriage. Two tables where immediately spread with the most delicious meats, all served up in gold dishes. The sultan, princess, Aladdin, and the grand vizier, sat down at the first, and all the lords of the court at the second, which was very long. The sultan was very much pleased with the meats, and owned he had never eaten anything more excellent. He said the same of the wines, which were delicious; but what he most of all admired was four large beaufets, profusely furnished with large flagons, basins, and cups, all of massy gold, set with jewels. He was besides charmed with several bands of music, which were ranged along the hall, and formed most agreeable concerts.
When the sultan rose from table, he was informed that the jewellers and goldsmiths he had sent for attended; upon which he returned to the hall, and shewed them the window which was unfinished. “I sent for you,” said he, “to fit up this window in as great perfection as the rest; examine them well, and make all the despatch you can, to make them all alike.”
The jewellers and goldsmiths examined the other three-and-twenty windows with great attention, and after they had consulted together to know what each could furnish, they returned, and presented themselves before the sultan, whose principal jeweller, undertaking to speak for the rest, said, “Sir, we are all willing to exert our utmost care and industry to obey your majesty, but among us all we cannot furnish jewels enough for so great a work.” “I have more than are necessary,” said the sultan; “come to my palace, and you shall choose what are fitting.”
When the sultan returned to his palace, he ordered his jewels to be fetched out, and the jewellers took a great quantity, particularly those which Aladdin had made him a present of, which they soon used without making any great advance in their work. They came again several times for more, and in a month’s time had not finished half their work. In short, they used all the jewels the sultan had of his own, and borrowed of the vizier, and yet the work was not half done.
Aladdin, who knew that all the sultan’s endeavours to make this window like the rest were in vain, and that he never could compass it with credit, sent for the jewellers, and goldsmiths, and not only bid them desist from their work, but ordered them to undo what they had begun, and to carry all their jewels back to the sultan and to the vizier. They undid in a few hours what they had been six weeks about, and retired, leaving Aladdin alone in the hall. He took the lamp, which he carried about him, and rubbed it, and presently the genie appeared. “Genie,” said Aladdin, “I ordered thee to leave one of the four-and-twenty windows of this hall imperfect, and thou hast executed my commands punctually; now, I would have thee make it like the rest.” The genie immediately disappeared. Aladdin went out of the hall, and returning soon after into it, he found the window, as he wished it to be, like the others.