Some bore fruit entirely white, and some clear and transparent as
crystal; some pale red, and others deeper; some green, blue, and
purple, and others yellow; in short, there was fruit of all colors.
The white were pearls; the clear and transparent, diamonds; the deep
red, rubies; the paler, ballas rubies[42]; the green, emeralds; the
blue, turquoises; the purple, amethysts; and the yellow, sapphires.
Aladdin, ignorant of their value, would have preferred figs, or
grapes, or pomegranates; but as he had his uncle's permission, he
resolved to gather some of every sort. Having filled the two new
purses his uncle had bought for him with his clothes, he wrapped some
up in the skirts of his vest, and crammed his bosom as full as it
could hold.
[Footnote 42: Ballas rubies are rubies of the brightest color.]
Aladdin, having thus loaded himself with riches of which he knew not
the value, returned through the three halls with the utmost
precaution, and soon arrived at the mouth of the cave, where the
African magician awaited him with the utmost impatience.
As soon as Aladdin saw him, he cried out, "Pray, uncle, lend me your
hand, to help me out."
"Give me the lamp first," replied the magician; "it will be
troublesome to you."
"Indeed, uncle," answered Aladdin, "I cannot now; but I will as soon
as I am up."
The African magician was determined that he would have the lamp before
he would help him up; and Aladdin, who had encumbered himself so much
with his fruit that he could not well get at it, refused to give it to
him till he was out of the cave.
Pages:
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188