"
"I assure you, mother," replied Aladdin, "that I am not mad, but in my
right senses. I foresaw that you would reproach me with folly and
extravagance; but I must tell you once more that I am resolved to
demand the princess of the sultan in marriage; nor do I despair of
success. I have the slaves of the lamp and of the ring to help me, and
you know how powerful their aid is. And I have another secret to tell
you; those pieces of glass, which I got from the trees in the garden
of the subterranean palace, are jewels of inestimable value, and fit
for the greatest monarchs. All the precious stones the jewelers have
in Bagdad are not to be compared to mine for size or beauty; and I am
sure that the offer of them will secure the favor of the sultan. You
have a large porcelain dish fit to hold them; fetch it, and let us see
how they will look, when we have arranged them according to their
different colors."
Aladdin's mother brought the china dish. Then he took the jewels out
of the two purses in which he had kept them, and placed them in order,
according to his fancy. But the brightness and luster they emitted in
the daytime, and the variety of the colors, so dazzled the eyes both
of mother and son that they were astonished beyond measure. Aladdin's
mother, emboldened by the sight of these rich jewels, and fearful lest
her son should be guilty of greater extravagance, complied with his
request, and promised to go early the next morning to the palace of
the sultan.
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