Aladdin rose before daybreak, awakened his mother,
pressing her to go to the sultan's palace and to get admittance, if
possible, before the grand vizier, the other viziers, and the great
officers of state went in to take their seats in the divan, where the
sultan always attended in person.
Aladdin's mother took the china dish, in which they had put the jewels
the day before, wrapped it in two fine napkins, and set forward for
the sultan's palace. When she came to the gates the grand vizier, the
other viziers, and most distinguished lords of the court were just
gone in; but notwithstanding the crowd of people was great, she got
into the divan, a spacious hall, the entrance into which was very
magnificent. She placed herself just before the sultan, and the grand
vizier and the great lords, who sat in council on his right and left
hand. Several causes were called, according to their order, pleaded
and adjudged, until the time the divan generally broke up, when the
sultan, rising, returned to his apartment, attended by the grand
vizier; the other viziers and ministers of state then retired, as also
did all those whose business had called them thither.
Aladdin's mother, seeing the sultan retire, and all the people depart,
judged rightly that he would not sit again that day, and resolved to
go home. On her arrival she said, with much simplicity, "Son, I have
seen the sultan, and am very well persuaded he has seen me, too, for I
placed myself just before him; but he was so much taken up with those
who attended on all sides of him that I pitied him, and wondered at
his patience.
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