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Anonymous

"The Arabian Nights Entertainments"


He presented the six women slaves to his mother, telling her they were
her slaves, and that the dresses they had brought were for her use. Of
the ten purses Aladdin took four, which he gave to his mother, telling
her those were to supply her with necessaries; the other six he left
in the hands of the slaves who brought them, with an order to throw
them by handfuls among the people as they went to the sultan's palace.
The six slaves who carried the purses he ordered likewise to march
before him, three on the right hand and three on the left.
When Aladdin had thus prepared himself for his first interview with
the sultan, he dismissed the genie, and immediately mounting his
charger, began his march, and though he never was on horseback before,
appeared with a grace the most experienced horseman might envy. The
innumerable concourse of people through whom he passed made the air
echo with their acclamations, especially every time the six slaves who
carried the purses threw handfuls of gold among the populace.
On Aladdin's arrival at the palace, the sultan was surprised to find
him more richly and magnificently robed than he had ever been himself,
and was impressed with his good looks and dignity of manner, which
were so different from what he expected in the son of one so humble as
Aladdin's mother. He embraced him with all the demonstrations of joy,
and when he would have fallen at his feet, held him by the hand, and
made him sit near his throne.


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