In a Persian city there once lived a poor tailor.
He had a wife and a son, whose name was Aladdin. When Aladdin was ten years old, his father wanted to teach him a craft. But he did not have the money to pay for the apprenticeship, and he began to teach Aladdin how to sew dresses himself.
This Aladdin was a big slacker. He didn’t want to learn anything, and as soon as his father left for the customer, Aladdin ran outside to play with the boys, who were just as naughty as himself. From morning to evening they ran around the city and shot sparrows with crossbows, or climbed into other people's gardens and vineyards and filled their bellies with grapes and peaches.
But most of all they loved to tease some fool or cripple - they jumped around him and shouted: “Demoniac, demoniac!” And they threw stones and rotten apples at him.
Aladdin's father was so upset by his son's pranks that he fell ill from grief and died. Then his wife sold everything he left behind and began spinning cotton and selling yarn to feed herself and her idle son.
But he didn’t even think about helping his mother in any way, and only came home to eat and sleep.
So much time passed. Aladdin turned fifteen years old. And then one day, when he, as usual, was playing with the boys, a dervish, a wandering monk, approached them. He looked at Aladdin and said to himself:
- This is the one I'm looking for. I experienced many misfortunes before I found him.
And this dervish was a Maghreb, a resident of the Maghreb. He motioned to one of the boys and asked him who Aladdin was and who his father was, and then he went up to Aladdin and asked him:
“Aren’t you the son of Hassan, the tailor?”
“I am,” answered Aladdin, “but my father died long ago.”
Hearing this, the Maghreb man hugged Aladdin and began to cry loudly and beat his chest, shouting:
“Know, O my child, that your father is my brother.” I came to this city after a long absence and was glad that I would see my brother Hassan, and then he died. I recognized you immediately because you are very similar to your father.
Then the Maghrebian gave Aladdin two dinars** and said:
- O my child, besides you, I have no consolation left in anyone. Give this money to your mother and tell her that your uncle has returned and will come to you for dinner tomorrow. Let her cook a good dinner.
Aladdin ran to his mother and told her everything that the Maghreb man had ordered, but the mother became angry:
“You only know how to laugh at me.” Your father didn't have a brother, so where did you suddenly get an uncle?
- How can you say that I don’t have an uncle! - Aladdin shouted. - This man is my uncle. He hugged me and cried and gave me these dinars. He will come to us for dinner tomorrow.
The next day, Aladdin’s mother borrowed dishes from neighbors and, having bought meat, herbs and fruits at the market, prepared a good dinner.
This time Aladdin spent the whole day at home, waiting for his uncle.
In the evening there was a knock on the gate. Aladdin rushed to open it. It was a Maghrebin man and with him a servant who was carrying strange Maghrebin fruits and sweets. The servant put his burden on the ground and left, and the Maghreb man entered the house, greeted Aladdin’s mother and said:
“Please show me the place where my brother sat at dinner.”
They showed it to him, and the Maghrebin man began to moan and cry so loudly that Aladdin’s mother believed that this man was really her husband’s brother. She began to console the Maghreb man, and he soon calmed down and said:
“Oh my brother’s wife, don’t be surprised that you have never seen me.” I left this city forty years ago, I was in India, in the Arab lands, in the lands of the Far West and in Egypt and spent thirty years traveling. When I wanted to return to my homeland, I said to myself: “O man, you have a brother, and he may be in need, but you still have not helped him in any way. Find your brother and see how he lives.” I set out and rode for many days and nights, and finally I found you. And now I see that my brother died, but after him there was a son who will work in his place and feed himself and his mother.
- No matter how it is! - Aladdin's mother exclaimed. “I have never seen such a slacker as this bad boy.” All day long he runs around the city, shoots crows and steals grapes and apples from his neighbors. At least you forced him to help his mother.
“Don’t worry, O wife of my brother,” answered the Maghrebin. - Tomorrow Aladdin and I will go to the market, and I will buy him beautiful clothes. Let him watch how people buy and sell, maybe he will want to trade himself, and then I will apprentice him to a merchant. And when he learns, I will open a shop for him, and he himself will become a merchant and get rich. Okay, Aladdin?
Aladdin sat all red with joy and could not utter a single word, he just nodded his head: “Yes, yes!” When the Maghrebian left, Aladdin immediately went to bed so that morning would come sooner, but he could not sleep and tossed and turned from side to side all night. As soon as it was dawn, he jumped out of bed and ran out the gate to meet his uncle. He didn't have to wait long.
First of all, he and Aladdin went to the bathhouse. There they washed Aladdin and kneaded his joints so that each joint clicked loudly, then they shaved his head, perfumed him and gave him rose water and sugar to drink. After that, the Maghrebian took Aladdin to the shop, and Aladdin chose for himself all the most expensive and beautiful things - a yellow silk robe with green stripes, a red cap embroidered with gold, and high morocco boots lined with silver horseshoes. True, their feet felt cramped in them - Aladdin put on boots for the first time in his life, but he would never agree to take off his shoes.
His head under his hat was all wet, and sweat rolled down Aladdin’s face, but everyone saw how Aladdin wiped his forehead with a beautiful silk scarf.
He and the Maghreb man walked around the entire market and headed to a large grove that began immediately outside the city. The sun was already high, and Aladdin had not eaten anything since the morning. He was very hungry and quite tired, because he had been walking for a long time in narrow boots, but he was ashamed to admit it, and he waited until his uncle himself wanted to eat and drink. And the Maghrebin man kept walking and walking. They had long left the city, and Aladdin was thirsty.
Finally he couldn’t stand it anymore and asked:
- Uncle, when are we going to have lunch? There is not a single shop or tavern here, and you did not take anything with you from the city. You only have an empty bag in your hands.
- Do you see a high mountain over there in front? - said the Maghrebi man. “We are going to this mountain, and I wanted to rest and have a snack at its foot.” But if you are very hungry, you can have lunch here.
-Where will you get lunch from? - Aladdin was surprised.
“You’ll see,” said the Maghrebin.
They sat down under a tall cypress tree, and the Maghrebian asked Aladdin:
-What would you like to eat now?
Aladdin's mother prepared the same dish for dinner every day - boiled beans with hemp oil. Aladdin was so hungry that he answered without hesitation:
- Give me some boiled beans with butter.
- Would you like some fried chicken? - asked the Maghrebi man.
“I want to,” Aladdin said impatiently.
— Would you like some rice with honey? - continued the Maghribian.
“I want it,” Aladdin shouted, “I want everything!” But where will you get all this, uncle?
“From the bag,” said the Maghrib man and untied the bag.
Aladdin looked into the bag with curiosity, but there was nothing there.
- Where are the chickens? - asked Aladdin.
“Here,” said the Maghreb man and, putting his hand into the bag, pulled out a dish of fried chicken. - And here is rice with honey, and boiled beans, and here are grapes, and pomegranates, and apples.
Saying this, the Maghrebin took one food after another out of the bag, and Aladdin, with his eyes wide open, looked at the magic bag.
“Eat,” the Maghrebian said to Aladdin. “This bag contains all the food you could want.” All you have to do is put your hand in it and say: “I want lamb, or halva, or dates” - and all this will end up in the bag.
“What a miracle,” said Aladdin, stuffing a huge piece of bread into his mouth. “It would be nice for my mother to have such a bag.”
“If you listen to me,” said the Maghreb, “I will give you many good things.” Now let’s drink pomegranate juice with sugar and move on.
- Where? - asked Aladdin. - I'm tired and it's late. Let's go home.
“No, nephew,” said the Maghreb man, “we definitely need to get to that mountain today.” Listen to me - because I am your uncle, your father's brother. And when we return home, I will give you this magic bag.
Aladdin really didn’t want to go - he had eaten a hearty lunch, and his eyes were sticking together. But, having heard about the bag, he parted his eyelids with his fingers, sighed heavily and said:
- Okay, let's go.
The Maghrebian took Aladdin by the hand and led him to the mountain, which was barely visible in the distance, since the sun had already set and it was almost dark. They walked for a very long time and finally came to the foot of the mountain, into a dense forest. Aladdin could barely stand on his feet from fatigue. He was scared in this remote, unfamiliar place and wanted to go home. He almost cried.
“Oh Aladdin,” said the Maghrebian, “gather thin and dry branches on the road - I need to make a fire.” When the fire burns, I will show you something that no one has ever seen.
Aladdin so wanted to see what no one had seen that he forgot about fatigue and went to collect brushwood. He brought an armful of dry branches, and the Maghreb man lit a large fire. When the fire flared up, the Maghrebin man took out from his bosom a wooden box and two tablets covered with letters as small as ant tracks.
“Oh Aladdin,” he said, “I want to make a man out of you and help you and your mother.” Don’t contradict me and do everything I tell you. Now look.
He opened the box and poured yellowish powder out of it into the fire. And now, from the fire, huge pillars of flame - yellow, red and green - rose to the sky.
“Listen, Aladdin, listen carefully,” said the Maghrebian. “Now I will begin to read spells over the fire, and when I finish, the earth will part in front of you, and you will see a large stone with a copper ring.” Grab the ring and roll away the stone. You will see a staircase that leads down to the ground. Go down it and you will see a door. Open it and go forward. And no matter what threatens you, do not be afraid. Various animals and monsters will threaten you, but you can boldly go straight towards them. As soon as they touch you, they will fall down dead. So you will go through three rooms. And in the fourth you will see an old woman, she will speak to you tenderly and want to hug you. Don't let her touch you, otherwise you will turn into black stone. Behind the fourth room you will see a large garden. Go through it and open the door at the other end of the garden. Behind this door will be a large room full of gold, gems, weapons and clothing. Take whatever you want for yourself, but bring me only the old copper lamp that hangs on the wall in the right corner. You will find out the way to this treasury and become richer than anyone in the world. And when you bring me the lamp, I will give you a magic bag. On the way back, this ring will protect you from all troubles.
And he put a small shiny ring on Aladdin’s finger.
Aladdin died of horror when he heard about terrible animals and monsters.
“Uncle,” he asked the Maghreb, “why don’t you want to go down there yourself?” Go get your lamp yourself and take me home.
“No, Aladdin,” said the Maghrebian. - No one but you can enter the treasury. This treasure has been lying underground for many hundreds of years, and only a boy named Aladdin, the son of the tailor Hasan, will get it. I have been waiting for today for a long time, I have been looking for you all over the earth for a long time, and now that I have found you, you will not leave me. Don't contradict me, or you'll feel bad.
“What should I do?” thought Aladdin. “If I don’t go, this terrible sorcerer will probably kill me. It’s better if I go down to the treasury and bring him his lamp. Maybe then he’ll really give me the bag. My mother will be happy!”
- Keep doing your magic! - he said to the Maghrebin. “I’ll bring you a lamp, but just make sure you give me a bag.”
- I’ll give it to you, I’ll give it to you! - exclaimed the Maghrebi man. He added more powder to the fire and began to read spells in an incomprehensible language. He read louder and louder, and when he shouted the last word at the top of his voice, there was a deafening roar, and the ground parted before them.
- Pick up the stone! - the Maghreb man shouted in a terrible voice.
Aladdin saw at his feet a large stone with a copper ring sparkling in the light of the fire. He grabbed the ring with both hands and pulled the stone towards him. The stone turned out to be very light, and Aladdin lifted it without difficulty. Under the stone there was a large round hole, and in its depths there was a narrow staircase that went far underground. Aladdin sat down on the edge of the pit and jumped down to the first step of the stairs.
- Well, go and come back quickly! - the Maghreb man shouted. Aladdin went down the stairs. The further he descended, the darker it became around. Aladdin walked forward without stopping and, when he was scared, thought about the bag of food.
Having reached the last step of the stairs, he saw a wide iron door and pushed it open. The door slowly opened, and Aladdin entered a large room, into which a faint light penetrated from somewhere in the distance. In the middle of the room stood a scary black man in a tiger skin. Seeing Aladdin, the black man silently rushed at him with his sword raised. But Aladdin remembered well what the Maghrebin man told him - he extended his hand, and as soon as the sword touched Aladdin, the black man fell to the ground, lifeless. Aladdin walked on, although his legs were giving way. He pushed the second door and froze in place. A ferocious lion stood right in front of him, baring his terrible mouth. The lion fell with his whole body to the ground and jumped straight at Aladdin, but as soon as his front paw touched the boy’s head, the lion fell to the ground dead. Aladdin was sweating from fear, but still went on. He opened the third door and heard a terrible hissing: in the middle of the room, curled up in a ball, lay two huge snakes. They raised their heads and, sticking out their long forked stings, slowly crawled towards Aladdin, hissing and squirming. Aladdin could barely resist running away, but he remembered the words of the Maghreb man in time and boldly went straight towards the snakes. And as soon as the snakes touched Aladdin’s hand with their stings, their sparkling eyes went out and the snakes stretched out dead on the ground.
And Aladdin went further and, reaching the fourth door, carefully opened it. He stuck his head through the door and took a breath of relief - there was no one in the room except a little old woman, wrapped from head to toe in a blanket. Seeing Aladdin, she rushed to him and shouted:
- Finally you have come, Aladdin, my boy! How long have I been waiting for you in this dark dungeon!
Aladdin extended his arms to her - it seemed to him that his mother was in front of him - and was about to hug her, when suddenly the room became lighter and some terrible creatures appeared in all corners - lions, snakes and monsters that have no name, as if they were waiting for Aladdin to make a mistake and allow the old woman to touch him - then he would turn into a black stone and the treasure would remain in the treasury for eternity. After all, no one except Aladdin can take it.
Aladdin jumped back in horror and slammed the door behind him. Having come to his senses, he opened it again and saw that there was no one in the room.
Aladdin walked across the room and opened the fifth door.
In front of him was a beautiful, brightly lit garden, where thick trees grew, fragrant flowers and fountains flowed high above the pools.
Small colorful birds chirped loudly in the trees. They could not fly far because they were prevented by a thin golden mesh stretched over the garden. All the paths were strewn with round multi-colored stones; they sparkled dazzlingly in the light of bright lamps and lanterns hung on tree branches.
Aladdin rushed to collect pebbles. He hid them wherever he could - in his belt, in his bosom, in his hat. He really loved playing pebbles with the boys and happily thought about how nice it would be to show off such a wonderful find.
Aladdin liked the stones so much that he almost forgot about the lamp. But when there was nowhere else to put the stones, he remembered the lamp and went to the treasury. This was the last room in the dungeon - the largest. There were piles of gold, piles of expensive materials, precious swords and cups, but Aladdin did not even look at them - he did not know the price of gold and expensive things, because he had never seen them. And his pockets were filled to the brim with stones, and he would not give even one stone for a thousand gold dinars. He only took the lamp that the Maghreb man had told him about - an old, green copper lamp - and wanted to put it in his deepest pocket, but there was no room there: the pocket was filled with stones. Then Aladdin poured out the pebbles, put the lamp in his pocket, and again put as many pebbles on top as he could fit. He somehow stuffed the rest into his pockets.
Then he came back and with difficulty climbed the stairs. Having reached the last step, he saw that it was still far from the top.
“Uncle,” he shouted, “extend your hand to me and take the hat that I have in my hands!” And then take me upstairs. I can’t get out on my own, I’m heavily loaded. And what stones I collected in the garden!
- Give me the lamp quickly! - said the Maghrebi man.
“I can’t get her, she’s under the stones,” Aladdin answered. “Help me get out and I’ll give it to you!”
But the Maghrebian did not even think of pulling out Aladdin. He wanted to get the lamp and leave Aladdin in the dungeon so that no one would recognize the entrance to the treasury and reveal his secret. He began to beg Aladdin to give him a lamp, but Aladdin would never agree - he was afraid of losing the pebbles in the dark and wanted to get to the ground as soon as possible. When the Maghrebian became convinced that Aladdin would not give him the lamp, he became terribly angry.
- Oh, so, won’t you give me the lamp? - he shouted. “Stay in the dungeon and die of hunger, and don’t even let your own mother know about your death!”
He threw the rest of the powder from the box into the fire and uttered some incomprehensible words - and suddenly the stone itself closed the hole, and the earth closed over Aladdin.
This Maghrebin man was not Aladdin’s uncle at all - he was an evil wizard and a cunning sorcerer. He lived in the city of Ifriqiya, in western Africa, and he learned that somewhere in Persia there was a treasure underground, protected by the name of Aladdin, the son of the tailor Hassan. And the most valuable thing in this treasure is the magic lamp. It gives the one who owns it such power and wealth that no king has. No one except Aladdin can get this lamp. Any other person who wants to take it will be killed by the guards of the treasure or turned into black stone.
The Maghreb man wondered for a long time on the sand until he found out where Aladdin lived. He suffered many disasters and torments before he got from his Ifriqiya to Persia, and now, when the lamp is so close, this bad boy does not want to give it up! But if he comes to earth, he might bring other people here! It was not for this reason that the Maghrebi man waited so long for the opportunity to take possession of the treasure in order to share it with others. Let no one get the treasure! Let Aladdin die in the dungeon! He doesn't know that this lamp is magic...
And the Maghrebi man went back to Ifriqiya, full of anger and frustration. And that's all that happened to him for now.
And Aladdin, when the earth closed over him, cried loudly and shouted:
- Uncle, help me! Uncle, get me out of here! I'll die here!
But no one heard him or answered him. Then Aladdin realized that this man who called himself his uncle was a deceiver and a liar. Aladdin cried so hard that he wet all his clothes with his tears. He rushed down the stairs to see if there was another way out of the dungeon, but all the doors immediately disappeared and the exit to the garden was also closed.
Aladdin had no hope of salvation, and he prepared to die.
He sat down on the step of the stairs, lowered his head to his knees and began to wring his hands in grief. By chance, he rubbed the ring that the Maghreb man put on his finger when he lowered him into the dungeon.
Suddenly the earth shook, and a terrible genie of enormous stature appeared in front of Aladdin. His head was like a dome, his hands were like pitchforks, his legs were like roadside posts, his mouth was like a cave, and his eyes were throwing sparks.
-What do you want? - asked the genie in a voice like thunder. - Demand - you will receive.
- Who are you? Who are you? - Aladdin shouted, covering his face with his hands so as not to see the terrible genie. - Spare me, don't kill me!
“I am Dakhnash, son of Kashkash, the head of all genies,” answered the genie. “I am the slave of the ring and the slave of the one who owns the ring.” I will do whatever my master commands.
Aladdin remembered the ring and what the Maghrebian said when giving him the ring. He gathered his courage and said:
- I want you to lift me to the surface of the earth!
And before he had time to utter these words, he found himself on the ground near the extinguished fire, where he and the Maghreb man had been at night. It was already day and the sun was shining brightly. It seemed to Aladdin that everything that happened to him was just a dream. He ran home as fast as he could and, out of breath, went in to see his mother. Aladdin's mother sat in the middle of the room, her hair down, and wept bitterly. She thought that her son was no longer alive. Aladdin, as soon as he slammed the door behind him, fell unconscious from hunger and fatigue. His mother splashed water on his face and, when he came to his senses, asked:
- Oh Aladdin, where have you been and what happened to you? Where is your uncle and why did you return without him?
- This is not my uncle at all. “This is an evil sorcerer,” Aladdin said in a weak voice. “I’ll tell you everything, mother, but just give me something to eat first.”
The mother fed Aladdin boiled beans - she didn’t even have bread - and then said:
- Now tell me what happened to you and where did you spend the night?
— I was in the dungeon and found wonderful stones there.
And Aladdin told his mother everything that happened to him. Having finished the story, he looked into the bowl where the beans were and asked:
- Do you have anything else to eat, mother? I'm hungry.
- I have nothing, my child. “You ate everything I prepared for today and tomorrow,” Aladdin’s mother said sadly. “I was so sad for you that I didn’t work, and I don’t have any yarn to sell at the market.”
“Don’t worry, mother,” said Aladdin. — I have a lamp that I took into the dungeon. True, it is old, but it can still be sold.
He took out the lamp and gave it to his mother. The mother took the lamp, examined it and said:
“I’ll go clean it and take it to the market: maybe they’ll get enough for it for dinner.”
She took a rag and a piece of chalk and went out into the yard. But as soon as she began to rub the lamp with a rag, the ground shook and a huge genie appeared in front of her. Aladdin's mother screamed and fell unconscious. Aladdin heard a scream and noticed that the room had gone dark. He ran out into the yard and saw that his mother was lying on the ground, the lamp was lying nearby, and in the middle of the yard stood a genie, so huge that his head could not be seen. It blocked out the sun, and it became dark, like twilight.
Aladdin raised the lamp, and suddenly a thunderous voice was heard:
- O Lord of the Lamp, I am at your service.
Aladdin had already begun to get used to the genies and therefore was not too afraid. He raised his head and shouted as loud as possible so that the genie could hear him:
- Who are you, O genie, and what can you do?
“I am Maymun, son of Shamhurash,” answered the genie. “I am a slave to the lamp and a slave to the one who owns it.” Demand from me what you want. If you want me to destroy a city or build a palace, give the order!
While he was speaking, Aladdin’s mother came to her senses and, seeing the genie’s huge foot, like a large boat, near her face, she screamed in horror. And Aladdin put his hands to his mouth and shouted at the top of his voice:
“Bring us two fried chickens and something else good, then get out.” Because my mother is afraid of you. She is not yet used to talking to genies.
The genie disappeared and a moment later brought a table covered with a beautiful leather tablecloth. On it stood twelve golden dishes with all kinds of delicious dishes and two jugs of rose water, sweetened with sugar and cooled with snow. The slave of the lamp placed the table in front of Aladdin and disappeared, and Aladdin and his mother began to eat and ate until they were full. Aladdin's mother cleared the remains of food from the table, and they began to talk, gnawing pistachios and dry almonds.
“Oh mother,” said Aladdin, “this lamp must be taken care of and not shown to anyone.” Now I understand why this damned Maghreb wanted only one of them and refused everything else. This lamp and the ring that I still have will bring us happiness and wealth.
“Do as you please, my child,” said the mother, “but I don’t want to see this genie anymore: he’s very scary and disgusting.”
A few days later, the food that the genie brought ran out, and Aladdin and his mother again had nothing to eat. Then Aladdin took one of the golden dishes and went to the market to sell it. A jewel merchant immediately bought this dish and gave one hundred dinars for it.
Aladdin ran home cheerfully. From then on, as soon as their money ran out, Aladdin went to the market and sold the dish, and he and his mother lived without needing anything. Aladdin often sat in the market in the shops of merchants and learned to sell and buy. He learned the price of all things and realized that he had inherited great wealth and that every pebble he picked up in the underground garden was worth more than any precious stone that could be found on earth.
One morning, when Aladdin was at the market, a herald came out into the square and shouted:
- O people, lock your shops and enter your houses, and let no one look out of the windows! Now Princess Budur, the daughter of the Sultan, will go to the bathhouse, and no one should see her!
The merchants rushed to lock their shops, and the people, jostling, ran from the square. Aladdin suddenly really wanted to look at Princess Budur - everyone in the city said that there was no more beautiful girl in the world than her. Aladdin quickly walked to the bathhouse and hid behind the door so that no one could see him.
The entire square was suddenly empty. And then at the far end of the square a crowd of girls appeared, riding gray mules saddled with golden saddles. Each one had a sharp sword in her hands. And among them slowly rode a girl, dressed more magnificently and more elegantly than all the others. This was Princess Budur.
She threw the veil off her face, and Aladdin seemed to see a shining sun in front of him. He involuntarily closed his eyes.
The princess got off the mule and, walking two steps away from Aladdin, entered the bathhouse. And Aladdin wandered home, sighing heavily. He could not forget about the beauty of Princess Budur.
“They say it’s true that she is the most beautiful in the world,” he thought. “I swear on my head - may I die the most terrible death if I don’t marry her!”
He entered his house, threw himself on his bed and lay there until evening. When his mother asked what was wrong with him, he just waved his hand at her. Finally she pestered him so much with questions that he could not stand it and said:
- Oh mother, I want to marry Princess Budur, otherwise I will die. If you don’t want me to die, go to the Sultan and ask him to marry Budur to me.
- What are you saying, my child! - exclaimed the old woman, “Your head must have been baked by the sun!” Is it ever heard of the sons of tailors marrying the daughters of sultans! Now, eat better than a young lamb and go to sleep. Tomorrow you won’t even think about such things!
- I don’t need a lamb! I want to marry Princess Budur? - Aladdin shouted. “For the sake of my life, oh mother, go to the Sultan and woo Princess Budur for me.”
“Oh son,” said Aladdin’s mother, “I have not lost my mind to go to the Sultan with such a request.” I have not yet forgotten who I am and who you are.
But Aladdin begged his mother until she got tired of saying no.
“Okay, son, I’ll go,” she said. “But you know that they don’t come to the Sultan empty-handed.” What can I bring that is suitable for His Sultan Majesty?
Aladdin jumped out of bed and shouted cheerfully:
- Don't worry about it, mother! Take one of the golden dishes and fill it with the precious stones that I brought from the garden. This will be a gift worthy of a Sultan. Of course he doesn't have stones like mine!
Aladdin grabbed the largest dish and filled it to the top with precious stones. His mother looked at them and covered her eyes with her hand - the stones sparkled so brightly, shimmering with all colors.
“With such a gift, perhaps, there is no shame in going to the Sultan,” she said.
“I just don’t know if I’ll be able to say what you’re asking.” But I'll be brave and try.
- Try it, mother, but quickly. Go and don't hesitate.
Aladdin's mother covered the dish with a thin silk scarf and went to the Sultan's palace.
“Oh, they will drive me out of the palace and beat me, and take away the stones,” she thought.
“And maybe they’ll go to jail.”
Finally she came to the sofa and stood in the farthest corner. It was still early and there was no one on the couch. But gradually it was filled with emirs, viziers, nobles and noble people of the kingdom in colorful robes of all colors and became like a blooming garden.
The Sultan arrived later than everyone else, surrounded by blacks with swords in their hands. He sat down on the throne and began to sort out cases and receive complaints, and the tallest black man stood next to him and drove flies away from him with a large peacock feather.
When all the business was finished, the Sultan waved his handkerchief - this meant the end - and left, leaning on the shoulders of the blacks.
And Aladdin's mother returned home and said to her son:
- Well, son, I had the courage. I went into the sofa and stayed there until it ended. Tomorrow I will talk to the Sultan, be calm, but today I didn’t have time.
The next day she went to the sofa again and left again when it was over, without saying a word to the Sultan. She went the next day and soon got used to going to the sofa every day. She stood in the corner for whole days, but could not tell the Sultan what her request was.
And the Sultan finally noticed that some old woman with a large dish in her hands came to the sofa every day. And one day he said to his vizier:
“Oh, Vizier, I want to know who this old woman is and why she comes here.” Ask her what is wrong, and if she has any request, I will fulfill it.
“I listen and obey,” said the vizier. He approached Aladdin's mother and shouted:
- Hey, old woman, talk to the Sultan! If you have any request, the Sultan will fulfill it.
When Aladdin's mother heard these words, her veins began to shake, and she almost dropped the dish from her hands. The vizier brought her to the Sultan, and she kissed the ground in front of him, and the Sultan asked her:
- Oh old woman, why do you come to the sofa every day and say nothing? Tell me what do you need?
“Listen to me, O Sultan, and do not be surprised at my words,” said the old woman. “Before I tell you, promise me mercy.”
“You will have mercy,” said the Sultan, “speak.”
Aladdin's mother kissed the ground again in front of the Sultan and said:
- O Lord Sultan! My son Aladdin sends you these stones as a gift and asks you to give him your daughter, Princess Budur, as his wife.
She pulled the scarf off the dish, and the whole sofa lit up - the stones sparkled so much. And the vizier and the sultan were dumbfounded at the sight of such jewelry.
“O vizier,” said the Sultan, “have you ever seen such stones?”
“No, O Lord Sultan, I didn’t see it,” answered the vizier, and the Sultan said:
“I think that a man who has such stones deserves to be my daughter’s husband.” What is your opinion, O Vizier?
When the vizier heard these words, his face turned yellow with envy. He had a son whom he wanted to marry Princess Budur, and the Sultan had already promised to marry Budur to his son. But the Sultan was very fond of jewelry, and in his treasury there was not a single stone like those that lay in front of him on the platter.
“O Lord Sultan,” said the vizier, “it is not proper for your Majesty to give the princess in marriage to a man whom you do not even know.” Maybe he has nothing but these stones, and you will marry your daughter to a beggar. In my opinion, the best thing is to demand from him that he give you forty similar dishes filled with precious stones, and forty female slaves to carry these dishes, and forty slaves to guard them. Then we will know whether he is rich or not.
And to himself the vizier thought: “It is impossible that anyone could get all this. He will be powerless to do it, and I will get rid of him.”
- You came up with a good idea, oh vizier! - the Sultan shouted and said to Aladdin’s mother:
-Did you hear what the vizier said? Go and tell your son: if he wants to marry my daughter, let him send forty golden dishes with the same stones, and forty female slaves, and forty slaves.
Aladdin's mother kissed the ground in front of the Sultan and went home. She walked and said to herself, shaking her head:
- Where will Aladdin get all this from? Well, let's say that he goes to the underground garden and picks up more stones there, but where will the slaves and slaves come from? She talked to herself like this all the way until she got home. She came to Aladdin sad and embarrassed. Seeing that his mother did not have a dish in her hands, Aladdin exclaimed:
- Oh mother, I see you spoke with the Sultan today. What did he tell you?
“Oh, my child, it would be better for me not to go to the Sultan or talk to him,” answered the old woman. - Just listen to what he told me.
And she conveyed the Sultan’s words to Aladdin, and Aladdin laughed with joy.
“Calm down, mother,” he said, “this is the easiest thing.”
He took the lamp and rubbed it, and when the mother saw this, she ran into the kitchen so as not to see the genie. And the genie now appeared and said:
- Oh sir, I am at your service. What do you want? Demand - you will receive.
“I need forty golden dishes full of precious stones, forty female slaves to carry these dishes, and forty slaves to guard them,” said Aladdin.
“It will be done, oh lord,” answered Maymun, the slave of the lamp. “Perhaps you want me to destroy the city or build a palace?” Order.
“No, do what I told you,” Aladdin answered, and the slave of the lamp disappeared.
In a very short time he appeared again, followed by forty beautiful slave girls, each holding on her head a golden dish with precious stones. The slaves were accompanied by tall, beautiful slaves with drawn swords.
“This is what you demanded,” said the genie and disappeared.
Then Aladdin's mother came out of the kitchen, examined the slaves and slaves, and then lined them up in pairs and proudly walked ahead of them to the Sultan's palace.
All the people came running to watch this unprecedented procession, and the guards in the palace were speechless with amazement when they saw these slaves and slaves.
Aladdin's mother led them straight to the Sultan, and they all kissed the ground before him and, taking the dishes off their heads, placed them in a row. The Sultan was completely lost with joy and could not utter a word. And when he came to his senses, he said to the vizier:
- O Vizier, what is your opinion? Is not the one who has such wealth worthy to become the husband of my daughter, Princess Budur?
“Worthy, oh lord,” answered the vizier, sighing heavily. He did not dare say “no,” although envy and frustration were killing him.
“O woman,” said the Sultan to Aladdin’s mother, “go and tell your son that I accepted his gift and agree to marry Princess Budur to him.” Let him come to me - I want to see him.
Aladdin's mother hurriedly kissed the ground in front of the Sultan and ran home as fast as she could - so fast that the wind could not keep up with her. She ran to Aladdin and shouted:
- Rejoice, oh my son! The Sultan accepted your gift and agrees for you to become the princess’s husband. He said this in front of everyone. Go to the palace now - the Sultan wants to see you. I completed the assignment, now finish the job yourself.
“Thank you, mother,” said Aladdin, “I’ll go to the Sultan now.” Now go away - I will talk to the genie.
Aladdin took the lamp and rubbed it, and immediately Maymun, the lamp's slave, appeared. And Aladdin said to him:
- O Maimun, bring me forty-eight white slaves - this will be my retinue. And let twenty-four slaves go in front of me, and twenty-four behind me. And also bring me a thousand dinars and the best horse.
“It will be done,” said the genie and disappeared. He delivered everything that Aladdin ordered and asked:
-What else do you want? Do you want me to destroy the city or build a palace? I can do anything.
“No, not yet,” said Aladdin.
He jumped on his horse and rode to the Sultan, and all the inhabitants came running to look at the handsome young man riding with such a magnificent retinue. In the market square, where there were the most people, Aladdin took a handful of gold from the bag and threw it. Everyone rushed to catch and pick up coins, and Aladdin threw and threw until the bag was empty.
He drove up to the palace, and all the viziers and emirs met him at the gate and escorted him to the Sultan. The Sultan rose to meet him and said:
- Welcome, Aladdin. It's a pity that I didn't meet you earlier. I heard that you want to marry my daughter. I agree. Today will be your wedding. Have you prepared everything for this celebration?
“Not yet, O Lord Sultan,” answered Aladdin. “I did not build a palace suitable for Princess Budur for her rank.”
- When will the wedding be? - asked the Sultan. - After all, you can’t build a palace soon.
“Don’t worry, O Lord Sultan,” said Aladdin. - Wait a little.
“Where are you going to build the palace, O Aladdin?” - asked the Sultan.
“Would you like to build it in front of my windows, in this vacant lot?”
“As you wish, oh lord,” Aladdin answered.
He said goodbye to the king and went home with his retinue.
At home, he took the lamp, rubbed it, and when the genie Maimun appeared, he said to him:
- Well, now build a palace, but one that has never been seen on earth before. Are you hesitant to do this?
- Can! - exclaimed the genie in a voice like thunder. - It will be ready by tomorrow morning. You will be satisfied.
And in fact, the next morning a magnificent palace rose in the wasteland. Its walls were made of gold and silver bricks, and its roof was made of diamonds. To look at her, Aladdin had to climb onto the shoulders of the genie Maimun - the palace was so high. Aladdin walked around all the rooms in the palace and said to Maimun:
- Oh Maimun, I came up with a joke. Break this column and let the Sultan think that we forgot to build it. He will want to build it himself and will not be able to do this, and then he will see that I am stronger and richer than him.
“Okay,” said the genie and waved his hand; the column disappeared as if it had never existed. - Do you want to destroy anything else?
“No,” said Aladdin. “Now I will go and bring the Sultan here.”
And in the morning the Sultan went to the window and saw the palace, which glittered and sparkled so much in the sun that it was painful to look at it. The Sultan hastily called the vizier and showed him the palace.
- Well, what do you say, oh vizier? he asked. “Is the one who built such a palace in one night worthy to be my daughter’s husband?”
“Oh, Lord Sultan,” cried the vizier, “can’t you see that this Aladdin is a sorcerer!” Beware lest he take your kingdom from you!
“You are an envious man, O vizier,” said the Sultan. “I have nothing to fear, and you say all this out of envy.”
At this time Aladdin entered and, kissing the ground at the feet of the Sultan, invited him to see the palace.
The Sultan and the Vizier walked around the entire palace, and the Sultan never tired of admiring its beauty and splendor. Finally Aladdin led the guests to the place where Maimun destroyed the column. The vizier immediately noticed that one column was missing and shouted:
— The palace is not finished! One column is missing here!
“It’s no problem,” said the Sultan. - I will erect this column myself. Call the chief builder here!
“It’s better not to try, O Sultan,” the vizier quietly told him. - You can't do this. Look: the columns are so high that you can’t see where they end, and they are lined with precious stones from top to bottom.
“Shut up, oh vizier,” the Sultan said proudly. “Can’t I really build one column?”
He ordered to call all the stonemasons who were in the city, and gave away all his precious stones. But there weren't enough of them. Upon learning of this, the Sultan became angry and shouted:
- Open the main treasury, take away all the precious stones from my subjects! Is all my wealth really not enough for one column?
But a few days later the builders came to the Sultan and reported that there were only enough stones and marble for a quarter of the column. The Sultan ordered their heads to be cut off, but still did not erect a column. Having learned about this, Aladdin said to the Sultan:
- Don't be sad, O Sultan. The column is already in place, and I have returned all the precious stones to their owners.
That same evening, the Sultan organized a magnificent celebration in honor of the wedding of Aladdin and Princess Budur, and Aladdin and his wife began to live in the new palace.
That's all that happened with Aladdin for now.
As for the Maghrebian, he returned to his home in Ifriqiya and grieved and was sad for a long time. He experienced many disasters and torments, trying to get a magic lamp, but he still did not get it, although it was very close. The Maghreb resident had only one consolation: “Since this Aladdin died in the dungeon, it means the lamp is there. Maybe I will be able to take possession of it without Aladdin.”
So he thought about it all day long. And then one day he wanted to make sure that the lamp was intact and was in the dungeon. He told fortunes in the sand and saw that everything in the treasury remained as it was, but the lamp was no longer there. His heart sank. He began to guess further and found out that Aladdin had escaped from the dungeon and was living in his hometown. The Maghrebian quickly got ready to set off and drove across the seas, mountains and deserts to distant Persia. Again he had to endure troubles and misfortunes, and finally he arrived in the city where Aladdin lived.
The Maghrebian went to the market and began to listen to what people were saying. And at this time the war between the Persians and the nomads had just ended, and Aladdin, who was at the head of the army, returned to the city as a winner. There was only talk in the market about the exploits of Aladdin.
The Maghribian walked around and listened, and then approached the seller of cold water and asked him:
“Who is this Aladdin that all the people here are talking about?”
“It’s immediately obvious that you’re not from here,” the seller answered. “Otherwise you would know who Aladdin is.” This is the richest man in the whole world, and his palace is a real miracle.
The Maghreb man handed the water-carrier a dinar and said to him:
- Take this dinar and do me a favor. I am truly a stranger in your city, and I would like to see Aladdin’s palace. Take me to this palace.
“No one can show you the way better than me,” said the water carrier. - Let's go. He brought the Maghrebian to the palace and left, blessing this stranger for his generosity. And the Maghreb man walked around the palace and, examining it from all sides, said to himself:
“Only a genie, a slave to the lamp, could build such a palace.” She must be in this palace.
For a long time the Maghreb man thought of a trick with which he could take possession of the lamp, and finally came up with it.
He went to the coppersmith and said to him:
“Make me ten copper lamps and take whatever price you want for them, but just hurry up.” Here's five dinars as a deposit.
“I listen and obey,” answered the coppersmith. — Come in the evening, the lamps will be ready.
In the evening, the Maghreb resident received ten brand new lamps, shining like gold. He spent the night awake, thinking about the trick he would play, and at dawn he got up and walked through the city, shouting:
— Who wants to exchange old lamps for new ones? Who has old copper lamps? I'm replacing them with new ones!
A crowd of people followed the Maghreb man, and children jumped around him and shouted:
- Possessed, possessed!
But the Maghrebin did not pay attention to them and shouted:
— Who has old lamps? I'm replacing them with new ones!
Finally he came to the palace. Aladdin himself was not at home at that time - he had gone hunting, and his wife, Princess Budur, remained in the palace. Hearing the screams of the Maghreb, Budur sent the senior gatekeeper to find out what was the matter, and the gatekeeper, returning, said to her:
- This is some kind of possessed dervish. He has new lamps in his hands, and he promises to give a new one for each old lamp.
Princess Budur laughed and said:
“It would be good to check whether he is telling the truth or deceiving.” Do we have any old lamp in our palace?
“Yes, madam,” said one of the slaves. “I saw a copper lamp in our master Aladdin’s room. She's all green and no good.
And Aladdin, when he was leaving for a hunt, needed supplies, and he called the genie Maimun to bring what he needed. When the genie brought what was ordered, the sound of a horn was heard, and Aladdin hurried, threw the lamp on the bed and ran out of the palace.
“Bring this lamp,” Budur ordered the slave, “and you, Kafur, take it to the Maghreb, and let him give us a new one.”
And the gatekeeper Kafur went out into the street and gave the Maghrebian a magic lamp, and in return received a brand new copper lamp. The Maghribian was very happy that his trick was a success and hid the lamp in his bosom. He bought a donkey at the market and left.
And having left the city and making sure that no one saw or heard him, the Maghrebin rubbed the lamp, and the genie Maimun appeared before him. The Maghribian shouted to him:
“I want you to move Aladdin’s palace and everyone in it to Ifriqiya and place it in my garden, near my house.” And take me there too.
“It will be done,” said the genie. “Close your eyes and open your eyes, and the palace will be in Ifriqiya.” Or maybe you want me to destroy the city?
“Do what I ordered you,” said the Maghrebi man, and before he had time to finish these words, he saw himself in his garden in Ifriqiya, near the palace. And that's all that happened to him for now.
As for the Sultan, he woke up in the morning and looked out the window - and suddenly he saw that the palace had disappeared and where he stood was a flat, smooth place. The Sultan rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was sleeping, and even pinched his hand to wake up, but the palace did not appear.
The Sultan did not know what to think and began to cry and moan loudly. He realized that some kind of trouble had happened to Princess Budur. The vizier came running to the Sultan’s cries and asked:
- What happened to you, O Lord Sultan? What disaster has struck you?
- Don’t you know anything? - the Sultan shouted. - Well, look out the window. What do you see? Where is the palace? You are my vizier and are responsible for everything that happens in the city, and palaces are disappearing under your nose, and you know nothing about it. Where is my daughter, the fruit of my heart? Speak!
“I don’t know, O Lord Sultan,” answered the frightened vizier. “I told you that this Aladdin is an evil wizard, but you didn’t believe me.”
“Bring Aladdin here,” shouted the Sultan, “and I will cut off his head!” At this time, Aladdin was just returning from hunting. The Sultan's servants went out into the street to look for him, and when they saw him, they ran to meet him.
“Do not exact this from us, O Aladdin, our lord,” said one of them. “The Sultan ordered to twist your hands, put you in chains and bring you to him. It will be difficult for us to do this, but we are forced people and cannot disobey the orders of the Sultan.
- Why was the Sultan angry with me? - asked Aladdin. “I have not done or conceived anything bad against him or his subjects.”
They called a blacksmith, and he chained Aladdin's feet. While he was doing this, a crowd gathered around Aladdin. The inhabitants of the city loved Aladdin for his kindness and generosity, and when they learned that the Sultan wanted to cut off his head, they all ran to the palace. And the Sultan ordered Aladdin to be brought to him and said to him:
“My vizier was right when he said that you are a sorcerer and a deceiver. Where is your palace and where is my daughter Budur?
“I don’t know, O Lord Sultan,” Aladdin answered. - I am not guilty of anything before you.
- Cut off his head! - the Sultan shouted, and Aladdin was again taken out into the street, and the executioner followed him.
When the city residents saw the executioner, they surrounded Aladdin and sent him to tell the Sultan:
“If you, O Sultan, do not have mercy on Aladdin, then we will overturn your palace on you and kill everyone who is in it. Free Aladdin and show him mercy, otherwise you will have a bad time.”
- What should I do, O Vizier? - asked the Sultan, and the vizier told him:
- Do as they say. They love Aladdin more than you and me, and if you kill him, we will all be in trouble.
“You’re right, O Vizier,” said the Sultan and ordered Aladdin to be unchained and the following words to be said to him on behalf of the Sultan:
“I spared you because the people love you, but if you do not find my daughter, then I will still cut off your head. I give you forty days for this.”
“I listen and obey,” said Aladdin and left the city.
He did not know where to go and where to look for Princess Budur, and grief pressed him so hard that he decided to drown himself. He reached a large river and sat down on the bank, sad and sorrowful.
Lost in thought, he lowered his right hand into the water and suddenly felt something slipping off his little finger. Aladdin quickly took his hand out of the water and saw on his little finger the ring that the Maghrebian had given him and which he had completely forgotten about.
Aladdin rubbed the ring, and immediately the genie Dahnash, son of Kashkash, appeared before him and said:
- O lord of the ring, I am before you. What do you want? Order.
“I want you to move my palace to its original place,” said Aladdin.
But the genie, the servant of the ring, lowered his head and answered:
“Oh lord, it’s hard for me to confess to you, but I can’t do it.” The palace was built by the slave of the lamp, and only he alone can move it. Demand something else from me.
“If so,” said Aladdin, “carry me to where my palace is now.”
“Close your eyes and open your eyes,” said the genie.
And when Aladdin closed and opened his eyes again, he saw himself in the garden, in front of his palace.
He ran up the stairs and saw his wife Budur, who was crying bitterly. Seeing Aladdin, she screamed and cried even louder - now from joy. Having calmed down a little, she told Aladdin about everything that had happened to her, and then said:
- This damned Maghreb comes to me and persuades me to marry him and forget you. He says that the Sultan, my father, cut off your head and that you were the son of a poor man, so there is no need to grieve for you. But I don’t listen to the speeches of this evil Maghrebian, but cry about you all the time.
-Where does he keep the magic lamp? - Aladdin asked, and Budur answered:
“He never parts with her and always keeps her with him.”
“Listen to me, O Budur,” said Aladdin. “When this damned one comes to you again, be kind and friendly to him and promise him that you will marry him.” Ask him to have dinner with you and, when he begins to eat and drink, add this sleeping powder to his wine. And when the Maghrebian falls asleep, I will enter the room and kill him.
“It won’t be easy for me to speak kindly to him,” said Budur, “but I will try.” He should arrive soon. Go, I’ll hide you in a dark room, and when he falls asleep, I’ll clap my hands and you’ll come in.
Aladdin barely had time to hide when a Maghreb man entered Budur’s room. This time she greeted him cheerfully and said affably:
“Oh, my lord, wait a little, I’ll dress up, and then you and I will have dinner together.”
“With eagerness and pleasure,” said the Maghreb man and went out, and Budur put on her best dress and prepared food and wine.
When the Maghreb returned, Budur told him:
“You were right, oh my lord, when you said that Aladdin is not worth loving and remembering.” My father cut off his head, and now I have no one but you. I will marry you, but today you must do everything I tell you.
“Order, oh my lady,” said the Maghreb man, and Budur began to treat him and give him wine, and when he became a little drunk, she told him:
— In our country there is a custom: when the bride and groom eat and drink together, each takes the last sip of wine from the other’s cup. Give me your cup, I will take a sip from it, and you will drink from mine.
And Budur handed the Maghrebian a cup of wine, into which she had previously added sleeping powder. The Maghrebian drank and immediately fell as if struck by thunder, and Budur clapped her hands. Aladdin was just waiting for this. He ran into the room and, swinging his sword, cut off the head of the Maghreb man with his sword. And then he took the lamp from his bosom and rubbed it, and immediately Maymun, the slave of the lamp, appeared.
“Take the palace to its original place,” Aladdin ordered him.
A moment later, the palace was already standing opposite the Sultan’s palace, and the Sultan, who at that time was sitting by the window and weeping bitterly for his daughter, almost fainted from amazement and joy. He immediately ran to the palace, where his daughter Budu r. And Aladdin and his wife met the Sultan, crying with joy.
And the Sultan asked Aladdin for forgiveness for wanting to cut off his head, and from that day Aladdin’s misfortunes ceased, and he lived happily ever after in his palace with his wife and mother.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru