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Burton, Richard Francis

"The Arabian Nights"

And there were two large bag pockets full of precious
stones, whereof not one was to be found amongst the kings of the
world. But the lad knew naught anent their worth, deeming them glass
or crystal. And presently he resumed:
"After this, O mother mine, I reached the hoard door carrying the
lamp and shouted to the accursed sorcerer which called himself my
uncle to lend me a hand and hale me up, I being unable to mount of
myself the last step for the overweight of my burthen. But he would
not and said only, 'First hand me the lamp!' As, however, I had placed
it at the bottom of my breast pocket and the other pouches bulged
out beyond it, I was unable to get at it and said, 'O my uncle, I
cannot reach thee the lamp, but I will give it to thee when outside
the treasury.' His only need was the lamp, and he designed, O my
mother, to snatch it from me and after that slay me, as indeed he
did his best to do by heaping the earth over my head. Such then is
what befell me from this foul sorcerer." Hereupon Aladdin fell to
abusing the magician in hot wrath and with a burning heart, and
crying: "Wellaway! I take refuge from this damned wight, the
forswearer the wrongdoer, the forswearer, the lost to all humanity,
the archtraitor, the hyprocrite, the annihilator of ruth and mercy.


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