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Burton, Richard Francis

"The Arabian Nights"


This caused the folk and the citizens to marvel at the matter,
especially when they saw the Grand Wazir and his son leaving the
palace in pitiable plight for grief and stress of passion, and the
people fell to asking, "What hath happened, and what is the cause of
the wedding being made null and void?"
Nor did any know aught of the truth save Aladdin, the lover who
claimed the Princess's hand, and he laughed in his sleeve. But even
after the marriage was dissolved, the Sultan forgot nor even
recalled to mind his promise made to Aladdin's mother, and the same
was the case with the Grand Wazir, while neither had any inkling of
whence befell them that which had befallen. So Aladdin patiently
awaited the lapse of the three months after which the Sultan had
pledged himself to give him to wife his daughter. But soon as ever the
term came, he sent his mother to the Sultan for the purpose of
requiring him to keep his covenant. So she went to the palace, and
when the King appeared in the Divan and saw the old woman standing
before him, he remembered his promise to her concerning the marriage
after a term of three months, and he turned to the Minister and
said: "O Wazir, this be the ancient dame who presented me with the
jewels and to whom we pledged our word that when the three months
had elapsed we would summon her to our presence before all others.


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