" The slave replied, "To hear is to obey,"
and, disappearing for an eye twinkling, brought all he was bidden
bring, and led by hand a stallion whose rival was not amongst the
Arabian Arabs, and its saddlecloth was of splendid brocade
gold-in-wrought.
Thereupon, without stay or delay, Aladdin sent for his mother and
gave her the garments she should wear and committed to her charge
the twelve slave girls forming her suite to the palace. Then he sent
one of the Mamelukes whom the Jinni had brought to see if the Sultan
had left the seraglio or not. The white slave went forth lighter
than the lightning and, returned in like haste, said, "O my lord,
the Sultan awaiteth thee!" Hereat Aladdin arose and took horse, his
Mamelukes riding a-van and arear of him, and they were such that all
must cry, "Laud to the Lord Who created them and clothed them with
such beauty and loveliness!" And they scattered gold amongst the crowd
in front of their master, who surpassed them all in comeliness and nor
needest thou ask concerning the sons of the kings- praise be to the
Bountiful, the Eternal! All this was of the virtues of the wonderful
lamp, which whoso possessed, him it gifted with fairest favor and
finest figure, with wealth and with wisdom.
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