joining his hands to pray he rubbed the ring which the magician had put
on his finger. Immediately a genie of frightful aspect appeared, and
said, "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee. I serve him who
possesses the ring on thy finger; I, and the other slaves of that ring."




At another time Aladdin would have been frightened at the sight of so
extraordinary a figure, but the danger he was in made him answer without
hesitation, "Whoever thou art, deliver me from this place." He had no
sooner spoken these words, than he found himself on the very spot where
the magician had last left him, and no sign of cave or opening, nor
disturbance of the earth. Returning God thanks to find himself once more
in the world, he made the best of his way home. When he got within his
mother's door, the joy to see her and his weakness for want of
sustenance made him so faint that he remained for a long time as dead.
As soon as he recovered, he related to his mother all that had happened
to him, and they were both very vehement in their complaints of the
cruel magician. Aladdin slept very soundly till late the next morning,
when the first thing he said to his mother was, that he wanted something
to eat, and wished she would give him his breakfast. "Alas! child," said
she, "I have not a bit of bread to give you; you ate up all the
provisions I had in the house yesterday; but I have a little cotton
which I have spun; I will go and sell it, and buy bread and something
for our dinner." "Mother," replied Aladdin, "keep your cotton for
another time, and give me the lamp I brought home with me yesterday; I
will go and sell it, and the money I shall get for it will serve both
for breakfast and dinner, and perhaps supper too."