tan’s palace, and added, there is no harm done; I will go again to-morrow; perhaps the sultan may not be so busy.
She went six times afterwards on the days appointed, with as little success as the first time, and might have perhaps come a thousand times to as little purpose, if the sultan himself had not taken a particular notice of her. That day at last, after the council was broke up, when the sultan was returned to his own apartment, he said to his grand vizier, I have for some time observed a certain woman, who comes constantly every day that I go into council, and has something wrapped up in a napkin: do you know what she wants?
Sir, replied the grand vizier, who knew no more than the sultan what she wanted; perhaps this woman may come to complain to your majesty, that somebody has sold her some bad flour, or some such trifling matter. The sultan was not satisfied with this answer, but replied, If this woman comes again next council-day, do not fail to call her, that I may hear what she has to say.
The next council-day she went to the divan, and placed herself before the sultan as usual; and before the grand vizier had made his report of business, the sultan perceived her, and compassionating her for having waited so long, he said to the vizier, Before you enter upon any business, remember the woman I spoke to you about; bid her come near, and let us hear and dispatch her business first. The grand vizier immediately called the chief of the officers, and pointing to her, bid him go to that woman, and tell her to come before the sultan.
The chief of the officers went to Aladdin’s mother, and at a sign he gave her, she followed him to the foot of the sultan’s throne, where he left her, and retired to his place by the grand vizier. Aladdin’s mother, bowed her head down to the carpet, which covered the steps of the throne, and remained in that posture till the sultan bid her rise, which she had no sooner done, than the sultan said to her, Good woman, I have observed you to stand a long time, from the beginning to the rising of the divan; what business brings you here?
At these words, Aladdin’s mother prostrated herself a second time; and when she got up again, said, Monarch of monarchs, I beg of you to pardon the boldness or rather impudence of the demand I am going to make, which is so uncommon, that I tremble, and am ashamed to propose it to my sultan. In order to give her the more freedom to explain herself, the sultan ordered every body to go out of the divan but the grand vizier, and then told her that she might speak without restraint.
She then told him faithfully how Aladdin had seen the princess Badroulboudour, the violent love that fatal sight had inspired him with, the declaration he had made to her of it when he came home, and what representations she had made to dissuade him from a passion no less injurious, said she, to your majesty, as sultan, than to the princess your daughter. But, continued she, my son, instead of taking my advice and reflecting or his boldness, was so obstinate as to persevere in it, and to threaten me with some desperate act, if I refused to come and ask the princess in marriage of your majesty.
