One day Alaaddeen was walking about the town that he saw the Princess Badroolbaddoor addressing a crowd of women. As she lifted her veil, Alaaddeen got amazed to see her face. He had never seen any woman with an unveiled face except his mother. He got lost in her beauty. His mother noticed his condition and asked him what the matter was. He told her that he could not live without the Princess and he would ask her hand from her father, the Sultaan. His mother laughed and said - "Are you out of your mind? And who do you think will go to him with your proposal?" "You will go with that proposal." "Me? Oh no, I think you are mad."

Alaaddeen pursuaded her to go to the Sultaan with his proposal. She asked - "It is customary to go to Sultaan with some gift, where would I get a gift for him?" Alaaddeen said - "Don't worry, I have the gift for him. Do you remember the fruits I brought from the cave, and we thought them to be glass ornaments? They are not glass ornaments, they are the jewels. We both do not know their value, but I am sure the Sultaan will be very happy to receive them. Bring our china plate and take them to him." The mother brought the plate, Alaaddeen took out some jewels and put them in the plate. Although both admired the jewels, but his mother was still doubtful about them, so she said - "I doubt it that he will like them, still I will do anything to please you." Alaaddeen told her that the lamp Genie might do greater wonders than only bringing food for them so she should not worry about anything.

Next day Alaaddeen's mother went to the Sultaan. She came to the court along with the crowd. She waited there until all the cases were decided. Then Sultaan retired for the day and Alaaddeen's mother also came back home along with the plate. She said to Alaaddeen - "Today he was very busy, I am sure he had seen me but still he went away, perhaps he was tired. I will go there tomorrow again." She went there six times but came back without talking to the Sultaan. Then one day the Sultaan asked his Vazeer - "I see one woman coming in my court for a few days carrying something, she stands up the whole day before me, do you know who she is?" The Vazeer didn't know about her. The Sultaan said - "OK, When she comes next, you bring her to me."

When next day Alaaddeen's mother went to the court, the Vazeer presented her first to the Sultaan. She following the example of others and bowed to the Sultaan. The Sultaan asked her what brought her to his court. Alaaddeen's mother said - "Sir, I beg your pardon for what I am going to say to you. I am almost ashamed to propose it to my Sultaan." The Sultaan assured her that he will forgive her and asked her to say anything to him. She said - "My son Alaaddeen has seen the Princess and wants to marry her. He has sent me with this proposal in spite of my refusal to come here. I beg you pardon me and my son for such irrational thought."

Sultaan did not show any anger, but just asked her what did she bring in her hands. She uncovered the plate and gave to the Sultaan. Sultaan was amazed to see so many jewels collected in one plate. He remained motionless for a few moments, then showing those jewels to his Vazeer said to him - "See these jewels, O Vazeer. Should I not marry my daughter to such a wealthy man?" Vazeer got silent at this, because just some time ago the Sultaan had told him that he would like to marry his daughter to one of his sons, and now the plan seemed to be changed. He said to the Sultaan - "Sir, Just wait for three months. Instead of giving your daughter to a stranger, give my son a chance, he will give you even more expensive gift than this one."

Although Sultaan knew that Vazeer's son will not be able to present any better gift to him, still  he said to the woman - "Tell your son, I agree with the proposal, but I have to make some furniture for my daughter, and it will take three months, so come again after three months." Alaaddeen's mother got very happy and told everything to her son. Her son also got very happy to hear this news.

Now two of the three months had passed. One day his mother wanted to light the lamp, but there was no oil in the house, so she went to the market to buy some oil. She saw the streets of the city full of noble people. She asked the oil merchant that what was the matter of so much crowd. He said - "Don't you that Sultaan's daughter is getting married to Vazeer's son tonight?" She ran away to her house and told this to her son. Her son said - "Don't worry, mother. You go and prepare supper for tonight, I will go to my room."

Alaaddeen went to his room, rubbed the lamp and the Genie appeared before him and asked him as before what he could do for him. Alaaddeen said - "Listen. Today I have an important business for you to do. The Sultaan promised to marry his daughter to me but he is marrying her to his Vazeer's son. I wish that you bring both of them to me." Genie immediately left and brought both of them within a moment. Alaaddeen said - "Take this man, lock him up and come again tomorrow." Genie took him away. Alaaddeen said to the frightened Princess - "You need not to be frightened at all, you are at a safe place. Your father promised me that he will marry you to me, but he broke the promise that is why I had to behave like this."

Next day the Genie came again, and Alaaddeen sent both of them back to the palace. This transportation was a surprise to both, the Vazeer's son and the Princess, as they neither saw nor heard anybody doing this. The Princess was very frightened, her mother tried her best to make her at ease, but she was too frightened to be happy. At last the Sultaan asked her - "Dear Princess, Tell me what is the matter, otherwise I will cut your head." The Princess told him everything. The Sultaan got very surprised to hear this. After consoling her, he went to his Vazeer and asked him if his son has also experienced such thing. His Vazeer told that his son has experienced the same as the Princess had experienced. Vazeer's son requested his father to break this marriage off. The marriage ceremonies were stopped, marriage was broken off, but nobody guessed that Alaaddeen was able to create such a havoc.

When three months had passed, Alaaddeen sent his mother again to the Sultaan to remind his promise. His mother went to the Sultaan and reminded him about his promise. He told her that he would reply after consulting his Vazeer. His Vazeer advised him to put a high price for the Princess. As he will not pay that and thus the Sultaan will be saved from the embarrassment of marrying the princess to a common man. The Sultaan said to the woman - "I am ready to keep my promise, but I cannot marry her unless your son gives her some valuable present - 40 basins of gold brim full of the same jewels you brought me before, carried by the same number of black slaves led by the same number of white slaves - all dressed magnificently."

The woman returned home laughing at her son's foolishness. From where he will bring so much? She said to her son - "I will not think of your marriage with that Princess. I feel that his Vazeer has changed his mind." And she told him to take what the Sultaan asked her to bring. Alaaddeen was not at all worried at the Sultaan's demand, he said to his mother - "You go and cook supper for me, and leave the rest to me." As the mother went, Alaaddeen took out his lamp, rubbed it and the Genie appeared again. He ordered him to bring what the Sultaan had asked for. Genie brought the same and disappeared.

When his mother came back, she was surprised to see a crowd in her house. Alaaddeen wasted no time, and he headed towards the Sultaan's palace with his gift. As all the slaves walked out in the street, all the people gathered to see their richness, beauty and neatness. When the first slave arrived at the gate of the palace, the royal servants took him as a king and were about to kiss his garment, that he stopped them to do so saying - "We are only his slaves, our master will appear at the proper time." Nothing was so magnificent and impressive in Sultaan's palace as this one.

The slaves stood in a semicircle around the throne and opened the basins full of jewels. At the same time Alaaddeen's mother came and presented this gift to the Sultaan. First the Sultaan couldn't pay any attention to Alaaddeen's mother's words, he was just amazed to see his requirement fulfilled in this way. He asked his Vazeer - "Now what do you say about this?" The Vazeer could not say "No" to this, so the Sultaan called Alaaddeen's mother and said "Yes" to her. Alaaddeen's mother went back to her home overjoyed and told the good news to her son.

The son went to his room, called the Genie and asked him to give him a good bath, get the most magnificent robe appropriate for a king, and after that to bring the most magnificent horse with all its accessories and 20 slaves as he brought before to walk by his side and to follow him. Besides these, he asked him to bring 6 women slaves as richly dressed as the Princess' slaves and 10,000 pieces in 10 purses. Genie disappeared and reappeared with the horse and 40 slaves 10 of whom were carrying the purses. Alaaddeen sent him back asking him to appear again whenever he was called for. Alaaddeen gave four purses to his mother and asked the slave to throw handful of those coins to the people in the palace freely. By the time he got ready to go to the palace he looked like a different man.

After he had settled everything, he started for the palace. Although he had never ridden on a horse, still he was able to ride it with extraordinary grace. When he came out in the streets, nobody knew him. He looked so worthy for the Princess that nobody tried to know about his birth, or poverty, rather all envied his fortune. He was greatly welcomed at the gate of the palace. As he reached Sultaan's throne, Sultaan embraced him and took him to the great hall where a noble feast was arranged for them. After the food the Sultaan asked whether he would like the ceremonies to be performed in the palace on the same day. Alaaddeen said - "I would prefer to build a palace for the Princess before the marriage and till then you give me some place near your palace to pay you my daily respects." The Sultaan said - "Take any place you wish." After this Alaaddeen went back to his home.

Alaaddeen immediately called his Genie and asked him to build a beautiful palace with expensive and colorful marble. He gave him his design also. On the highest storey of the palace, he should build a hall with a dome and four equal fronts. The walls should be of gold and silver. Each front will have six windows and lattice studded with diamonds, rubies and emeralds. And above all there should be a treasure of gold and silver coins. This palace should be well equipped with all kinds of rooms, stables of finest horses, officers, servants and maids. And he should report as soon as the palace is ready. By this time it was evening, so Alaaddeen took his supper and went to sleep. 

As soon as he got up in the morning, Genie came and reported him that his palace was ready and he could see it. He took Alaaddeen to show him his palace which was above his expectations. He said to Genie - "Get one thing more - get a fine velvet carpet for the Princess to walk from her palace to my palace." Genie did that also in a minute. As the guards opened the doors of the Sultaan's palace they saw Alaaddeen's palace and the carpet laid from his palace to their palace. They were so astonished to see that. All the people of the town were also surprised to see a new palace built overnight as if it was magic; and above that there was no comparison between the two.

Alaaddeen sent her mother to bring Princess herself. She was well received by the Princess. Princess' maids had adorned her with the jewels and clothes Alaaddeen sent to her. In the night the Princess went to Alaaddeen's palace with his mother followed by 100 maids. Alaaddeen welcomed the Princess in a grand way. He took her to a hall where Genie had arranged a great dinner of many finest dishes. The Princess was amazed to see his richness and taste of everything. She said to him - "I was thinking that my father's palace was the most beautiful palace but it is nothing in comparison to yours." When all were seated a band started playing music which, Princess told, she had never heard such music before in her father's house.

And thus Alaaddeen was married to the Princess.

Contd on Next Page