as I am, who am unacquainted with what
the world calls beautiful, can judge, this hall is truly admirable;
there wants but one thing." "What is that, good mother?" demanded the
princess; "tell me, I conjure you. For my part, I always believed, and
have heard say, it wanted nothing; but if it does, it shall be
supplied."

"Princess," said the false Fatima, with great dissimulation, "forgive me
the liberty I have taken; but my opinion is, if it can be of any
importance, that if a roc's egg were hung up in the middle of the dome,
this hall would have no parallel in the four quarters of the world, and
your palace would be the wonder of the universe."

"My good mother," said the princess, "what is a roc, and where may one
get an egg?" "Princess," replied the pretended Fatima, "it is a bird of
prodigious size, which inhabits the summit of Mount Caucasus; the
architect who built your palace can get you one."

After the princess had thanked the false Fatima for what she believed
her good advice, she conversed with her upon other matters; but could
not forget the roc's egg, which she resolved to request of Aladdin when
next he should visit his apartments. He did so in the course of that
evening, and shortly after he entered, the princess thus addressed him:
"I always believed that our palace was the most superb, magnificent, and
complete in the world: but I will tell you now what it wants, and that
is a roc's egg hung up in the midst of the dome." "Princess," replied
Aladdin, "it is enough that you think it wants such an ornament; you
shall see by the diligence which I use in obtaining it, that there is
nothing which I would not do for your sake."

Aladdin left the Princess Buddir al Buddoor that moment, and went up
into the hall of four-and-twenty windows, where, pulling out of his
bosom the lamp, which after the danger he had been exposed to be always
carried about him, he rubbed it; upon which the genie immediately
appeared. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I command thee, in the name of this
lamp, bring a roc's egg to be hung up in the middle of the dome of the
hall of the palace." Aladdin had no sooner pronounced these words, than
the hall shook as if ready to fall; and the genie said in a loud and
terrible voice, "Is it not enough that I and the other slaves of the
lamp have done everything for you, but you, by an unheard-of
ingratitude, must command me to bring my master, and hang him up in the
midst of this dome? This attempt