ged, and afterward to the
sultan's palace, where he had free access; and at last brought him to
his own khan, where, meeting with some merchants he had become
acquainted with since his arrival, he gave them a treat, to bring them
and his pretended nephew acquainted.

This entertainment lasted till night, when Aladdin would have taken
leave of his uncle to go home; the magician would not let him go by
himself, but conducted him to his mother, who, as soon as she saw him so
well dressed, was transported with joy, and bestowed a thousand
blessings upon the magician.

Early the next morning the magician called again for Aladdin, and said
he would take him to spend that day in the country, and on the next he
would purchase the shop. He then led him out at one of the gates of the
city, to some magnificent palaces, to each of which belonged beautiful
gardens, into which anybody might enter. At every building he came to,
he asked Aladdin if he did not think it fine; and the youth was ready to
answer when any one presented itself, crying out, "Here is a finer
house, uncle, than any we have yet seen," By this artifice, the cunning
magician led Aladdin some way into the country; and as he meant to carry
him farther, to execute his design, he took an opportunity to sit down
in one of the gardens, on the brink of a fountain of clear water, which
discharged itself by a lion's mouth of bronze into a basin, pretending
to be tired: "Come, nephew," said he, "you must be weary as well as I;
let us rest ourselves, and we shall be better able to pursue our walk."

The magician next pulled from his girdle a handkerchief with cakes and
fruit, and during this short repast he exhorted his nephew to leave off
bad company, and to seek that of wise and prudent men, to improve by
their conversation; "for," said he, "you will soon be at man's estate,
and you cannot too early begin to imitate their example." When they had
eaten as much as they liked, they got up, and pursued their walk through
gardens separated from one another only by small ditches, which marked
out the limits without interrupting the communication; so great was the
confidence the inhabitants reposed in each other. By this means the
African magician drew Aladdin insensibly beyond the gardens, and crossed
the country, till they nearly reached the mountains.

At last they arrived between two mountains of moderate height and equal
size, divided by a narrow valley, which was th