ced a magic ring upon Aladdin's finger to
guard him, and bade the boy begin his search.

Aladdin did exactly as he was told and found everything just as the
Magician had said. He went through the halls and the garden until he
came to the lamp, and when he had poured out the oil and placed the
lamp carefully inside his coat he began to look about him.

He had never seen such a lovely garden before, even in his dreams. The
fruits that hung upon the trees were of every color of the rainbow.
Some were clear and shining like crystal, some sparkled with a crimson
light and others were green, blue, violet, and orange, while the
leaves that shaded them were silver and gold. Aladdin did not guess
that these fruits were precious stones, diamonds, rubies, emeralds,
and sapphires, but they looked so pretty that he filled all his
pockets with them as he passed back through the garden.

The Magician was eagerly peering down the stone steps when Aladdin
began to climb up.

"Give me the lamp," he cried, stretching his hand for it.

"Wait until I get out," answered Aladdin, "and then I will give it
thee."

"Hand it up to me at once," screamed the old man angrily.

"Not till I am safely out," repeated Aladdin.

Then the Magician stamped with rage, and rushing to the fire threw on
it some more of the curious powder, uttered the same strange words as
before, and instantly the stone slipped back into its place, the earth
closed over it, and Aladdin was left in darkness.

This showed indeed that the wicked old man was not Aladdin's uncle. By
his magic arts in Africa he had found out all about the lamp, which
was a wonderful treasure, as you will see. But he knew that he could
not get it himself, that another hand must fetch it to him. This was
the reason why he had fixed upon Aladdin to help him, and had meant,
as soon as the lamp was safely in his hand, to kill the boy.

As his plan had failed he went back to Africa, and was not seen again
for a long, long time.

But there was poor Aladdin shut up underground, with no way of
getting out! He tried to find his way back to the great halls and the
beautiful garden of shining fruits, but the walls had closed up, and
there was no escape that way either. For two days the poor boy sat
crying and moaning in his despair, and just as he had made up his mind
that he must die, he clasped his hands together, and in doing so
rubbed the ring which the Magician had put upon his finger.

In an