, lest any person who had seen him leave in company
with Aladdin should make inquiries after the youth.

Aladdin, being suddenly enveloped in darkness, cried, and called out
to his uncle to tell him he was ready to give him the lamp. But in
vain, since his cries could not be heard.

He descended to the bottom of the steps, with a design to get into the
palace, but the door, which was opened before by enchantment, was now
shut by the same means. He then redoubled his cries and tears, sat
down on the steps without any hopes of ever seeing light again, and in
an expectation of passing from the present darkness to a speedy death.

In this great emergency he said, "There is no strength or power but in
the great and high God"; and in joining his hands to pray he rubbed
the ring which the magician had put on his finger. Immediately a genie
of frightful aspect appeared, and said, "What wouldst thou have? I am
ready to obey thee. I serve him who possesses the ring on thy finger;
I, and the other slaves of that ring."

At another time Aladdin would have been frightened at the sight of so
extraordinary a figure, but the danger he was in made him answer
without hesitation, "Whoever thou art, deliver me from this place." He
had no sooner spoken these words than he found himself on the very
spot where the magician had last left him, and no sign of cave or
opening, nor disturbance of the earth. Returning thanks to God for
being once more in the world, he made the best of his way home. When
he got within his mother's door, joy at seeing her and weakness for
want of sustenance made him so faint that he remained for a long time
as dead. As soon as he recovered, he related to his mother all that
had happened to him, and they were both very vehement in their
complaints of the cruel magician.

Aladdin slept very soundly till late the next morning, when the first
thing he said to his mother was, that he wanted something to eat, and
wished she would give him his breakfast.

"Alas! child," said she, "I have not a bit of bread to give you; you
ate up all the provisions I had in the house yesterday; but I have a
little cotton which I have spun; I will go and sell it, and buy bread
and something for our dinner."

"Mother," replied Aladdin, "keep your cotton for another time, and
give me the lamp I brought home with me yesterday. I will go and sell
it, and the money I shall get for it will serve both for breakfast and
dinner, and perhaps s