Aladdin's mother was frozen with fear.
So the grand vizier walked over to her.
He grabbed Zeba's arm and pulled her toward the sultan.
"Come along, woman!" he said impatiently.
Zeba stumbled toward the sultan and fell to her knees before him.
"Oh, Sultan," she cried.
"May you rule for many years with joy and happiness!"
"Stand up, good woman," said the sultan.
"I see you every day, but you do not speak.
Now tell me what you want!"
"Oh, Sultan!" she begged.
"I cannot speak until you promise me one thing.
You must promise you will not put me or my son to death!"
The sultan was amazed at these words and looked at his adviser.
The grand vizier shrugged his shoulders.
"All right, good woman, I promise not to kill you," said the sultan.
"Or my son," said Zeba.
"Or your son!" laughed the sultan.
"Now please—speak!"
So Zeba told the story of how Aladdin hid behind a door to see Princess Badra.
"He disobeyed my order?"
The sultan frowned.
Zeba took a deep breath.
"Yes, he did," she said sadly.
"My son saw her face.
He thinks she's the most beautiful girl ever born."
The sultan frowned again.
"Now he says he will die if he cannot marry your daughter!" Zeba said breathlessly.
The sultan stared fiercely at Zeba.
The entire hall waited for the sultan to say or do something.
"Ha-ha!" laughed the sultan suddenly.
"You have a crazy son, woman!"
Everyone in the hall laughed with the sultan, and Zeba was relieved.
Then she held the bowl up to the sultan and pulled off the cloth covering the jewels.
"A gift for you from my son, Aladdin!"
she shouted, and the crowd gasped at the sight of the brilliant stones.
The sultan stopped laughing when he saw the jewels shining in the bowl.
The sultan had mountains of gold and silver.
But he had never seen anything like these jewels!
"The largest stone in my palace is smaller than the smallest of these!"
cried the sultan, picking up a huge ruby.
"Grand Vizier, have you ever seen anything like this?"
"No, my lord, never," answered the adviser, looking very unhappy.
"The one who has sent me this gift should become my daughter's husband!" said the sultan.
"Don't you agree, Grand Vizier?"
"But, my lord!" gasped the adviser.
"Have you forgotten?
You already promised the princess to my son!"
The sultan looked down at the floor.
"What you say is true, my friend, but this gift changes everything.
My daughter must marry the richest man in the kingdom."
"Sultan," said the grand vizier, "please do not be hasty.
You know nothing of this man, Aladdin."
The sultan ignored his adviser's pleas and turned to Zeba.
"Go and tell your son that my daughter shall marry him.
But I need three months to prepare for a grand wedding.
Tell him he must have patience."
Zeba thanked the sultan and joyfully hurried home.
Aladdin had been waiting for his mother, watching from a window.
At long last, he saw her running down the street of crooked houses.
Her head scarf was flying behind her as she ran, and she was smiling.
Then Aladdin noticed something even more important—Zeba did not have the bowl of jewels.
"The sultan has accepted my gift!" he cried.