The whole kingdom was talking about how the royal wedding had been called off.
Everyone was shocked and wondered what was going to happen.
So Aladdin sent his mother to the palace.
"That woman is back," the grand vizier said to the sultan.
"Do you remember, my lord, how you joked that the princess would marry her son?"
The vizier laughed.
The sultan looked at Zeba in her plain dress.
"I do remember."
The sultan seemed troubled.
"I made a promise.
Bring the woman forward."
Zeba bowed to the sultan as before.
"Oh great sultan, I have come to remind you of your promise."
The grand vizier whispered into the sultan's ear, "My lord, see how poor she is.
Princess Badra cannot marry her son!"
"This problem is your fault.
Your son is so unpleasant," the sultan whispered back angrily.
"Nobody would want to marry him—especially my daughter!"
The adviser spoke into the sultan's ear again.
"That's impossible!" shouted the sultan.
But after thinking a moment, he smiled.
"Yes, it is impossible."
The sultan then turned to Zeba.
"Tell Aladdin that I remember my promise," he said.
"But first, he must do something special to be worthy of the princess.
Aladdin must send me twenty warriors carrying twenty bowls made of pure gold.
Each bowl must be filled with sparkling jewels.
When Aladdin has done this, Princess Badra will be his."
The sultan smiled at the grand vizier, and Zeba frowned, bowed, and left the hall.
Aladdin's mother walked home, shaking her head.
"How can my son do what the sultan asks?
Can he return to the enchanted treasury and pick more jewels?" She sighed.
"And where will he find twenty warriors?"
"I told you this wouldn't work," said Zeba when she got home.
"The son of a tailor cannot marry a sultan's daughter."
Then she told Aladdin everything that had happened in the sultan's hall.
"It's all the fault of that grand vizier!" she cried with a shake of her fist.
Aladdin just laughed.
"Mother," he said, "the sultan thinks that he has asked for an impossible thing.
But it's not impossible!"
"It's not?" replied Zeba.
"It's easy!" said Aladdin.
"Go to the bazaar and buy us something special for our evening meal.
While you are gone, I will take care of everything."
Zeba did as he asked.
When she returned, she found twenty warriors crowded into her little house.
Each one held a bowl of pure gold, and each bowl was full of jewels!
"The genie did this!" she cried.
"Thanks be to God for the wonderful lamp!"
Aladdin opened the door and sent the warriors out into the street.
"Now, Mother," said Aladdin, "I want you to go to the palace one more time.
Deliver these warriors to the sultan."
Zeba led the twenty warriors to the palace and into the sultan's hall.
They all bowed to the sultan and set their bowls before him.
"And now what do you say, Grand Vizier?" the sultan asked.
"Is Aladdin worthy of my daughter?"
The sultan's adviser was speechless.
"Hear me, good woman!" said the sultan to Zeba.
"Aladdin will marry Princess Badra!
Go and tell him this news.
And tell him to come to me at once.
I want to meet my future son-in-law!"