Magrib smiled when the palace gate opened.
"Choose any new lamp you want, my dear!" he said.
Princess Badra and her attendants were looking down from their window.
The servant took a shiny, new lamp and gave the magician Aladdin's lamp.
"You must be mad, old man,"
the servant said as she closed the gate.
Magrib hurried away with his treasure.
He could still hear the women laughing, but he didn't care.
"I have the lamp!"
he cried as he tossed the other new lamps into a ditch.
He ran until he reached a quiet place outside the city walls.
Then he rubbed the old brass lamp.
The genie appeared wrapped in smoke.
Magrib heard a high and mysterious melody, and fell back in surprise.
"Here I am, ready to obey you, master!" said the genie.
Then he looked closely at Magrib.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I expected someone else."
"I am Magrib," said the magician.
"Well, never mind," said the genie.
He crossed his arms over his chest.
"I am the slave of whoever owns the lamp.
Tell me your wish."
"My wish is simple," whispered Magrib.
"Take me and Aladdin's palace to Egypt."
"Close your eyes," the genie said.
"When you open them, you will be there."
Every morning, the sultan loved to look out his window to see his daughter's palace.
But on this morning, he looked and saw—nothing!
He rubbed his eyes and blinked, but still he saw nothing.
"Where is the palace?" yelled the sultan.
"Where is my daughter?"
He stared at the spot where the palace had once stood.
"Grand Vizier!" he shouted, and his adviser came running.
"Come to the window," said the sultan.
"What do you see?"
"Nothing, my sultan," said the grand vizier.
"Aladdin's palace has disappeared."
"Oh, where is my daughter?" cried the sultan.
He started to weep.
"I warned you," said the grand vizier.
"I told you Aladdin's palace was built by magic!"
Then the sultan flew into a rage.
"Where is Aladdin?"
"He has gone hunting," said the grand vizier.
"Bring him to me now!" shouted the sultan.
"I'll have his head cut off!"
Before the end of that day, the sultan's army had captured Aladdin.
They put him in chains and dragged him back to the city.
Two of the sultan's guards brought Aladdin to the royal hall.
They forced him to kneel on the ground as the sultan and the grand vizier entered.
The sultan's eyes were red from crying.
The grand vizier laughed scornfully at Aladdin.
"What is my crime, great sultan?" shouted Aladdin.
"You stole my daughter with magic!" cried the sultan.
"And her palace!" added his adviser.
"I don't understand," said Aladdin.
"Then I will show you," said the sultan. "Come!"
The guards lifted Aladdin to his feet.
They marched him down the hall, following the sultan to his bedroom.
They brought Aladdin to the window.
"Look! Where is your palace and where is my daughter?" the sultan asked.
Aladdin looked out and saw—nothing.
"I didn't do this," said Aladdin.
"But give me forty days, and I will find the princess and return her to you."
The sultan tearfully agreed.
"But if you do not come back, I will find you.
Then you will die!"