Aladdin by Paulo Lemos Horta

Author:Paulo Lemos Horta
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Liveright
Published: 2018-11-01T16:00:00+00:00

A Wedding Interrupted

Meanwhile, at the palace, the celebrations went on well into the night. At last the grand vizier’s son was led into his bride’s chamber by the chief eunuch, and went to bed first. Before long the sultana, surrounded by her handmaidens, brought in her daughter. The daughter made a great show of resisting, as is the custom with new brides. The sultana helped her undress, and, after kissing her daughter good night, she withdrew with all her women. The last one to leave closed the door.

No sooner was the door shut than the jinni, before the couple had even had time to embrace, transported them, still in their bed, in an instant to Aladdin’s bedroom. “Take this man,” said Aladdin to the jinni, “lock him in the outhouse, and come back tomorrow at daybreak.” The jinni removed the grand vizier’s son from the bed in his nightshirt and left him out in the cold, after casting a spell over him to keep him still.

For all his passion, Aladdin did not say much when he found himself alone with the princess. “Have no fear,” he said. “You are safe here. If I have been forced to these extreme measures, it was not to offend you, but to prevent an unworthy rival from possessing you, since your father had promised you to me.” The princess, who knew nothing of the matter, barely took in these words, and was in no state to reply. The shock of her strange adventure had left her speechless. Aladdin did not stop there: he undressed, and took the place of the grand vizier’s son in bed, his back turned to the princess, having placed a sword between them to indicate that he deserved its punishment should he dare to offend her honor.

Delighted to have deprived his rival of the happiness he had flattered himself would be his, Aladdin slept soundly, while the princess passed the most miserable night of her life. Should one remember the state in which the jinni had left the grand vizier’s son, one might suppose that his was hardly more restful.

In the morning, Aladdin did not need to rub the lamp to call the jinni. At the appointed hour it appeared, fetched the bridegroom, laid him down by the princess, and returned the bed to the palace. It should be noted that neither the princess nor the grand vizier’s son saw the jinni; a glimpse of its hideous form might have killed them. Nor did they hear any of what was said between it and Aladdin. All they perceived was the jolt of hurtling from one place to the next, and this was quite enough to terrify them.

The jinni had just returned the nuptial bed to its place when the sultan entered to wish his daughter good morning. The grand vizier’s son, until now still frozen after his long night, jumped up and ran to his dressing room as he heard the door open.

The sultan approached the princess’s bed, kissed her between the eyes according to custom, and asked after her night.

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