loaded with extraordinary fruit of different colors. Some bore fruit entirely white, and some clear and transparent as crystal; some pale red, and others deeper; some green, blue and purple, and others yellow; in short, there was fruit of all colors. The white were pearls; the clear and transparent, dia-, monds; the red, rubies; the green, emeralds; the blue, turquoises; the purple, amethysts; and the yellow, sapphires. Aladdin, ignorant of their value, would have preferred figs, or grapes, or pomegranates; but as he had his uncle's permission, he resolved to gather some of every sort. Having filled the two new purses his uncle had bought for him with his clothes, he wrapped some up in the skirts of his vest, and crammed his bosom as full as it could hold.

Aladdin, having thus loaded himself with riches of which he knew not the value, returned cautiously through the three halls and arrived at the mouth of the cave.

As soon as Aladdin saw the magician he cried, "Lend me your hand to help me out."

"Give me the lamp first," replied the magician impatiently, "it will be troublesome to you.' "Indeed, uncle," answered Aladdin, "I cannot. I will give it to you as soon as I am up.'

The African magician was determined to have the lamp before he would help Aladdin out, and the latter, who had covered the lamp with the fruits he had picked in the garden, could not well get at it till he was out of the cave.

Provoked beyond reason by the boy's obstinacy, the magician flew into a passion, threw a little of his incense into the fire, and pronounced two magi

cal words. Instantly the stone, which had closed the opening to the staircase, moved into its place, and the earth covered it over as smoothly as when the two companions had discovered it.

The truth was that the magician had learned of the existence of a wonderful lamp, which he was not permitted to take himself, but which he could use if it were given to him freely by some other person. Accordingly, he had tried by a mixture of authority and persuasion to get the lamp through Aladdin. When he saw that his attempt had failed, he hurriedly left the country without returning to the town.

Aladdin, suddenly enveloped in darkness and deserted, knew that the magician could not be his uncle, but must be some one who had evil designs against him. Again and again he cried out that he was willing to give up the lamp. All his cries. were unavailing, and at last, discouraged, he descended to the bottom of the steps, thinking to go back into the palace. Now, however, he found the door closed, and without hope of again seeing the light, he sat down on the bottom step weeping in despair.

Finally his good teachings came to his aid, and he thought, "There is help and power and strength in the High God; I will pray to him." So he knelt and joined his hands in supplication.

In doing so, he happened to rub the ring which the magician had put upon his finger, and immediately a genie of frightful aspect appeared.

"What wouldst thou?" said the genie. "I and the other slaves of the ring serve him who wears it. I am ready to obey!"

At any other time, so hideous a figure as that of the genie would have frightened Aladdin, but the danger was so great that he cried out to the spirit, "Whoever thou art, deliver me from this place."

As soon as the words were uttered, Aladdin found himself on the very spot where the magician had last left him, and no sign remained of cave or opening.

After returning thanks to God for his deliverance, he hurried home, and as soon as he had recovered from his weariness, he told his mother what had happened.

Aladdin slept late the next morning, and when he wakened his first words were a request for something to eat.

"Alas! child," said his mother, "I have no bread to give you. Everything was eaten up yesterday. I have nothing but a little cotton which I might sell."

"Keep your cotton, mother, till another time," said Aladdin. "I will take the lamp which I got in the cave yesterday and try to sell it. The money will buy us our dinner and perhaps our supper."

Aladdin's mother looked at the lamp and saw that it was very dirty. "Perhaps it would bring more," she said, "if I should clean it." Taking some water and sand, she began to rub the lamp, when in an instant a genie of gigantic size and hideous appearance stood before her and called out in a voice of thunder:

"What wouldst thou have? I and the other slaves of the lainp that is in your hands are ready to obey thee."

Terrified at the sight of the genie, Aladdin's

mother fainted, but Aladdin, who had seen such an apparition before in the cave, snatched the lamp from her hands and cried out, "I am hungry; bring me something to eat."

The genie disappeared, but in a moment returned with a large silver tray on which were twelve silver dishes, each containing the most delicious viands; six large white cakes lay on two silver plates; two silver flagons of wine, and two silver cups rested on the tray. All this was placed upon the carpet before Aladdin, and then the genie disappeared.

Aladdin's mother did not recover until he had sprinkled some water in her face. As she returned to consciousness he said, "Be not afraid, mother; arise and eat! Here is something to put you in heart, and at the same time satisfy my hunger.

"Child," said the mother, as she looked upon the silver dishes and smelled the savory odor from the food, "who has given us these wonderful things? Has the sultan remembered us?"

"Never mind that," said Aladdin. "Let us sit down and eat. When we have done, I will tell you.

As they ate, both looked at the dishes, but neither knew their value. They were attracted more by the novelty than by the fact that they were silver. They lingered long over their food, and after they had eaten all they could, they found that enough was left for the whole of the next day.

"Now," said the mother after she had put away the dishes and the remnants of the feast, "tell me what happened while I was in the swoon."

What her son told her amazed her as much as the appearance of the genie.