The princess Badr-oul-boudour, who began to be tired with this barefaced declaration of the African magician, interrupted him, by saying, “Let us drink first, and then say what you will afterwards;” and at the same time set the cup to her lips, while the African magician, who was eager to get his wine off first, drank up the very last drop. In finishing it he had reclined his head back, to show his eagerness, and remained some time in that state. The princess kept her cup at her lips, till she saw his eyes turn in his head, and he fell backwards lifeless.
The princess had no occasion to order the back-door to be opened to Aladdin; for her women were so disposed from the great hall to the foot of the staircase, that the word was no sooner given, that the African magician was fallen backwards, but the door opened that instant.
As soon as Aladdin entered the hall, he saw the magician stretched backwards on the sofa. The princess Badr-oul-boudour rose from her seat, and ran overjoyed to him, to embrace him; but he stopped her, and said, “Princess, it is not yet time; oblige me by retiring to your apartment, and let me be left alone a moment, while I endeavour to transport you back to China as quickly as you were brought from thence.”
When the princess, her women and eunuchs were gone out of the hall, Aladdin shut the door, and going directly to the dead body of the magician, opened his vest, and took out the lamp carefully wrapt up, as the princess told him, and unfolding and rubbing it the genie immediately appeared. “Genie,” said Aladdin, “I have called thee to command thee, on the part of thy good mistress of this lamp, to transport this palace presently into China to the same place from whence it was brought hither.” The genie bowed his head in token of obedience, and disappeared. Immediately the palace was transported into China, and its removal was only felt by two little shocks, the one when it was lifted up, the other when it was set down, and both in a very short interval of time.
Aladdin went down to the princess’s apartment, and embracing her, said, “I can assure you, princess, that your joy and mine will be complete to-morrow morning.” The princess, who had not quite supped, guessing that Aladdin might be hungry, ordered the meats that were served up in the great hall, and were scarce touched, to be brought down. The princess and Aladdin ate as much as they thought fit, and drank in like manner of the African magician’s old wine: during which time their discourse could not be any otherwise than satisfactory, and then they retired to their own chamber.