The person to whom the African magician addressed himself took a pleasure in shewing him the way to Aladdin’s palace, and he got up, and went thither instantly. When he came to the palace, and had examined it on all sides, he doubted not but that Aladdin had made use of the lamp to build it. Without attending to the inability of Aladdin, a poor tailor’s son, he knew that none but the genies, the slaves of the lamp, the attaining of which he had missed, could have performed such wonders; and, piqued to the quick at Aladdin’s happiness and greatness, he returned to the khan where he lodged.
The next thing was to know where the lamp was; if Aladdin carried it about with him, or where he kept it; and this he was to discover by an operation of geomancy. As soon as he entered his lodging, he took his square box of sand, which he always carried along with him when he travelled, and after he had performed some operations, he knew that the lamp was in Aladdin’s palace; and so great was his joy at the discovery, that he could hardly contain himself. “Well,” said he, “I shall have the lamp, and I defy Aladdin’s preventing my carrying it off, and making him sink to his original meanness, from which he has taken so high a flight.”
It was Aladdin’s misfortune at that time to be gone a-hunting for eight days, of which only three were expired, which the magician came to know by this means. After he had performed this operation, which gave him so much joy, he went to the master of the khan, entered into discourse with him on indifferent matters, and, among the rest, told him he had been to see Aladdin’s palace; and, after exaggerating on all that he had seen most surprising and most striking to him and all the world, he added, “But my curiosity leads me farther, and I shall not be easy till I have seen the person to whom this wonderful edifice belongs.” “That will be no difficult matter,” replied the master of the khan; “there is not a day passes but he gives an opportunity when he is in town, but at present he is not at home, and has been gone these three days on a hunting-match, which will last eight.”
The magician wanted to know no more: he took his leave of the master of the khan, and returning to his own chamber, said to himself, “This is an opportunity I ought by no means to let slip, but will make the best use of it.” To that end he went to a maker and seller of lamps, and asked for a dozen of copper lamps. The master of the shop told him he had not so many by him, but if he would have patience till the next day, he would get him so many against any time he had a mind to have them. The magician appointed his time, and bid him take care that they should be handsome and well polished. After promising to pay him well, he returned to his inn.