The nearer the sultan approached Aladdin’s palace, the more he was struck with its beauty, but was much more amazed when he entered it; and could not forbear breaking out into exclamations of approbation. But when he came into the hall with the four-and-twenty windows, into which Aladdin had invited him, and had seen the ornaments, and, above all, cast his eyes on the windows, enriched with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, all large perfect stones; and when Aladdin had observed to him, that it was as rich on the outside, he was so much surprised, that he remained some time motionless. After he recovered himself, he said to his vizier, “Is it possible that there should be such a stately palace so nigh my own, and I be an utter stranger to it till now?” “Sir,” replied the grand vizier, “your majesty may remember that the day before yesterday, you gave Aladdin, whom you accepted for your son-in-law, leave to build a palace over against your own, and that very day at sunset there was no palace on this spot, and yesterday I had the honour first to tell you that the palace was built and finished.” “I remember it,” replied the sultan, “but never imagined that the palace was one of the wonders of the world; for where in all the world besides shall we find walls built of courses of massy gold and silver, instead of courses of brick, stone, or marble: and diamonds, rubies, and emeralds set thick about the windows? There never was anything mentioned like it in this world before.”
The sultan would examine and admire the beauty of all the windows and counting them, found that there were but three-and-twenty windows that were so richly adorned, and he was greatly astonished that the twenty-fourth was left imperfect. “Vizier,” said he, for that minister made a point of never leaving him, “I am surprised that a hall of this magnificence should be left thus imperfect.” “Sir,” replied the grand vizier, “without doubt Aladdin only wanted time to finish this window like the rest; for it is not to be supposed but that he has sufficient jewels for it, and that he will set about it the first opportunity.”
Aladdin, who had left the sultan to go and give some orders, returned just as the vizier had given that prince his supposed reasons. “Son,” said the sultan to him, “this hall is the most worthy of admiration of any hall in the world; there is only one thing that surprises me, which is, to find one of the windows unfinished. Is it from the forgetfulness or negligence of the workmen or want of time, that they have not put the finishing stroke to so beautiful a piece of architecture?” “Sir,” answered Aladdin, “it was for none of these reasons that your majesty sees it in this condition. The thing was done by design, and it was by my orders that the workmen left it thus, since I had a mind that your majesty should have the glory of finishing this hall and the palace also together, and I beg of you to approve of my good intention, that I may remember the favours I have received from you.” “If you did it with this intention,” replied the sultan, “I take it kindly, and will give orders about it immediately.” He accordingly sent for the most considerable jewellers and goldsmiths in his capital.