Suddenly the earth opened. There appeared a square flat stone with a brass ring in the middle.
The wizard said to Aladdin, “If you do what I tell you, you will become richer than all the Kings put together.[9] There is buried here a treasure[10] which is deposited in your name. No one else may touch it. Put your hand to the ring and raise the stone, only you have the power to open it. This treasure is immense. It is all for you and for me.”
So poor Aladdin said, “O my uncle, command me and I will obey you.”
And the wizard said to him, “You are like my own child! Go to that ring and lift it. And repeat your name and the names of your father and mother.”
So Aladdin said the names of his parents and lifted the stone. Before him lay[11] twelve steps.
The wizard said to him, “Aladdin, descend carefully there. You will find a place divided into three large halls. In each hall you will see four golden jars. Don’t touch anything, or you will die. Leave them and go on to the fourth hall. You will find a door. Open the door, enter, and you will see a garden full of fruit trees. Then you will see a ladder of about fifty steps. Come to a niche in a terrace. There stands a lighted lamp. Bring it to me.”
He gave a ring to Aladdin, and said, “My son, this ring will guard you. You will become the richest man in the world!”
So Aladdin went down into the cave. He found the halls and the golden jars. Then he came to the garden and went through it till he found the ladder. He climbed the ladder, took the Lamp, and went down into the garden.
The trees were all covered with precious stones instead of fruit. Each tree was of a different kind and had different jewels, of all colours, green and white and yellow and red and other colours. Aladdin gathered pockets full of them and said, “I will gather these glass fruits and play with them at home.”
When he came to the steps, he was unable to climb them by himself, without help. And he called to the magician, “O my uncle, give me your hand and help me to get up.” The wizard replied, “Give me the Lamp, it is very heavy.”
But Aladdin answered, “No, the Lamp is not heavy at all. Give me only your hand, and when I am up[12] I will give you the Lamp.” But the wizard wanted only the Lamp, and became very angry. The wizard cried, “You silly boy! You will stay here for ever!