Though Aladdin’s passion was very violent, he was forced to be satisfied with this excuse, and to fortify himself with patience. He had at least the satisfaction to find that his mother had got over the greatest difficulty, which was to procure access to the sultan, and hoped that the example of those she saw speak to him would embolden her to acquit herself better of her commission when a favourable opportunity offered to speak to him.
The next morning she went to the sultan’s palace with the present, as early as the day before; but when she came there, she found the gates of the divan shut, and understood that the council sat but every other day, therefore she must come again the next. This news she carried to her son, whose only relief was to guard himself with patience. She went six times afterwards on the day appointed, placed herself always directly before the sultan, but with as little success as the first time, and might have perhaps come a thousand times to as little purpose, if the sultan himself had not taken a particular notice of her: for it is very probable that only those who came with petitions approached the sultan, and each pleaded their cause in its turn, and Aladdin’s mother was not one of them.
That day at last, after the council was broke up, when the sultan was returned to his own apartment, he said to his grand vizier, “I have for some time observed a certain woman, who comes constantly every day that I go into council, and has something wrapped up in a napkin: she always stands up from the beginning to the breaking up of the council, and affects to place her self just before me. Do you know what she wants?”
“Sir,” replied the grand vizier, who knew no more than the sultan what she wanted, but had not a mind to seem uninformed, “your majesty knows that women often form complaints on trifles; perhaps this woman may come to complain to your majesty, that somebody has sold her some bad flour, or some such trifling matter.” The sultan was not satisfied with this answer, but replied, “If this woman comes again next council-day, do not fail to call her, that I may hear what she has to say.” The grand vizier, made answer by kissing his hand, and lifting it up above his head, signifying his willingness to lose it if he failed.