When all the money was spent, Aladdin had recourse again to the lamp. He took it in his hand, looked for the same place where his mother had rubbed it with the sand, and rubbed it also, and the genie immediately appeared, and said, “What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all those who have that lamp in their hands—I, and the other slaves of the lamp.” “I am hungry,” said Aladdin; “bring me something to eat.” The genie disappeared, and presently returned with a basin, and the same number of covered plates, &c., and set them down on a table, and vanished again.
Aladdin’s mother, knowing what her son was going to do, went out at that time about some business, on purpose to avoid being in the way when the genie came; and when she returned, which was not long after, and found the table and sideboard so furnished a second time, was almost as much surprised as before, at the prodigious effect of the lamp. However, she sat down with her son, and when they had eaten as much as they had a mind to, she set enough by to last them two or three days.
As soon as Aladdin found that their provisions and money were spent, he took one of these plates, and went to look for his Jew chapman again; but passing by a goldsmith’s shop who had the character of a very fair and honest man, the goldsmith perceiving him, called to him and said, “My lad, I have often observed you go by, loaded as you are at present, and talk with such a Jew, and then come back again empty-handed. I imagine that you carry something that you sell to him; but perhaps you do not know what a rogue he is, and that he is the greatest rogue among all the Jews, and is so well known that nobody will have anything to do with him. What I tell you is for your own good. If you will show me what you now carry, and it is to be sold, I will give you the full worth of it; or I will direct you to other merchants who will not cheat you.”
The hopes of getting more money for his plate induced Aladdin to pull it from under his coat, and shew it to the goldsmith. The old man, who at first sight saw that it was made of the finest silver, asked him if he had sold any such as that to the Jew, and Aladdin told him plainly that he had sold him twelve such, for a piece of gold each. “What a villain!” cried the goldsmith; “but,” added he, “my son, what is past cannot be recalled. By shewing you the value of this plate, which is of the finest silver we use in our shops, I will let you see how much the Jew has cheated you.”