The magician next pulled from his girdle a handkerchief with cakes
and fruit, and during this short repast he exhorted his nephew to
leave off bad company, and to seek that of wise and prudent men,
to improve by their conversation; "for," said he, "you will soon
be at man's estate, and you cannot too early begin to imitate
their example." When they had eaten as much as they liked, they
got up, and pursued their walk through gardens separated from one
another only by small ditches, which marked out the limits without
interrupting the communication, so great was the confidence the
inhabitants reposed in each other. By this means the African
magician drew Aladdin insensibly beyond the gardens, and crossed
the country till they nearly reached the mountains.

At last they arrived between two mountains of moderate height,
and equal size, divided by a narrow valley, which was the place
where the magician intended to execute the design that had brought
him from Africa to China. "We will go no further now," said he to
Aladdin; "I will show you here some extraordinary things, which,
when you have seen, you will thank me for; but while I strike a
light, gather up all the loose dry sticks you can see, to kindle a
fire with."

Aladdin found so many dried sticks that he soon collected a great
heap. The magician presently set them on fire; and when they were
in a blaze, threw in some incense, pronouncing several magical
words which Aladdin did not understand.

He had scarcely done so when the earth opened just before the
magician, and discovered a stone with a brass ring fixed in it.
Aladdin was so frightened that he would have run away, but the