Accordingly, both mother and son sat down, and ate with the better
relish as the table was so well furnished. But all the time
Aladdin's mother could not forbear looking at and admiring the
tray and dishes, though she could not judge whether they were
silver or any other metal, and the novelty more than the value
attracted her attention.

The mother and son sat at breakfast till it was dinner time, and
then they thought it would be best to put the two meals together;
yet after this they found they should have enough left for supper,
and two meals for the next day.

When Aladdin's mother had taken away and set by what was left, she
went and sat down by her son on the sofa, saying, "I expect now
that you should satisfy my impatience, and tell me exactly what
passed between the genie and you while I was in a swoon"; which he
readily complied with.

She was in as great amazement at what her son told her as at the
appearance of the genie; and said to him, "But, son, what have we
to do with genies? I never heard that any of my acquaintance had
ever seen one. How came that vile genie to address himself to me,
and not to you, to whom he had appeared before in the cave?"
"Mother," answered Aladdin, "the genie you saw is not the one who
appeared to me. If you remember, he that I first saw called
himself the slave of the ring on my finger; and this you saw
called himself the slave of the lamp you had in your hand; but I
believe you did not hear him, for I think you fainted as soon as
he began to speak."