all patience, and was extremely fatigued with staying so long. But
there is no harm done: I will go again tomorrow; perhaps the
sultan may not be so busy."

The next morning she repaired 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. She went six times afterward on
the days appointed, placed herself always directly before the
sultan, but with as little success as the first morning.

On the sixth day, however, after the divan was broken up, when the
sultan returned to his own apartment, he said to his grand vizier,
"I have for some time observed a certain woman, who attends
constantly every day that I give audience, with something wrapped
up in a napkin; she always stands up from the beginning to the
breaking up of the audience, and affects to place herself just
before me. If this woman comes to our next audience, do not fail
to call her, that I may hear what she has to say." The grand
vizier made answer by lowering his hand, and then lifting it up
above his head, signifying his willingness to lose it if he
failed.

On the next audience day, when Aladdin's mother went to the divan,
and placed herself in front of the sultan as usual, the grand
vizier immediately called the chief of the mace-bearers, and,
pointing to her, bade him bring her before the sultan. The old
woman at once followed the mace-bearer, and when she reached the
sultan, bowed her head down to the carpet which covered the
platform of the throne, and remained in that posture till he bade
her rise, which she had no sooner done than he said to her, "Good