Aladdin and the Magic Lamp · chapter 10 of 25
A Dish of Jewels
一盘子宝石
Day after day, Aladdin's mother waits at the back of the sultan's crowded hall with her dish. Will he ever call her, and will he laugh at what she asks?
Read what you hear
- Narrator 国王的大房间里人很多，大家都想见国王。
Guówáng de dà fángjiān li rén hěn duō, dàjiā dōu xiǎng jiàn guówáng.
The sultan's great hall was full of people. Everyone wanted to see the sultan.
- Aladdin's mother 人太多了……我在后边，国王看不见我。
Rén tài duō le… wǒ zài hòubian, guówáng kàn bu jiàn wǒ.
So many people... I'm at the back. The sultan can't see me.
- the Sultan 今天不说了！大家明天再来！
Jīntiān bù shuō le! Dàjiā míngtiān zài lái!
No more today! Everyone, come back tomorrow!
Chapter 10 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapters 1–3 of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp are free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- Aladdin's mother 阿拉丁，妈妈明天还来！
Ālādīng, māma míngtiān hái lái!
Aladdin, Mom will be back tomorrow!
- Narrator 妈妈天天来，天天在后边。国王没有叫她。
Māma tiāntiān lái, tiāntiān zài hòubian. Guówáng méiyǒu jiào tā.
Day after day his mother came and stayed at the back. The sultan never called her.
- the Sultan 大臣，那个女人是谁？她来了很多天了。
Dàchén, nàge nǚrén shì shéi? Tā lái le hěn duō tiān le.
Vizier, who is that woman? She's been coming for days.
- the Grand Vizier 国王，我不知道。我去叫她来，好吗？
Guówáng, wǒ bù zhīdào. Wǒ qù jiào tā lái, hǎo ma?
Your Majesty, I don't know. Shall I go and call her?
- the Sultan 好！那个女人，你来这儿！你要什么？
Hǎo! Nàge nǚrén, nǐ lái zhèr! Nǐ yào shénme?
Good! You there, woman, come here! What do you want?
- Aladdin's mother 国王，我的儿子阿拉丁，想和公主结婚。
Guówáng, wǒ de érzi Ālādīng, xiǎng hé gōngzhǔ jiéhūn.
Your Majesty, my son Aladdin wishes to marry the princess.
- the Sultan 什么？你的儿子是谁？他有宫殿吗？
Shénme? Nǐ de érzi shì shéi? Tā yǒu gōngdiàn ma?
What? And who is your son? Does he have a palace?
- Aladdin's mother 没有。国王，您看，他有这个。
Méiyǒu. Guówáng, nín kàn, tā yǒu zhège.
No. But look, Your Majesty. He has this.
- the Sultan 天哪！我的宫殿里也没有这么好的宝石！
Tiān na! Wǒ de gōngdiàn li yě méiyǒu zhème hǎo de bǎoshí!
Good heavens! Even my palace has no jewels this fine!
- the Grand Vizier 是的，国王。这些宝石真漂亮。
Shì de, guówáng. Zhèxiē bǎoshí zhēn piàoliang.
Yes, Your Majesty. These jewels are truly beautiful.
- the Sultan 好！你的儿子能和我的女儿结婚！
Hǎo! Nǐ de érzi néng hé wǒ de nǚ'ér jiéhūn!
Good! Your son may marry my daughter!
- the Grand Vizier 不好……我的儿子也想和公主结婚。
Bù hǎo… wǒ de érzi yě xiǎng hé gōngzhǔ jiéhūn.
This is bad... my son wants to marry the princess too.
- the Grand Vizier 国王，三个月后再说，好吗？我的儿子也能给您宝石。
Guówáng, sān gè yuè hòu zài shuō, hǎo ma? Wǒ de érzi yě néng gěi nín bǎoshí.
Your Majesty, shall we decide in three months? My son can give you jewels too.
- the Sultan 好吧。你回家吧，三个月后再来！
Hǎo ba. Nǐ huí jiā ba, sān gè yuè hòu zài lái!
Very well. Go home, and come back in three months!
- Aladdin's mother 谢谢您，国王！
Xièxie nín, guówáng!
Thank you, Your Majesty!
- Aladdin 妈妈，你回来了！国王见你了吗？
Māma, nǐ huílái le! Guówáng jiàn nǐ le ma?
Mom, you're back! Did the sultan see you?
- Aladdin's mother 见了！他说，三个月后，你和公主结婚！
Jiàn le! Tā shuō, sān gè yuè hòu, nǐ hé gōngzhǔ jiéhūn!
He did! He said that in three months you'll marry the princess!
- Aladdin 太好了！我能吃十个面包！
Tài hǎo le! Wǒ néng chī shí gè miànbāo!
Wonderful! I could eat ten loaves of bread!
- Aladdin's mother 现在想吃饭了？好，这是我的阿拉丁！
Xiànzài xiǎng chīfàn le? Hǎo, zhè shì wǒ de Ālādīng!
Now you want to eat? Good, that's my Aladdin!
- Narrator 两个月后的一天晚上，妈妈去城里买东西。
Liǎng gè yuè hòu de yì tiān wǎnshang, māma qù chéng li mǎi dōngxi.
One evening two months later, his mother went into the city to buy a few things.
- Aladdin 还有一个月……公主会喜欢我吗？
Hái yǒu yí gè yuè… gōngzhǔ huì xǐhuan wǒ ma?
One more month... Will the princess like me?
- Aladdin 妈妈？你怎么回来了？东西呢？
Māma? Nǐ zěnme huílái le? Dōngxi ne?
Mom? Why are you back already? Didn't you buy anything?
- Aladdin's mother 不买了！孩子，外边都是灯……
Bù mǎi le! Háizi, wàibian dōu shì dēng…
Forget the shopping! Child, there are lamps everywhere out there...
- Aladdin 灯？今天晚上有什么事？
Dēng? Jīntiān wǎnshang yǒu shénme shì?
Lamps? What's happening tonight?
- Aladdin's mother 国王骗了我们！
Guówáng piàn le wǒmen!
The sultan has tricked us!
- Aladdin 不会的！国王和你说好了！
Bú huì de! Guówáng hé nǐ shuō hǎo le!
It can't be! The sultan gave you his word!
- Aladdin's mother 城里的人都说，今天晚上，公主和大臣的儿子结婚！
Chéng li de rén dōu shuō, jīntiān wǎnshang, gōngzhǔ hé dàchén de érzi jiéhūn!
Everyone in the city is saying it: tonight the princess marries the vizier's son!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Where does Aladdin's mother wait in the sultan's hall, day after day?
“妈妈天天来，天天在后边”
- What does Aladdin's mother ask the sultan for?
“我的儿子阿拉丁，想和公主结婚”
- What does the sultan say when he sees the jewels?
“我的宫殿里也没有这么好的宝石”
- Why does the grand vizier want the sultan to wait?
“我的儿子也想和公主结婚”
- What news does Aladdin's mother bring home two months later?
“今天晚上，公主和大臣的儿子结婚”