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.This steam shaped itself into a face large andangry and blue and arms, and a wisp of body connected to the bottle, and went on rushing forth until itwas easily ten feet tall. I made a vow! the face howled, in a large, windy roar. The one who lets me out shall suffer.There ! The misty arms gestured.The two men holding the cork and the bottle seemed to wink out of existence.Cork and bottle both fellto the ground, forcing the genie to billow sideways from the neck of the bottle.From the midst of his bluevapor, two large toads came crawling and seemed to gaze around in bewilderment.The genie cameslowly and vaporously upright, hovering above the bottle with his smoky arms folded and a look of utterhatred on his misty face.By this time everyone had run away except for Abdullah and Kabul Aqba, Abdullah because he couldbarely move in his chains and Kabul Aqba because he was clearly unexpectedly brave.The genieglowered at the two of them. I am the slave of the bottle, he said. Much as I hate and detest the whole arrangement, I have to tellyou that he who owns me is allowed one wish every day and I am forced to grant it. And he addedmenacingly, What is your wish? I wish began Abdullah. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlKabul Aqba quickly rammed his hand across Abdullah s mouth. Iam the one wishing, he said. Getthat quite clear, genie! I hear, said the genie. What wish? One moment, said Kabul Aqba.He put his face close to Abdullah s ear.His breath smelled evenworse than his hand, although neither, Abdullah had to admit, was a patch on Jamal s dog. Well,magician, the bandit whispered, you ve proved you know what you re talking about.Advise me whatto wish and I ll make you a free man and an honored member of my band.But if you try to make a wishyourself, I kill you.Understand? He put the muzzle of his pistol to Abdullah s head and let go of hismouth. What shall I wish? Well, said Abdullah, the wisest and kindest wish would be to wish your two toads turned back intomen. Kabul Aqba spared a surprised glance for the two toads.They were crawling uncertainly along themuddy edge of the pool, obviously wondering whether they could swim or not. A waste of a wish, hesaid. Think again. Abdullah racked his brain for what might please a bandit chief most. You could ask for limitless wealth,of course, he said, but you would then need to carry your money, so perhaps you should first wish fora team of sturdy camels.And you would need to defend this treasure.Perhaps your first wish should befor a supply of the famous weapons of the north, or Butwhich ? demanded Kabul Aqba. Hurry.The genie is becoming impatient. This was true.The genie was not exactly tapping his foot, since he had no feet to tap, but there wassomething about his looming, lowering blue face that suggested there would be two more toads by thepool if he had to wait much longer.A very short burst of thought was enough to convince Abdullah that his situation, despite the chains,would be very much worse if he became a toad. Why not wish for a feast? he said lamely. That sbetter! said Kabul Aqba.He clapped Abdullah on the shoulder and sprang up jovially. I wishfor a most lavish feast, he said.The genie bowed, rather like a candle flame bending in a draft. Done, he said sourly. And much goodmay it do you. And he poured himself carefully back into his bottle again.It was a very lavish feast.It arrived almost at once, with a dull whoomping noise, on a long table with astriped awning above it for shade, and with itarrived livened slaves to serve it.The rest of the banditsrather quickly got over their fear andcame racing back to lounge on cushions and eat delicate food fromgolden dishes and to shout at the slaves for more, more, more! The servants were, Abdullah found whenhe got a chance to talk to some of them, the slaves of the Sultan of Zanzib himself, and the feast shouldhave been the Sultan s.This news made Abdullah feel just a little better.He spent the feast still in chains, hitched up against ahandy palm tree.Though he had not expected anything better from Kabul Aqba, it was still hard.At leastKabul Aqba remembered him from time to time and, with a lordly wave of his hand, sent a slave overwith a golden dish or a jug of wine. Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlFor there was plenty.Every so often there was another muffled whoomp and a fresh course wouldarrive, carried by more bewildered slaves, or there would be what looked like the pick of the Sultan swine cellar loaded onto a jeweled trolley, or an astonished group of musicians.Whenever Kabul Aqbasent a new slave over to Abdullah, Abdullah found that slave only too ready to answer questions. In truth, noble captive of a desert king, one told him, the Sultan was most enraged when the first andsecond courses so mysteriously disappeared.On the third course, which is this roast peacock that Icarry, he placed a guard of mercenaries to escort us from the kitchen, but we were snatched from besidethem, even at the very door of the banquet hall, and instantly found ourselves in this oasis instead. The Sultan, Abdullah thought, must be getting hungrier and hungrier.Later a troupe of dancing girls appeared, snatched in the same way.That must have enraged the Sultaneven more.These dancers made Abdullah melancholy.He thought of Flower-in-the-Night, who wastwice as beautiful as any of them, and tears came into his eyes.As the jollity around the table grew, the two toads sat in the shallow edge of the pond, hootingmournfully.No doubt they felt at least as bad about things as Abdullah did.The moment night fell, the slaves, the musicians, and the dancing girls all vanished,though what was left ofthe food and wine stayed.The bandits by then had glutted themselves and then sated themselves againafter that.Most of them fell asleep where they sat.But to Abdullah s dismay, Kabul Aqba got up alittle unsteadily and collected the genie bottle from under the table.He made sure it was corked.Thenhe staggered over to the magic carpet and lay down on it with the bottle in his hand.He fell asleep almostat once.Abdullah sat against the palm tree in increasing anxiety
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