Reading Week 5: Arabian Nights, Part B
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 1
There was a poor tailor who had a son who was named Aladdin. Aladdin was a carefree boy who loved playing with other boys which upset his father, causing him to die and his mother to weep. One day he was approached in the streets by being asked if he was Mustapha's son. He told the stranger his father died a long time ago and the stranger told him he was his uncle. His uncle was an African magician. Aladdin went home to tell him mom about his uncle and she ordered Aladdin to find his uncle and bring him to dinner. When the uncle asked Aladdin of his trade, his mother burst into tears so the uncle promised he would help Aladdin.
His uncle brought Aladdin to some beautiful gardens and through the mountains as he told him stories. After tiring, they built a fire and the magician uncle threw powder onto it and out came a flat stone with a brass ring in the middle. Aladdin tried running away, but his uncle pushed him to the ground. His uncle urged him to listen for the stone was magic and held treasure. Picking up the stone, steps appeared below it and he found all the wonderful things the magician described to him. When the magician asked for the lamp back, Aladdin refused so the magician threw powder into the cave and a stone rolled over the opening.
The magician left for Persia and it was revealed he was not Aladdin's uncle. He had been fooled. For two days Aladdin remained in the dark cave weeping. In prayer one night, he began to rub the lamp and a genie came out and told Aladdin he would obey him.
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 2
Aladdin asked to be delivered from the cave and suddenly the earth opened and he returned home. He told his mother what happened and showed her the lamp and all the wonderful things he found in the cave. He said he would sell the lamp so they could buy food to eat and his mom began to clean the lamp for selling purposes. A genie appeared and she fainted. The genie came with plates full of food and a bottle of wine. They ate the food and the mom begged Aladdin to sell the lamp for she thought it was the Devil. Aladdin refused and put the magic ring on his finger and sold the silver plates.
Then one day Aladdin heard an announcement from the Sultan that everyone was to close their shutters and stay home as his princess daughter went to and from her bath. Aladdin desired to see her face so he hid behind a door and peeked in. Aladdin fell in love at first sight. He went home and told his mother the news. She took the precious goods he found in the cave and took it to the Sultan but the Sultan didn't notice her. Finally he called her. She told him her son loved the princess and she showed what was in the napkin. The vizier wanted his son to marry the princess so he bribed the Sultan to withhold for three months. He told Aladdin's mother he consented to the marriage, but she must not come back for three months.
Aladdin waited patiently for three months and after two months she went into the city to see everyone rejoicing. The grand-vizier's son was marrying the Sultan's daughter that night. She ran and told Aladdin the news and they rubbed the lamp to get the genie's input. Aladdin asked the genie to bring the princess to him. That night, the genie transported the princess to him and they married. The princess was frightened.
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 3
When the Sultan came in to tell his daughter good morning, the unhappy vizier's son hid himself and was sorrowful. He asked what happened. The princess said her bed had been carried to this strange house, but her mother said it must have been a dream. The same thing happened the next night and the Sultan threatened to cut her head off. The vizier's son said he would rather die than go through another fearful night and wished to not be married to her and his wish was granted. Three months later, Aladdin sent him mom to remind the Sultan of his promise. Seeing her poverty, the Sultan felt less inclined to keep his promise and counseled the vizier. He said in keeping his promise, Aladdin must send forty basins of gold brimful of jewels, carried by forty black slaves, led by as many white ones, splendidly dressed. Aladdin's mom thought all hope was lost.
Aladdin summoned the genie and fulfilled the promise. The Sultan was shocked and told her that Aladdin should come to the palace. Aladdin first asked the genie for a bath and then he mounted his horse and went at once. The Sultan wanted them married that day, but Aladdin insisted he build the princess a palace first. The genie built a palace the next day. The princess left her father and they left on a carpet for Aladdin's palace. There they got married officially and he let the Sultan design the final window in the palace. The Sultan fetched his own jewels but Aladdin thought the task was vain and he made the genie finish it. The Sultan embraced Aladdin making the vizier jealous. Aladdin won the hearts of everyone and he was made captain of Sultan's armies.
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 4
Far away in Africa was the magician and he discovered Aladdin had escaped and had married a princess. He travelled to him to find the lamp. The magician arrived and was directed to the palace and he was determined to get his lamp and bring Aladdin back into poverty. Unluckily, Aladdin had gone hunting giving the magician time to scheme the town people. He filled a basket of copper lamps and tried to sell the. The princess sent a servant to see what the noise was all about. The princess didn't know the lamp in the palace was magic and sold it. He snatched it up and went to a lonely place to rub the lamp till the genie appeared. He commanded the genie to take the palace, the princess and him back to Africa.
The next morning the Sultan saw everything was gone. They sent for Aladdin and put him in chains. He was ordered to have his head cut off but the crowd tried to save Aladdin from the executioner. The people looked so threatening the Sultan pardoned Aladdin. The Sultan demanded answers from Aladdin for what happened and ordered him to find his daughter. Aladdin looked for forty days and finally he rubbed his magic ring and the genie appeared. He asked for his life to be saved but the genie said that wasn't his power since he was a slave to the ring and not the lamp. He then asked to be taken to his wife and he found himself in Africa. He knew he had been robbed of everything by the evil magician.
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 5
The princess treated the magician so badly he refused to live with her. Then one early morning she saw Aladdin and she called to him, being full of joy. He asked her what happened to the lamp and she explained what had happened. The princess told him the magician carried it with him and how he had ordered Aladdin's head to be cut off. Aladdin told the princess she needed to trick the magician and invite him to dinner. She did as she was told and dressed up nicely. She told the magician she believed Aladdin was dead and she was done mourning for him. The princess then slipped the powder Aladdin gave her into her cup and handed it to the magician. When he drank, he fell back lifeless.
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp 6
The princess then opened the door for Aladdin and he took the lamp from the dead magician's vest and asked the genie to carry everything back to China. The Sultan who had been mourning was shocked to see the palace back in place. Aladdin explained what happened and they feasted in celebration for ten days. Sadly, the magician had a younger brother who was even more wicked and he travelled to China to avenge his brother's death. He went to a woman Fatima and murdered her so he could become her. He then travelled to the palace causing commotion in the streets which the princess asked her slave to investigate. The slave reported it was a holy woman curing people and it was Fatima. The princess sent for her.
The magician offered the princess a prayer and the princess begged for the false Fatima to stay with her forever. The magician asked for a roc's egg and when Aladdin returned from hunting he saw that was what everything had spoiled. Aladdin rubbed the lamp and commanded for a roc's egg and the genie shrieked. The genie screamed that the request came from the brother of the African magician whom he had destroyed and how he was disguised as a holy woman. The genie told Aladdin of the magician's plot to kill him. Aladdin went to the princess and requested Fatima to heal his head ache. When Fatima came near, he pierced his heart with a dagger. Aladdin explained she was a wicked magician in disguise and after that Aladdin and his wife lived in peace. He succeeded Sultan and reigned for many years.
Bibliography:
Title: Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
Author: Andrew Lang
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