ALADDIN AND THE MAGIC LAMP
Aladdin
was the son of Mustapha, a poor tailor. He was a lazy boy and played
all day long. After his father died, his mother earned money by spinning
cotton.
One day, a
wicked magician met Aladdin in the marketplace. He said, “You must be
the son of my brother Mustapha. Take there gold coins for your mother
and tell her I will visit her tomorrow.”
Aladdin’s
mother was puzzled when she heard this. She knew that Aladdin had no
uncle. The magician came the next day. “I left home long ago after a
fight with my brother,” he said. “To show how sorry I am, I want to set
Aladdin up in a shop and make his fortune.”
The
magician bought Aladdin fine clothes and gifts. He also put a ring on
his finger. He then took Aladdin past the city gates till they came to a
lonely place. They stopped near a huge stone and the magician uttered
some magic words. The stone rolled aside and a hole appeared in the
ground.
The
magician told Aladdin to go down the steps which led to a hall, where
there would be a lamp. “Bring me that lamp,” he said. Aladdin went down
the steps into the hall. He saw trunks filled with precious stones and
sparkling gold. Aladdin found the lamp. He also filled his pockets with
as many precious stones as he could.
Aladdin hen
climbed up the steps. The magician asked for the lamp. “Help me out
first,” said Aladdin. This made the magician very angry. He uttered some
magic words and the stone rolled back into place. Aladdin was trapped.
The poor
boy was so afraid that he joined his hands in the prayer. As he did so,
he happened to rub the ring that the magician had put on his finger. A
huge genie appeared before him.
“What
is your command, Master?” he said. “Get me out of here!” said Aladdin.
In a trice, he was out in the open again. Aladdin ran home with the lamp
and all the treasure that he had collected. His mother listened eagerly
as Aladdin told her about his adventure.
The next
day, when his mother was cleaning the lamp in the courtyard, the same
genie who had appeared to Aladdin stood before her. “What is your
command?” he said. “Bring us fine food,” said Aladdin. At once the genie
laid delicious food before them.
Now Aladdin
and his mother began living on comfort. One day Aladdin saw the
sultan’s daughter. He wanted to marry her. So he sent his mother some
jewels to the sultan to ask for her hand in marriage. The sultan was
delighted. He said, “Tell Aladdin to send me forty gold basins filled
with jewels. He can then marry my daughter.”
Aladdin
rubbed the magic lamp once again. Soon forty slaves appeared, carrying
basins of jewels. Aladdin’s mother led them to the palace. The sultan
was overjoyed. “I shall be delighted to have Aladdin marry my daughter,”
he said. Aladdin ordered the genie to build a fine palace for the
princess. The marriage took place with great pomp and show in that fine
palace.
Meanwhile,
the magician learnt about Aladdin’s good fortune. He knew it was because
of the magic lamp. He decided to get that lamp. So he disguised himself
as a lamp seller and stood outside Aladdin’s palace, crying, “New lamps for old!”
The
princess heard this and told her maid to exchange Aladdin’s old lamp for
a new one. Once the magician got hold of the magic lamp, he rubbed it
and the genie appeared. “Take this palace and the princess to my
country,” he ordered. The genie did as he was told.
When Aladdin
discovered what had happened, he did not know what to do. He joined his
hand in prayer. In doing so, he rubbed the ring. The genie appeared.
Aladdin told him to bring back his princess.
Soon the palace and the princess appeared before him. Aladdin set the genie free, and he and his wife lived happily ever after.
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