A story
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (from One Thousand and One Nights)
Long ago, in a busy city full of markets and music, there lived a boy named Aladdin. He lived with his mother in a small house with a blue door. They did not have much money. Aladdin's mother spun cotton thread all day, and Aladdin ran errands in the market.
One morning, a tall stranger in a long green cloak came to the market. He watched Aladdin for a long time.
"Boy," said the stranger, "I am a traveler from far away. I need a quick and clever helper. Will you come with me? I will give you a gold coin."
Aladdin thought of his mother. A gold coin could buy bread for a whole month. "Yes," he said. "I will help you."
The stranger led Aladdin out of the city. They walked until they came to a quiet valley between two hills. There, the stranger lit a small fire and sprinkled a pinch of sweet-smelling powder into it. Puff! The ground rumbled softly, and a flat stone with a brass ring slid to one side. Under it were steps going down into the earth.
"Go down the steps," said the stranger. "You will find a cave full of shining things. Do not stop for them. At the very end, on a little shelf, there is an old oil lamp. Bring the lamp to me. Only the lamp."
He took the shiny ring from his own finger and slipped it onto Aladdin's. "Wear this to keep you safe," he said.
Aladdin went down the steps. At the bottom, he gasped. The cave sparkled like a sky full of stars. There were trees with fruit made of rubies and emeralds. Then he walked to the end of the cave. There, on a little shelf, sat a dusty old lamp. Aladdin picked it up and climbed back up the steps.
But the steps were steep,. Near the top, he called out, "Please, give me your hand and help me up!"
"First, give me the lamp," said the stranger.
"Help me up first," said Aladdin. "Then I will give it to you."
The stranger grew red in the face. He wanted the lamp very badly, and he did not want to wait. "Give it to me now!" he shouted. Aladdin held the lamp tighter. The stranger stamped his foot in anger, and the flat stone slid back over the opening. Bump! Everything went dark.
Aladdin sat on the cold step. He was alone, and he was frightened. He thought of his mother, waiting for him at home. He rubbed his hands together to warm them, and as he did, he rubbed the shiny ring.
Whoosh! A small, round helper appeared in a puff of golden light. "I am the servant of the ring," he said in a squeaky voice. "What do you wish?"
"I wish to go home," said Aladdin.
In a blink, Aladdin was standing in front of the blue door. His mother hugged him tight. Then she looked at the old lamp. "It is so dusty," she said. "Let me clean it. Maybe we can sell it for a little bread."
She rubbed the lamp with a cloth. Whoosh! Blue mist poured out of the spout. It swirled and grew until it became a huge, smiling genie with a kind face and a long, curly beard.
"I am the genie of the lamp," he boomed. "What do you wish, my friends?"
Aladdin's mother nearly dropped the cloth. Aladdin laughed in surprise. He thought for a moment. He did not ask for mountains of gold. "We are very hungry," he said. "May we have a good dinner, please?"
The genie clapped his hands. At once, the little table was covered with warm bread, honey, rice, oranges, and figs. Aladdin and his mother ate until they were full. And there was so much left over that they shared it with their neighbors.
As the years went by, Aladdin grew into a kind young man. He used the lamp carefully. He asked for things that helped people. He asked for a new well for the street, so everyone could have clean water. He asked for a school with big windows for the children. People in the city began to love him.
The Sultan heard of this kind young man. He invited Aladdin to the palace. There, Aladdin met the Sultan's daughter, Princess Badr al-Budur. She was clever and cheerful, and she loved books and gardens. Soon, they were married, and Aladdin built a beautiful palace with gardens full of birds.
But one day, the stranger in the green cloak came back. He had heard about the lamp, and he wanted it still. He dressed up as a lamp seller and walked under the palace windows. "New lamps for old!" he called. "New lamps for old!"
The princess did not know that the old lamp was magic. "What a kind offer," she said. She gave the stranger the old lamp and took a shiny new one. The stranger ran off, rubbed the lamp, and ordered the genie to carry the whole palace far away across the desert, with the princess inside.
When Aladdin came home, the palace was gone. His heart sank. But then he remembered the ring. He rubbed it, and the little helper appeared.
"Please take me to the princess," said Aladdin.
In a blink, he was in the faraway palace. Together, they made a clever plan. That evening, the princess served the stranger a big bowl of warm, sleepy milk with honey. The stranger yawned. Soon, he was snoring in his chair. Aladdin gently took the lamp from his pocket.
He rubbed it, and the genie appeared, smiling. "Please carry us home," said Aladdin. "And please carry this sleepy traveler home too, back to his own land, far away. When he wakes, let him find a garden to tend, so he can learn to grow things instead of taking them."
The genie laughed his big, booming laugh. "That is a good wish," he said.
The palace flew back across the desert like a cloud. The people cheered. And from that day on, Aladdin kept the lamp safe, and he and the princess shared their good luck with everyone in the city.
One morning, a tall stranger in a long green cloak came to the market. He watched Aladdin for a long time.
"Boy," said the stranger, "I am a traveler from far away. I need a quick and clever helper. Will you come with me? I will give you a gold coin."
Aladdin thought of his mother. A gold coin could buy bread for a whole month. "Yes," he said. "I will help you."
The stranger led Aladdin out of the city. They walked until they came to a quiet valley between two hills. There, the stranger lit a small fire and sprinkled a pinch of sweet-smelling powder into it. Puff! The ground rumbled softly, and a flat stone with a brass ring slid to one side. Under it were steps going down into the earth.
"Go down the steps," said the stranger. "You will find a cave full of shining things. Do not stop for them. At the very end, on a little shelf, there is an old oil lamp. Bring the lamp to me. Only the lamp."
He took the shiny ring from his own finger and slipped it onto Aladdin's. "Wear this to keep you safe," he said.
Aladdin went down the steps. At the bottom, he gasped. The cave sparkled like a sky full of stars. There were trees with fruit made of rubies and emeralds. Then he walked to the end of the cave. There, on a little shelf, sat a dusty old lamp. Aladdin picked it up and climbed back up the steps.
But the steps were steep,. Near the top, he called out, "Please, give me your hand and help me up!"
"First, give me the lamp," said the stranger.
"Help me up first," said Aladdin. "Then I will give it to you."
The stranger grew red in the face. He wanted the lamp very badly, and he did not want to wait. "Give it to me now!" he shouted. Aladdin held the lamp tighter. The stranger stamped his foot in anger, and the flat stone slid back over the opening. Bump! Everything went dark.
Aladdin sat on the cold step. He was alone, and he was frightened. He thought of his mother, waiting for him at home. He rubbed his hands together to warm them, and as he did, he rubbed the shiny ring.
Whoosh! A small, round helper appeared in a puff of golden light. "I am the servant of the ring," he said in a squeaky voice. "What do you wish?"
"I wish to go home," said Aladdin.
In a blink, Aladdin was standing in front of the blue door. His mother hugged him tight. Then she looked at the old lamp. "It is so dusty," she said. "Let me clean it. Maybe we can sell it for a little bread."
She rubbed the lamp with a cloth. Whoosh! Blue mist poured out of the spout. It swirled and grew until it became a huge, smiling genie with a kind face and a long, curly beard.
"I am the genie of the lamp," he boomed. "What do you wish, my friends?"
Aladdin's mother nearly dropped the cloth. Aladdin laughed in surprise. He thought for a moment. He did not ask for mountains of gold. "We are very hungry," he said. "May we have a good dinner, please?"
The genie clapped his hands. At once, the little table was covered with warm bread, honey, rice, oranges, and figs. Aladdin and his mother ate until they were full. And there was so much left over that they shared it with their neighbors.
As the years went by, Aladdin grew into a kind young man. He used the lamp carefully. He asked for things that helped people. He asked for a new well for the street, so everyone could have clean water. He asked for a school with big windows for the children. People in the city began to love him.
The Sultan heard of this kind young man. He invited Aladdin to the palace. There, Aladdin met the Sultan's daughter, Princess Badr al-Budur. She was clever and cheerful, and she loved books and gardens. Soon, they were married, and Aladdin built a beautiful palace with gardens full of birds.
But one day, the stranger in the green cloak came back. He had heard about the lamp, and he wanted it still. He dressed up as a lamp seller and walked under the palace windows. "New lamps for old!" he called. "New lamps for old!"
The princess did not know that the old lamp was magic. "What a kind offer," she said. She gave the stranger the old lamp and took a shiny new one. The stranger ran off, rubbed the lamp, and ordered the genie to carry the whole palace far away across the desert, with the princess inside.
When Aladdin came home, the palace was gone. His heart sank. But then he remembered the ring. He rubbed it, and the little helper appeared.
"Please take me to the princess," said Aladdin.
In a blink, he was in the faraway palace. Together, they made a clever plan. That evening, the princess served the stranger a big bowl of warm, sleepy milk with honey. The stranger yawned. Soon, he was snoring in his chair. Aladdin gently took the lamp from his pocket.
He rubbed it, and the genie appeared, smiling. "Please carry us home," said Aladdin. "And please carry this sleepy traveler home too, back to his own land, far away. When he wakes, let him find a garden to tend, so he can learn to grow things instead of taking them."
The genie laughed his big, booming laugh. "That is a good wish," he said.
The palace flew back across the desert like a cloud. The people cheered. And from that day on, Aladdin kept the lamp safe, and he and the princess shared their good luck with everyone in the city.
