29/1/2015 Fiction:TheAdventuresofAladdin

TheAdventuresofAladdin
TheBrothersGrimm

Oneday,ashewaslookingforwildfigsinagrovesomewayfromthetown,Aladdinmeta
mysteriousstranger.Thissmartlydresseddarkeyedmanwithatrimblackbeardandasplendid
sapphireinhisturban,askedAladdinanunusualquestion:"Comehere,boy,"heordered."How
wouldyouliketoearnasilverpenny?"

THEADVENTURESOFALADDIN
TheBrothersGrimm

Onceuponatime...awidowhadanonlysonwhosenamewasAladdin.Theywereverypoorand
livedfromhandtomouth,thoughAladdindidwhathecouldtoearnsomepennies,bypicking
bananasinfarawayplaces.

Oneday,ashewaslookingforwildfigsinagrovesomewayfromthetown,Aladdinmeta
mysteriousstranger.Thissmartlydresseddarkeyedmanwithatrimblackbeardandasplendid
sapphireinhisturban,askedAladdinanunusualquestion:

"Comehere,boy,"heordered."Howwouldyouliketoearnasilverpenny?"

"Asilverpenny!"exclaimedAladdin."Sir,I'ddoanythingforthatkindofpayment."

"I'mnotgoingtoaskyoutodomuch.Justgodownthatmanhole.I'mmuchtoobigtosqueeze
throughmyself.IfyoudoasIask,you'llhaveyourreward."ThestrangerhelpedAladdinliftthe
manholecover,foritwasveryheavy.Slimandagileashewas,theboyeasilywentdown.Hisfeet
touchedstoneandhecarefullymadehiswaydownsomesteps...andfoundhimselfinalarge
chamber.Itseemedtosparkle,thoughdimlylitbytheflickeringlightofanoldoillamp.When
Aladdin'seyesbecameusedtothegloom,hesawawonderfulsight:treesdrippingwithglittering
jewels,potsofgoldandcasketsfullofpricelessgems.Thousandsofpreciousobjectslayscattered
about.Itwasatreasuretrove!Unabletobelievehiseyes,Aladdinwasstandingdazedwhenhe
heardashoutbehindhim.

"Thelamp!Putouttheflameandbringmethelamp!"Surprisedandsuspicious,forwhyshould
thestranger,outofallsuchatreasurewantonlyanoldlamp,Aladdinwondered.Perhapshewasa
wizard.Hedecidedtobeonhisguard.Pickingupthelamp,heretracedhisstepsuptothe
entrance.

"Givemethelamp,"urgedthewizardimpatiently."Handitover,"hebegantoshout,thrustingout
hisarmtograbit,butAladdincautiouslydrewback.

"Letmeoutfirst..."

"Toobadforyou,"snappedthestranger,slammingdownthemanholecover,nevernoticingthat,
ashedidso,aringslidoffhisfinger.AterrifiedAladdinwasleftinpitchdarkness,wondering
whatthewizardwoulddonext.Thenhetrodonthering.Aimlesslyputtingitonhisfinger,he
twisteditroundandround.Suddenlytheroomwasfloodedwitharosylightandagreatgeniewith
claspedhandsappearedonacloud.

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29/1/2015 Fiction:TheAdventuresofAladdin

"Atyourcommand,sire,"saidthegenie.

Nowastoundede,Aladdincouldonlystammer:

"Iwanttogohome!"Inaflashhewasbackinhisownhome,thoughthedoorwatightlyshut.

"Howdidyougetin?"calledhismotherfromthekitchenstove,theminutesheseteyesonhim.
Excitedly,hersontoldherofhisadventures.

"Where'sthesilvercoin?"hismotherasked.Aladdinclappedahandtohisbrow.Forallhehad
broughthomewastheoldoillamp"Oh,mother!I'msosorry.ThisisallI'vegot."

"Well,let'shopeitworks.It'ssodirty..."andthewidowbegantorubthelamp.

Suddenlyoutshotanothergenie,inacloudofsmoke.

"You'vesetmefree,aftercenturies!Iwasaprisonerinthelamp,waitingtobefreedbysomeone
rubbingit.Now,I'myourobedientservant.Tellmeyourwishes."Andthegeniebowed
respectfully,awaitingAladdin'sorders.Theboyandhismothergapedwordlesslyatthisincredible
apparition,thenthegeniesaidwithahintofimpatienceinhisvoice.

"I'mhereatyourcommand.Tellmewhatyouwant.Anythingyoulike!"Aladdingulped,thensaid:

"Bringus...bring..."Hismothernothavingyetbeguntocookthedinner,wentontosay:"...
alovelybigmeal."

Fromthatdayon,thewidowandhersonhadeverythingtheycouldwishfor:food,clothesanda
finehome,forthegenieofthelampgrantedthemeverythingtheyaskedhim.Aladdingrewintoa
tallhandsomeyoungmanandhismotherfeltthatheoughttofindhimselfawife,soonerorlater.

Oneday,asheleftthemarket,AladdinhappenedtoseetheSultan'sdaughterHalimainhersedan
chairbeingcarriedthroughthestreets.Heonlycaughtafleetingglimpseoftheprincess,butitwas
enoughforhimtowanttomarryher.Aladdintoldhismotherandshequicklysaid:

"I'llasktheSultanforhisdaughter'shand.He'llneverbeabletorefuse.Waitandsee!"

Andindeed,theSultanwaseasilypersuadedbyacasketfullofbigdiamondstoadmitthewidowto
thepalace.However,whenhelearnedwhyshehadcome,hetoldthewidowthathersonmust
bringproofofhispowerandriches.ThiswasmostlytheChamberlain'sidea,forhehimselfwas
eagertomarrythebeautifulblackeyedSultan'sdaughter.

"IfAladdinwantstomarryHalima,'saidtheSultan,"hemustsendmefortyslaves
tomorrow.Everyslavemustbringaboxofpreciousstones.AndfortyArabwarriorsmustescort
thetreasure."

Aladdin'smotherwentsadlyhome.Thegenieofthemagiclamphadalreadyworkedwonders,but
nothinglikethis.Aladdinhowever,whenheheardthenews,wasnotatalldismayed.Hepickedup
thelamp,rubbeditharderthaneverandtoldthegeniewhatherequired.Thegeniesimplyclapped
hishandsthreetimes.Fortyslavesmagicallyappeared,carryingthegemstones,togetherwiththeir
escortoffortyArabwarriors.Whenhesawallthlsthenextday,theSultanwastakenaback.He
neverimaginedsuchwealthcouldexist.JustashewasabouttoacceptAladdinashisdaughter's
bridegroom,theenviousChamberlainbrokeinwithaquestion.

"Wherewllltheylive?"heasked.TheSultanponderedforamoment,thenallowlnggreedtoget
thebetterofhlm,hetoldAladdintobuildagreat,splendidpalaceforHalima.Aladdinwent
straighthomeand,inwhatwasonceawilderness,thegeniebuilthimapalace.Thelastobstacle
hadbeenovercome.TheweddingtbokplacewithgreatcelebrationsandtheSultanwasespecially
happyatfindingsucharichandpowerfulsoninlaw.

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29/1/2015 Fiction:TheAdventuresofAladdin

NewsofAladdin'ssuddenfortuneandwealthspreadlikewildfire,until....oneday,astrange
merchantstoppedbeneaththepalacewindow.

"Oldlampsfornew,"hecalledtotheprincess,standingonthebalcony.Now,Aladdinhadalways
kepthissecrettohimself.Onlyhismotherknewitandshehadnevertoldasoul.Halima,alas,had
beenkeptinthedark.Andso,now,wantingtogiveAlladinasurpriseaswellasmakeagood
bargain,shefetchedtheoldoillampshehadseenAladdintuckaway,andgaveittothemerchant
inexchangeforanewone.Themerchantquicklybegantorubit...andthegeniewasnowatthe
serviceofthewizardwhohadgothismagiclampback.

InasecondhewhiskedawayallAladdin'spossessionsandmagicallysentthepalaceandthe
princesstoanunknownland.AladdinandtheSultanwereattheirwits'end.Nobodyknewwhat
hadhappened.OnlyAladdinknewithadsomethingtodowiththemagiclamp.Butashewept
overthelostgenieofthelamp,herememberedthegenieoftheringfromthewizard'sfinger.
Slippingtheringonhisfinger,Aladdintwisteditroundandround.

"Takemetotheplacewherethewizardhashiddenmywife,"heorderedthegenie.Inaflash,he
foundhimselfinsidehisownpalace,andpeepingfrombehindacurtain,hesawthewizardand
theprincess,nowhisservant.

"Psst!Psst!"hissedAladdin.

"Aladdin!It'syou...!"

"Ssh.Don'tlethimhearyou.Takethispowderandputitintohistea.Trustme."Thepowder
quicklytookeffectandthewizardfellintoadeepsleep.Aladdinhuntedforthelamphighandlow,
butitwasnoweretobeseen.Butithadtobethere.How,otherwise,hadthewizardmovedthe
palace?AsAladdingazedathissleepingenemy,hethoughtofpeeringunderneaththepillow."The
lamp!Atlast,"sighedAladdin,hastilyrubbingit.

"Welcomeback,Master!"exclaimedthegenie."Whydidyouleavemeatanother'sserviceforso
long?"

"Welcome,"repliedAladdin."I'mgladtoseeyouagain.I'vecertainlymissedyou!It'sjustaswellI
haveyoubymeagain."

"Atyourcommand,"smiledthegenie.

"First,putthiswickedwizardinchainsandtakehimfarawaywherehe'llneverbefoundagain."
Thegeniegrinnedwithpleasure,noddedhishead,andthewizardvanished.Halimaclutched
Aladdininfear:

"What'sgoingon?Whoisthatgenie?"

"Don'tworry,everythingisallright,"Aladdinreassuredher,ashetoldhiswifethewholestoryof
howhehadmetthewizardandfoundthemagiclampthathadenabledhimtomarryher.
Everythingwentbacktonormalandthehappypairhuggedeachothertenderly.

"Canwereturntoourownkingdom?"theprincessaskedtimidly,thinkingofherfather,sofar
away.Aladdinglancedatherwithasmile.

"Themagicthatbroughtyouherewilltakeyouback,butwithmeatyourside,forever."

TheSultanwasalmostillwithworry.Hisdaughterhaddisappearedalongwiththepalace,and
thenhissoninlawhadvanishedtoo.Nobodyknewwheretheywere,noteventhewisemen
hastilycalledtothepalacetodivinewhathadhappened.ThejealousChamberlainkepton
repeating:

"ItoldyouAladdin'sfortunecouldn'tlast."

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29/1/2015 Fiction:TheAdventuresofAladdin

Everyonehadlostallhopeofeverseeingthemissingpairagain,whenfaraway,Aladdinrubbed
themagiclampandsaidtothegenie,

"Takemywife,myselfandthepalacebacktoourownland,asfastasyoucan."

"Inaflash,Sire,"repliedthegenie.Atthesnapofafinger,thepalaceroseintotheairandsped
overtheSultan'skingdom,abovetheheadsofhisastonishedsubjects.Itgentlyfloateddownto
earthandlandedonitsoldsite.AladdinandHalimarushedtoembracetheSultan.

Tothisveryday,inthatdistantcountry,youcanstilladmirethetracesofanancientpalacewhich
folkcallthepalacethatcamefromtheskies.

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