Aladdin Magical Short Story

  We all know the story of Aladdin from the films, where he falls in love with a fair princess and has to defend himself from an evil Grand Vizier, and where a mighty Genie helps him.
    Many of you will also know the classic story from One Thousand and One Nights, which tells of the careless, idle boy Aladdin who almost got killed in the magic cave by the evil sorcerer who wanted to possess the magic lamp that would make him the most powerful man in the whole wide world and who wanted to marry Princess Badroulbudour, the Sultan’s daughter, with the help of the Genie.
    That magical tale describes how Aladdin fell in love with the princess, while the Grand Vizier wanted her for his own son. It tells of how things got more complicated when the sorcerer’s brother, who was even more evil, turned up to avenge the death of his brother and then killed the wise healing woman Fatima and impersonated her to enter the palace and wake Badroulbudour’s desire for the Roc’s egg.
    The story tells of how Aladdin was warned by the Genie of the Lamp, so that he was eventually able to slay the impostor. Then everybody lived happily ever after, and Aladdin succeeded the Sultan to the throne and reigned for many years, leaving behind him a long line of just and benevolent kings.
A stunning story, right? So the original tale from the Arabian Nights actually involves not one, but two sorcerers. But did you know that there also were two powerful Genies that played a huge role in Aladdin’s fate?
    When the first sorcerer sent Aladdin into the cave, he gave him a magic ring which would protect Aladdin while searching for the lamp, but he forgot to retrieve the ring when leaving Aladdin to his fate. So when Aladdin was left inside the magic cave in misery, he inadvertently rubbed the ring and was saved by the Genie of the Ring who got him out of the cave.
    So we actually have two Genies at Aladdin’s disposal who would do as he wishes – the Genie of the Ring and the Genie of the Lamp. Now, let’s go back to that part of the story where Aladdin rubbed the lamp and commanded the Genie to fetch the Roc’s egg, whereupon the Genie gave such a loud and terrible shriek that the hall shook. He was furious and shouted how Aladdin dared command him bring the Roc’s egg, his master, and hang him up in the midst of the dome, and he cried that Aladdin and his wife and the whole palace deserved to be burnt to ashes.
    Luckily, the Genie saw through the sorcerer’s ruse and thus knew that Aladdin was innocent, so he spared his life and instead warned him of the impostor, whom Aladdin was finally able to slay. Eventually, Aladdin defeated the evil magician.
    But somewhere in between, I believe the story took a slightly different turn – different from what we’re told. Here’s how it goes.

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    “You summoned me, master!” The Genie of the Lamp stood there with his arms crossed and his eyes as big as saucers.
    “Yes, go and get me the Roc’s egg!” said Aladdin.
    The Genie’s eyes became even bigger, and Aladdin took a step back. “Wretch!” cried the Genie. His mouth was as big as a cave, and his teeth looked like icicles, ready to close down on his prey. “Everything I’ve done for you … wasn’t it enough? Do you have to command me to bring my master and hang him up in your palace? You and the princess and the whole palace deserve to be burnt to ashes!”
    Aladdin stumbled backwards. “What’s that? What’s wrong? What did I do to anger you so much?”
    “What did you expect, vermin?” The Genie grew bigger and bigger.
Aladdin stammered, “I was actually expecting something like Master, I hear and obey!”
    The Genie laughed angrily. He stood there, his arms wide open, and turned into a huge creature of fire. He carried the whole palace, with everybody inside, into the air. Higher and higher he took the palace, and his voice echoed like thunder from the mountains. “I will burn you to ashes!”
    Terrified, Aladdin stood there like a statue, not knowing what to do. But in this desperate moment he remembered the ring. He rubbed it, and the Genie of the Ring appeared.
    “What is your command, master? I will hear and obey you in all matters!”
    “Save me from the burning clutches of this creature! The Genie of the Lamp has gone mad!” said Aladdin with a sigh of relief upon seeing the Genie of the Ring.
    The Genie of the Ring bowed low. “What was the wish that you expressed to him, master?”
    “I asked him to get me the Roc’s egg and let it dangle from the dome of my palace!” Aladdin answered.
    The Genie of the Lamp gave a terrible scream. “Whaaat?” He turned into a huge column of blazing flames and spit sparks of fire. “How dare you?”
    Aladdin was scared to death. “What is it with you today? Why’s everyone so angry?”
    “How dare you ask for my master to be hung up in your palace? Not only will you be burnt down to ashes, but your bones will be reduced to dust, cretin!” And with one move of his raised fists he tore the palace’s roof apart, before it went up in black smoke.
    “I’m doomed! Oh, I’m so doomed! Is there nobody who can save me now?” Aladdin cried in despair.
    Suddenly, a deafening cry filled the air, and a huge shadow passed over his head. Aladdin looked up and saw what he thought was an eagle – only it wasn’t an eagle at all. It was the Roc, an enormous bird with feathers the colour of flames, red and yellow, with eyes as blue as sapphire and talons that could carry a whole elephant off the ground.
    With a glimpse of hope in his heart, Aladdin fell to his knees. “Please, oh mighty Roc, save me from my doom!”
    The Roc swooped down and landed with one foot on the eastern and the other on the western wall of the palace. The Genies both bowed low and said with one voice: “Your slaves hail you, oh master of the worlds!”
    The Roc brought his head down until his sapphire gaze came so close that it almost blinded Aladdin. “Miserable creature, you dare call for my child? I’ll tear you apart, eat your flesh, drink your blood and sleep on your skin after crushing your worthless bones till they are no more than a pile of dust, scattered into the four corners of the earth!” The Roc’s voice was majestic, and it came down on Aladdin like thunder and lightning.
    Aladdin looked from the burning Genie of the Lamp to the flaming Genie of the Ring to the fearsome Roc … and he wept. He knew what was to come, and he closed his eyes in resignation.
    But just then, as he was about to give up, he heard a soft, yet powerful voice. “Mighty Roc, you are the wisest and kindest of all that live under the sun. Don’t punish Aladdin for something that is not his fault. It is another who is to blame, for none but the sorcerer’s brother, second to none in his cunning and ugliness of heart, tricked Aladdin into asking for the Roc’s egg, your child. It is he who killed me and took my form so that I could not expose to the world his evil intention, and it is he who will stop at nothing to get hold of your child and so become the ruler of the world.”
    Aladdin opened his eyes. It was Fatima, the wise healing woman. She had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and Aladdin would have thought she was alive, had it not been for the transparent shape of her body and face. Her spirit had come to save him and bring justice to his case.
    A deafening silence followed before the Roc gave a terrifying shriek and with his mighty wings took to the air. The two Genies brought the palace back to the place where it had once stood and bowed low before Aladdin, who sent a silent prayer to the heavens and, of course, thanked Fatima from the depth of his heart.

    From here we know how the story goes on and how it ends, as we are told that the Genie saw through the sorcerer’s ruse and thereby spared Aladdin’s life.
    It’s sometimes nice, though, to find out a little bit more about the details, don’t you think?