Once there lived a poor woman and her son, Aladdin.
One day, as he was playing in the streets, Aladdin met a stranger. The stranger asked him, ‘Aren’t you the son of Mustapha, the tailor?’
‘I am, sir replied Aladdin, ‘but my father died a long while ago.’
At this, the stranger, who was actually a magician, said, ‘O nephew! I am your uncle.’
Aladdin was surprised as he did not know he had an uncle. The magician then told him that he had brought many gifts for Aladdin and his mother, but he needed help in carrying them. The boy happily agreed to go with his uncle.
The magician led Aladdin a long way away from the city. Aladdin became tired and wanted to go home, but the magician would not let him. At last, the magician stopped walking.
‘We will go no farther,’ said the false uncle. I will show you something wonderful.’
He then uttered some magic words. With a flash of light, a cave opened in front of them.
Aladdin got scared and tried to run away. But the magician caught him.
‘Don’t be scared,’ the magician said. ‘Go inside the cave. There you will find an open door leading into a garden. There you will find a lamp. Bring the lamp to me.’
He drew a ring from his finger and gave it to Aladdin, wishing him good luck.
Aladdin did what the magician had said. He got the lamp and returned to the mouth of the cave.
As soon as he saw Aladdin returning, the magician cried out, ‘Quick, give me the lamp!’
‘No! I will give it to only when I come out of the cave safely,’ replied Aladdin.
This made the magician very angry. He said some magical words. To his horror, Aladdin saw the mouth of the cave close!
Aladdin remained in the dark, crying for help. As he was wondering what to do, he rubbed the ring which the magician had given him.
Immediately, an enormous genie appeared!
‘I am Genie of the Ring! What is your wish, Master?’
Aladdin fearlessly replied, Take me home! In the blink of an eye, Aladdin was home. He then told his mother what had happened.
He showed her the lamp and the ring. As the lamp was very dirty, he began to rub it clean.
Instantly, an even bigger genie appeared!
‘I am the Genie of the Lamp! What is your wish, Master?’
Aladdin was very hungry, so he said, ‘Get me some food!’
The genie returned with a huge table laden with food.
Aladdin and his mother realised that the lamp and the ring had magical powers. They never parted with them and used them to live happily ever after.
— A tale from The Arabian Nights