Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Reading Notes: Arabian Nights, Part B

The Arabian Nights' Entertainments by Andrew Lang, illustrated by H.J. Ford (1898)
Genie from Disney's Aladdin 
Source: Flickr

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Pt. 1
Aladdin, the son of Mustapha, is a carefree boy who spends his days playing in the street, which saddens his father until his death. A magician then comes by claiming to be Aladdin's uncle, and shows care for him, pleasing Aladdin's mother. He then takes Aladdin to a valley, and with the promise of treasure, convinces him to travel through a cave to retrieve a lamp, giving him a ring for the journey. When Aladdin refuses to give him the lamp before they leave the cave, he traps Aladdin in the cave, but forgets to retrieve his ring from Aladdin. Aladdin rubs the ring in the cave, and a genie appears, who is the Slave of the Ring, and will obey Aladdin's commands.
Aladdin Discovering the Lamp
Source: Wikipedia

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Pt. 2
Aladdin returns home with the genie's help, and tells his mother the story before asking for food. She responds that she has none, and although she says she will sell her cotton, Aladdin says he will sell the lamp instead. His mother rubs it to try and clean it, and out pops another genie, which Aladdin asks for and receives food from. His mother later begs him to sell the lamp, but Aladdin refuses to dispose of the lamp or the ring. After selling the plates the food came on, which were made of silver, he and his mother live for many years comfortably. Later, he ventures out to see the Sultan's daughter, and becomes smitten with love for her, and declares he wishes to marry her. His mother eventually asks the Sultan to allow it, and he consents, but that she must wait 3 months so that his vizir may have an opportunity for his son. She agrees, but after 2 months, the vizir's son and the Sultan's daughter are to be married. Angered, Aladdin tells the genie to force the bridegroom to sleep outside in the cold while he sleeps by the bride, scaring her and making her night miserable.

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Pt. 3
Terrified, the bride and bridegroom wish to be separated, and this is allowed due to their miserable nights. Aladdin's mother, after the 3 months, returns to remind the Sultan of Aladdin's desire, and he allows it based on a very rich offering. Aladdin wishes for these things, and receives them, sending them to the Sultan. He then asked for an extremely ornate palace for him and his bride, and after the ceremony, took her back home. The Sultan arrives, and asks why one window is incomplete, which Aladdin says is so that he may lay the finishing touch, although he is unable to complete it to the same standard as the rest of the palace. Due to this, Aladdin uses the genie to finish the window, and returns the gems and materials that belong to the Sultan to him, pleasing him.

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Pt. 4
The magician hears of Aladdin's success and becomes enraged that he had not perished in the cave. He travels to the city, and hearing that Aladdin's palace is the most magnificent place in the world, gets the princess to trade the old lamp, which is magic, for a new one, as she did not know of its power. He uses the genie from the lamp to transport the palace and the princess to the desert far away, unbeknownst to Aladdin, who is out hunting. When he returns, the Sultan orders him executed, although the people of the city prevent this due to their love of Aladdin. The Sultan grants Aladdin 40 days to find the princess, or else he will be executed. The genie in his ring cannot bring the palace back, but takes him to the palace, where he crashes out of exhaustion.

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Pt. 5
The princess is furious with the magician, and he does not stand to stay with her overnight. She is overcome with joy when she discovers Aladdin is still alive, and she tells him that she gave the magician the lamp unknowingly. He comes up with a plan, and has her convince the magician that she has forgotten about Aladdin, and will marry him now. Aladdin gives her a powder to place in his cup, and she does so, and after receiving the wine she requested, she feigns drinking hers while he drinks all of his, causing him to fall back, dead.

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp Pt. 6
Aladdin returns the palace to China, fulfilling his promise to the Sultan to bring his daughter back, which pleases him and saves Aladdin's life. However, the magician's brother seeks to avenge his death, and disguises himself as Fatima, the holy woman after killing her. He enters the palace and tells the princess that only a Roc's egg can make it even better, and the princess asks Aladdin for this. When he asks the genie, the genie is appalled, and realizes only the magician's brother could have caused them to ask for such a thing. Aladdin feigns illness to draw close to the false Fatima, and kills him, which angers the people of the city until he reveals the ruse. He then lives happily ever after with the princess, eventually taking over the Sultan's position, leading for many years.

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