Chapter+3

The strange uncle There was once a tailor called Mustapha. Every day, he worked very hard. He worked from morning to night, but he was always very poor. His son, Aladdin, was a lazy boy and did nothing to help him. Then Mustapha died. After that Aladdin was much more lazy. His poor mother had to work to buy food for them. One day, Aladdin was playing in the Street when a stranger came up to him. ‘Boy,’ said the stranger, ‘are you the son of Mustapha the tailor?’ ‘Yes,’ answered Aladdin, ‘but my father is dead.’ The stranger looked very sad. He threw his arms round Aladdin’s neck. ‘I am your uncle, dear boy,’ he said. ‘I have been away for many years. Now I am too late to see my poor, dear brother!’ He took some money out of his pocket and gave it to Aladdin. ’Go to your mother and tell her I have returned Tell her I will visit her tomorrow.’ A job for Aladdin Aladdin ran home and told his story. ‘But your father had no brothers!’ said his mother. ‘You must have made a mistake. I will tell the kind gentleman when he comes.’ The next evening the stranger came. He held Aladdin’s mother’s hands. ‘So I am too late to see my dear brother!’ he said. He looked so sad. Aladdin’s mother began to cry. Now, the stranger was not really Aladdin’s uncle. He was a magician. He wanted Aladdin to help him. But he did not say anything about that to Aladdin. Instead, he looked at the boy and asked, ‘What job have you chosen to do, nephew?’ Aladdin went very pink. ‘Nothing,’ he said. ‘Then I shall buy you a shop,’ said the magician. ‘Say goodbye to your mother. You are going to learn all about business. I will do everything I can to help you. Only the best is good enough for my dear brother Mustapha’s boy.’ Aladdin’s mother was now sure the magician was Aladdin’s uncle. She thanked him with all her heart. ‘Be good, and work hard, Aladdin,’ she told her son. The magic halls The magician led Aladdin to a place outside the city. He told Aladdin to collect sticks for a fire. When the fire was burning, the magician threw some white dust on to the fire. Then he said some magic words. Green smoke rose up. The earth shook, and a large hole suddenly opened in front of them. At the bottom of the hole, Aladdin saw a big, flat stone with an iron ring in the middle. ‘Take the ring in your hand and lift the stone,’ said the magician. Aladdin was frightened. ‘Do as I tell you,’ the magician said. ‘There is a wonderful treasure down there. Only you can reach it. Your name is written on the stone.’ Aladdin lifted the stone. It moved quite easily. Under the stone were some steps. They went down into the ground. Aladdin could see that it was very dark down there. ‘Go down those steps,’ said the magician. ‘At the bottom you will come to a large hall. It is full of boxes of gold and silver. Do not touch anything. Keep walking. You will come to another hail. Go through that one, and you will come to a third hall. At the end of this hall, there is a door. Open the door. You will see a garden full of beautiful fruit trees. In a corner of the garden wall there is a shelf. On the shelf you will see a small lamp. Bring that lamp to me. You can take some of the treasure when you come back if you like. But do not forget the lamp.’ Aladdin goes down the steps Aladdin was frightened. He did not want to go down those dark steps. The magician put a ring on Aladdin’s finger. ‘This is a magic ring, and it will keep you safe,’ he said. Aladdin thanked him and went down the steps. Everything was just as the magician had said. He found the lamp and put it in his pocket. On his way back he looked at the trees full of beautiful fruit. When he tried to eat the fruit, it was hard and cold. Aladdin did not know that the wonderful pears, oranges and apples were huge jewels. He just thought they were pretty, and he filled his pockets with them. The magician was waiting at the top of the steps. He planned to get the lamp, then shut the door, with Aladdin inside. ‘Help me up, Uncle,’ called Aladdin. ‘Give me the lamp first,’ said the magician. ‘You will climb up better without it. ‘It’s in my pocket,’ called Aladdin, ‘under some pretty fruit. I’ll give it to you when I get out. Alone in the dark The magician was angry. ‘Do as I tell you. Give the lamp to me,’ he said. ‘I can’t, Uncle,’ said Aladdin. ‘Help me get out of this hole. When I am out I will take everything out of my pockets. Then you can have the lamp.’ But the magician did not want to wait. He was very angry. He threw some more dust on the fire. He said some more magic words. This time, red smoke rose up into the air. There was a loud, frightening noise. The big stone slid back, and the earth closed over the hole. Aladdin was a prisoner in the earth! The angry magician went away. Aladdin cried for help, but no one heard him. After a while he was tired and stopped shouting. His hands began to feel cold, so he rubbed them together. Suddenly a small genie appeared. ‘I am the Genie of the Ring,’ it said. ‘What can I do for you?’ Aladdin was too surprised to be frightened. ‘Please get me out of here!’ he answered. At once he found himself sitting on the grass outside. The Genie of the Lamp He ran home to his mother and showed her the pretty fruit. ‘Why didn’t you bring some of the gold and silver?’ said his mother. ‘You are a stupid boy! There is no food in the house, and we can’t eat your glass fruit.’ ‘I brought this lamp,’ said Aladdin. ‘If you clean it, perhaps I can sell it in the market.’ He began to rub the lamp. A cloud of smoke flew out and a large genie appeared. ‘I am the Genie of the Lamp,’ it said. ‘What can I do for you?’ ‘Bring some food,’ said Aladdin. The genie disappeared. In a few seconds it came back with a big, silver dish full of wonderful food. ‘This must be a magic lamp, Mother,’ said Aladdin. Now I know why my uncle wanted it so much! He must be a magician.’ Every day after that, the Genie of the Lamp brought them food on a silver dish, and every day Aladdin sold the silver dish in the market. He did not know the price of silver, so the shopkeepers gave him very little money. But Aladdin and his mother were poor, simple people, and they were happy with what they had.
 * Chapter 3 **
 * ALADDIN AND THE MAGIC LAMP**