Storyland: Aladdin

Long time ago, in a faraway land called Agrabah, there lived a poor orphan named Aladdin. One day in market, Aladdin took some bread for his dinner. The Sultan's guards chased him, but Aladdin and his pet monkey, Abu, escaped.

Then Aladdin saw two hungry children and gave the bread to them. "Things will change," he promised Abu. "Someday we'll lived in palace!"

That afternoon at the palace, Princess Jasmine was told by her father, the Sultan, that she must marry a prince in three days. Jasmine was very unhappy. "I will marry only for love!" she cried.

Jasmine told Rajah, her pet tiger, that she would have to live the palace.

Disguising herself in an old peasant robe, the Princess ran away. Tired and hungry, Jasmine took an apple from a stall in the market, but couldn't pay the angry fruit seller. Aladdin came to her rescue. The mean merchant called the guards. They released the Princess, but took Aladdin to the palace dungeon.

Meanwhile, Jafar, the Sultan's evil adviser, disguised himself as a prisoner. Help me find a very special lamp," he said to Aladdin, "and I'll set you free."

Jafar took Aladdin and Abu to the Cave of Wonders. A magic carpet appeared and led Aladdin to the lamp. But just as Aladdin reached for it, Abu grabbed a large, sparkling jewel.

The cave began to collapse. The magic carpet saved Aladdin and Abu, all three were trapped.

"What's so special about this old lamp?" Aladdin wondered aloud. As Aladdin rubbed the dusty lamp, an enormous genie appeared.

"Master," he said, "I can grant you three wishes, but you can't wish for more wishes. Now let's get out of here!"

Aladdin's first wish was to become a prince so Jasmine would want to marry him. But he promised to save his last wish to set the Genie free.

Later that day, Aladdin arrived at the palace in grand style, introducing himself as Prince Ali Ababwa. Later that evening Prince Ali took Jasmine for a ride on his wonderful carpet. The Prince looked very familiar. "Aren't you the boy from the marketplace?" asked Jasmine.

"No, I'm Prince Ali," Aladdin insisted, even though he knew he wasn't being honest.

Then the magic carpet took the back to the palace. "That was just wonderful," sighed Jasmine. She had fallen in love.

Aladdin was thrilled that things finally seemed to be going his way.

But suddenly the Sultan's guards, under orders from Jafar, appeared and grabbed poor Aladdin. After they tossed him into the sea, Aladdin summoned the Genie and used his second wish to save his own life.

Aladdin returned to the palace with the lamp, but Iago, Jafar's parrot, stole it, and Jafar become the Genie's master.

"Make me Sultan," Jafar commanded. "And make the Princess and her father my slaves."

The Genei was forced to obey. The poor sultan was hanging from his throne room like a puppet watching Jafar take over his kingdom. He also had to watch his daughter wait on Jafar's every whim.

Jafar used his second wish to become an all-powerful sorcerer. He changed Aladdin thought he was doomed until the magic carpet appeared and helped him return to the palace. Jafar was furious, but Aladdin found a way to trick him.

"The Genie still has more power than you'll ever have," h e told Jafar.

This infuriated Jafar and he used his third wish to become a genie. But he forgot one important thing. Genies become the prisoners of their lamps, shackled to them for all time. Jafar disappeared into a glowing black lamp.

To Jasmine's delight, the Sultan decided to let the Princess choose for Jasmine - Aladdin.

Now it was Aladdin's turn to make someone happy. He turned to the Genie and said, "I wish for your freedom." And that was the best wish of all!