Aladdin was a poor man. By night, he would steal some bread to eat. He was a good man who suffered from the misfortunes of having no job and no future. Aladdin walked in the market square and came upon a lamp lying on the dusty ground. Aladdin picked up the lamp and rubbed it. Perhaps I can discover who this lamp belongs to, Aladdin thought. Just then, a genie appeared out of the lamp. “You have summoned me. I am here to grant you three wishes.”
Aladdin couldn’t believe his luck. “I wish to have ten barrels of gold.” The genie instantly produced ten barrels of gold. Unfortunately, three thieves saw the gold appear. They pointed their sharp swords at Aladdin and demanded he turn over the gold or suffer the consequences. Aladdin was too frightened to ask for the genie for help. The thieves took Aladdin’s gold. Aladdin now had two more wishes.
Aladdin was feeling very hungry. He had not eaten well for a long time. Aladdin spoke to the genie and said, “I wish to have a palace full of food.” Instantly, a palace appeared with the fresh aroma of delicious food. Aladdin went into the palace and ate everything in sight. Unfortunately, the palace only had food in it, and the food soon began to spoil. The stench from the rotten meat was unbearable. Aladdin could not eat the food or stay in the palace. Aladdin was down to one wish.
Aladdin thought for a long time what his final wish would be. Just then, a bee was buzzing around Aladdin. “Go away bee.” The bee continued buzzing around Aladdin. This was becoming very annoying. Aladdin swung his hand at the bee, but the bee wouldn’t go away. Aladdin was now very upset. The buzzing grew louder. Aladdin couldn’t take it anymore. “I wish you would just go away,” he said to the bee. Instantly, the bee left Aladdin. Unfortunately, his final wish left him as well.
Aladdin was very sad. He had nothing to show for his three wishes. Ah, but this tale was not to end on a sour note. The bee was really the genie in disguise. He tested Aladdin to see how he would use his final wish. The bee flew over to the three thieves and stung them all to death. The bee then came back to Aladdin and whispered in his ear, “Come with me and I shall show you where your gold is.” Aladdin immediately followed the bee and saw the ten barrels of gold. He spent much of the gold to rid the palace of the food. He cleaned the palace and furnished it. After a week went by, Aladdin was able to move into the palace. He took the lamp with him. He let the genie reside in the palace for as long as he wished. Eventually, Aladdin was known throughout the land to be the most generous man alive. He owed all his good fortune to the genie, and he would never forget this for the rest of his life.
