Aladdin

1712 Middle East

Story

Long ago in a great eastern city, there lived a poor boy named Aladdin. His father, a tailor, had died, and Aladdin spent his days playing in the streets rather than helping his mother. One day, a mysterious stranger appeared and claimed to be Aladdin's uncle.

The stranger was actually a powerful sorcerer from Africa. He needed someone young and innocent to retrieve a magic lamp from a dangerous cave. "Do exactly as I say," the sorcerer told Aladdin, "and you shall have riches beyond imagining!"

He led Aladdin to a hidden cave entrance. "Go down and bring me the old lamp you find there. Touch nothing else!" He gave Aladdin a magic ring for protection and sent him into the darkness.

Inside, Aladdin found chambers filled with glittering treasures. He found the old lamp and, on his way out, filled his pockets with beautiful fruits from an enchanted garden—fruits that were actually precious gems! When he reached the cave entrance, he asked the sorcerer for help climbing out.

"First hand me the lamp!" demanded the sorcerer. But Aladdin, suspicious, refused. Furious, the sorcerer sealed the cave with magic, trapping Aladdin inside! In despair, Aladdin rubbed the magic ring, and a spirit appeared who transported him home.

When his mother tried to clean the old lamp to sell it, she rubbed it and out came a magnificent blue genie! "I am the Genie of the Lamp! Your wish is my command!" With the genie's help, Aladdin and his mother were never hungry again.

Aladdin fell in love with the Sultan's daughter, the beautiful Princess Jasmine. With the genie's magic, he became a prince and won her hand. But the wicked sorcerer returned and stole the lamp! Brave Aladdin, with only his wits and the ring, rescued his princess and reclaimed the lamp.

Aladdin became a wise and just ruler, loved by all. But he never forgot his humble beginnings and always helped the poor people of his city. He and Princess Jasmine lived happily ever after.

History and Meaning

"Aladdin" is one of the tales from "One Thousand and One Nights" (Arabian Nights), though it was added to the collection by French translator Antoine Galland in 1712. The original story was set in China, though it has a distinctly Middle Eastern flavor.

The tale combines two magical objects—the ring and the lamp— each with its own genie. These magical servants represent the idea that great power comes with great responsibility.

Aladdin's journey from poor street boy to wise prince teaches that true worth comes from character, not birth. He succeeds not through the genie's magic alone, but through his own cleverness, bravery, and growth as a person.

The story has been adapted countless times, most famously in Disney's 1992 animated film. The themes of magic lamps, wish-granting genies, and diamond-in-the-rough heroes continue to captivate audiences around the world.