Wow, Disney did not prepare me for the complexity of this story! While I am sad that there is no Abu, I enjoyed learning new details about the original story. For example, while Aladdin has an Arabic name, the story is set in China. (Okay, Disney, you did at least allude to that!)
Aladdin is not the friendly "street rat" that we see in the animated film! He has not learned a trade, and his antics basically led to his father's death. However, a mysterious uncle from the west comes to town and offers to help Aladdin establish himself. Suspicious!
Turns out that my suspicion was warranted! The fake-uncle lured Aladdin to a distant cave to retrieve a magical lamp. When Aladdin would not hand over the lamp, the fake-uncle trapped him!
With the help of two genies, Aladdin escaped and provided a good life for his mother and himself. I wish that the characters of the genies were more fleshed out!
Aladdin got creepy! Sadly, there was no romantic magic carpet ride. Rather, the Sultan married his daughter to another man. Aladdin sent his genie to bring both the princess and her groom to him. Aladdin proceeded to sleep next to the princess and leave the groom outside. Poor princess must have been terrified!
Aladdin then uses his genies to win over the princess from the Sultan and build an ornate palace. He proceeds to act much better!
Uh oh! The fake-uncle magician is back! He finds out that Aladdin has the lamp and travels all the way from the west to get it. Not only that, he stole Aladdin's palace and the princess! Aladdin only has 40 days to find the princess before the Sultan has pledged to kill him.
At this point, I remember that Scheherazade is telling all of this to a Sultan who could take her life at any morning!
Aladdin and the princess (why can't she be named?) work together and kill the magician and get the lamp. Later, they also kill his brother who came in in disguise.
But after all of this, what happened with Scheherazade and the Sultan? I am still left in suspense!
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| Aladdin and the princess are reunited Image Source |
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