Once upon a time there lived a poor tailor
he had a son called Aladdin
Aladdin was a careless, idle boy who did nothing
although, he did like to play ball all day long
this he did in the streets with other little idle boys
This so grieved the father that he died
his mother cried and prayed but nothing helped
despite her pleading, Aladdin did not mend his ways
One day Aladdin was playing in the streets as usual
a stranger asked him his age
and he asked him if he was not the son of Mustapha the tailor
“I am the son of Mustapha, sir” replied Aladdin
“but he died a long time ago”
the stranger was a famous African magician
and he fell on his neck and kissed him
“I am your uncle” said the magician
“I knew you from your likeness to my brother”
“Go to your mother and tell her I am coming”
Aladdin ran home and told his mother of his newly found uncle
“Indeed, child,” she said, “your father had a brother”
“but I always thought he was dead”
However, she prepared supper for the visitor
and she bade Aladdin to seek his uncle
Aladdin’s uncle came laden with wine and fruit
He fell down and kissed the place where Mustapha used to sit
and he bid Aladdin’s mother not to be surprised
he explained he had been out of the country forty years
He then turned to Aladdin and asked him his trade
but the boy hung his head in shame
and his mother burst into tears
so Aladdin’s uncle offered to provide food

The next day he bought Aladdin a fine suit of clothes
and he took him all over the city
he showed him the sights of the city
at nightfall he brought him home to his mother
his mother was overjoyed to see her son so fine
The next day the magician led Aladdin into some beautiful gardens
this was a long way outside the city gates
They sat down by a fountain
and the magician pulled a cake from his girdle
he divided the cake between the two of them
Then they journeyed onward till they almost reached the mountains
Aladdin was so tired that he begged to go back
but the magician beguiled him with pleasant stories
and he led him on in spite of his laziness
At last they came to two mountains
the two mountains were divided by a narrow valley
“We will go no farther” said the false uncle
“I will show you something wonderful”
“gather up sticks while I kindle a fire”
When the fire was lit the magician threw a powder on it
and he said some magical words
The earth trembled a little and opened in front of them
a square flat stone revealed itself
and in the middle of the the stone was a brass ring
Aladdin tried to run away
but the magician caught him
and gave him a blow that knocked him down
“What have I done, uncle?” he said piteously
the magician said more kindly: “Fear nothing, but obey me”
“Beneath this stone lies a treasure which is to be yours”
“and no one else may touch it”
“so you must do exactly as I tell you”
At the mention of treasure Aladdin forgot his fears
he grasped the ring as he was told
and he said the names of his father and grandfather
The stone came up quite easily
and some steps appeared in front of them
“Go down” said the magician
“at the foot of those steps you will find an open door”
“the door leads into three large halls”
“Tuck up your gown and go through the halls”
“make sure not to touching anything”
“if you touch anything, you will die instantly”
“These halls lead into a garden of fine fruit trees”
“Walk on until you come to a niche in a terrace”
“there you will see a lighted lamp”
“Pour out the oil of the lamp”
“and then bring me the lamp”
He drew a ring from his finger and gave it to Aladdin
and he bid him to prosper
Aladdin found everything as the magician had said
he gathered some fruit off the trees
and, having got the lamp, he arrived at the mouth of the cave
The magician cried out in a great hurry
“Make haste and give me the lamp”
This Aladdin refused to do until he was out of the cave
The magician flew into a terrible passion
he threw some more powder on to the fire
and then he cast another magic spell
and the stone rolled back into its place
The magician left Persia for ever
this plainly showed that he was no uncle of Aladdin’s
what he really was was a cunning magician
a magician who had read of a wonderful lamp
a lamp which would make him the most powerful man in the world
but he alone knew where to find it
and he could only receive it from the hand of another
He had picked out the foolish Aladdin for this purpose
he had intended to get the lamp and kill him afterwards