Aladdin and His Magic Lamp

The piece we listened to last week reminded me of the Disney movie Aladdin. One of the stories in One Thousand and One Arabian Nights is called "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp." I am familiar with the Disney version, but I assumed the actual story was a bit different than the movie.

The original story has the same basis of a poor boy being tricked into a cave by a powerful sorcerer. As Aladdin is trapped in the cave, he rubs his hands together in despair. He happens to be wearing a magical ring that had been lent to him by the sorcerer, and it summons a genie that helps Aladdin return home. In the Disney version, he is helped home by a magical flying carpet. He appears at his mothers house, and he is carrying the lamp. His mother cleans the lamp, and by rubbing it she releases a second more powerful genie. This genie enables Aladdin to marry the sultan's daughter and builds Aladdin an enormous palace, even bigger than the sultan's. 

The sorcerer becomes angry and tricks Aladdin's new wife into giving him the lamp. Aladdin uses the magical ring he still possesses summon the lesser genie, and with that genie's help he is able to defeat the sorcerer. The sorcerer's brother is angry at Aladdin for killing the sorcerer, and so devises a plan to trick Aladdin's wife into letting him stay in the palace. He poses as an elderly woman who is skilled at curing illnesses. Somehow Aladdin learns of the disguise and kills the brother. Everyone lives happily ever after.