Ben and Tony Bear. Book 1. Ben meets Tony.

Ben and Tony Bear. Book 9. Ben and Tony go to the pantomime.

     It was half term. Ben was off school for a whole week.  Mummy had arranged lots of fun things to do.  on one of the days they were all going to the see a pantomime with the special group that Ben went to.

     The pantomime was called Aladdin.  It was dark and raining outside when Mummy , Daddy and Ben got out of the car.  The show was in an old wooden hall.  When they got in, Daddy took Ben to sit down while Mummy bought a programme.  The programme told you who was in the show, what each part was called and the name of the songs.  It was very colorful.   Mummy joined Daddy and Ben in the second row in the centre.  From there they could see the stage.

     Ben took Tony Bear from his coat.  Tony was amazed. There were bright lights beaming onto the stage, children and parents talking  and music playing very low in the background.  They only waited a short while and the lights went down.   The curtains opened.  Music played quite loudly and onto the stage came lots of people.  It was a market.  

     Onto the stage Aladdin came running.   His Mother was in the market and so was his brother Wishy Washy.   Ben watched his fingers in his ears.  Two policemen came on looking for Aladdin but he had gone.  The story unfolded before Ben.  

     The streets were cleared as Princess Jasmine and her Father the King came onto the stage.  No one could see the princess in case she fell in love with the wrong type of person.  The King had many young men lined up to marry the Princess.  But all of them she had turned down for none of them were to her liking.  

     Then a bad man turned up all in black.  Mummy helped Ben sign bad by putting his thumb downwards.  Tony Bear shouted Boooo from Ben's other hand and Ben smiled.   The bad man was a wizard. He wanted a magic lamp that only Aladdin could bring to him from this dark enchanted cave.   The wizard tricked Aladdins Mother and brother by saying he was a long lost Uncle.  He asked to take Aladdin on a little trip.  Aladdin's Mother said yes.

     " Boo. " Called Tony Bear.  But no one could hear him but Ben.  Ben put his thumb down and stamped his feet.  Aladdin's Mother should not have believed the bad man.  Aladdin went with the wizard to the dark cave.  Aladdin was very scared. It was very dark in the cave.  The Wizard gave Aladdin his magic ring to light the way. 

     " Don't forget.  Do not touch anything but the lamp. Once you have bought me that then you can get  some gold and jewels for yourself."  Aladdin walked into the cave.  

     He found the lamp right at the back.  As he picked it up Aladdin knocked over some jewels that were near by.  A loud voice boomed out.

     " You will be trapped forever.  For touching the lamp and the jewels."  The door closed as the Wizard shouted for Aladdin to throw him the lamp but it was too late.  The door slammed shut and Aladdin was trapped.

     In the light of the ring Aladdin could see that the lamp was very dirty.  He rubbed it on his clothes to see if it would come clean.  As Aladdin rubbed a genii appeared from the lamp.   Ben jumped up and down excitedly clapping.  The Genii was very pretty and sparkly.

     I am the Genii of the lamp.  You have three wishes. what is your wish?"   Aladdin wanted to get out of the cave.  " Granted." said the Genii.

     Aladdin was out of the cave, standing in an oasis with the Genii.  " You have two wishes left. "Said the Genii, " Choose carefully."   Aladdin thought.  The thing he wished most was to marry the Princess Jasmine.  He had seen her from afar in her garden and fallen in love with her.

     " I wish to marry Princess Jasmine. "  The Genii looked at Aladdin and laughed.  Tony  Bear and Ben did not understand why the Genii laughed.  Aladdin was in love with a princess.  

     " You need to be a Prince to marry a Princess.  You are just a poor boy. But I can make you a Prince."  The Genii clapped his hands and lots of women appeared and dressed Aladdin like a Prince.  Aladdin was now ready to meet the Princess.  The Genii said the the Genii of the ring would be able  to help Aladdin with gifts for the Princes.  Aladdin was surprised to find a Genii in the ring too.

     Aladdin, his Mother and his brother took the presents to the castle and asked for the Princess' hand in marriage.  The Princess agreed.  Lots of presents were left on the floor at the front of the stage.  The curtain closed.

     All the little ones wanted to see the gold and presents.  Ben and Tony wanted to see to.  Ben grabbed Daddy's hand and pulled him down to the front of the stage.  There were boxes with DVD players on them and Food Mixers.  Ben pointed to all the labels, he wanted to know the name brands and what they were.  

     It was almost ten minutes before the curtains again opened. Ben dragged Mummy and Daddy right to the front left side.  As the Princess came on and the people sang and danced to celebrate, Ben jumped up and down clapping excitedly.  A group of children came on too and danced.  Ben was very excited by the somersaults that they did.  Then the Princess came on.  Ben screamed with delight, clapped and jumped.  Tony Bear cheered and waved.  

     Aladdin gave his brother Wishy Washy the lamp to look after while he went to get ready for his marriage.  Then the bad Wizard turned up.  Tony Bear booed and Ben signed bad,  he stamped his foot in anger.  The bad Wizard wanted Wishy to swap the old lamp for a new one.  But Wishy knew that he had no right to do this as the lamp did not belong to him.  The wizard knocked into Wishy. Lamps went flying everywhere.  The bad Wizard got the lamp and rubbed it.

    The Genii appeared. 

    The bad wizard  got  the Genii to send Aladdin and everyone else miles away.   The Genii cast a spell on the King and got the King to say that the bad Wizard was going to marry the Princess.   Ben got upset and started to make a lot of noise.  

     This wasn't right.  The bad man was not supposed to marry the Princess.  

     " It's alright Ben.  Remember it is just a story.  " Mummy grabbed him and gave him a hug to calm him down.

     " Aladdin is coming Ben. He wont let the bad Wizard marry Jasmine. " Said Tony Bear.  Tony swallowed hard and looked about the stage.  There was no sign of Aladdin.  The lights went down and the curtains closed on the bad man laughing nastily.

     A few seconds later the curtians opened again.  Aladdin was in the desert with his family.  None of them knew what to do but then Aladdin had an idea.  He still had the Genii of the Ring.  Aladdin rubbed the ring and the Genii appeared.  She made a magic carpet appear and Aladdin and his family were whisked back.  They were just in time to save Jasmine.

     Ben and Tony Bear cheered loudly as Aladdin and Jasmine were finally married.  Ben jumped up and down in time to the music as the whole cast sang happily.  Mummy and Daddy clapped.  The pantomime had been great fun.  Ben had really enjoyed himself in the end and Tony Bear, he could not wait to get back to the house and tell the other toys all about the wonderful story of Aladdin.