Aladdin

Chapter 1

A woman smiled as children came over, laughing and smiling. "Sit, children. I think it's time that I told you the story...of Aladdin, the princess, and the lamp,"

"What's so special about a lamp?" A little girl asked.

"Oh, this is a magic lamp,"

"Maybe if you sing," A boy suggested.

"It's better when you sing," Another girl nodded in agreement.

The woman chuckled. "Very well...."

Oh, I come from a land

From a faraway place

Where the caravan camels roam

Where it's flat and immense

And the heat is intense

It's barbaric, but hey, it's home

When the wind's from the east and the sun's from the west

And the sand in the glass is right

Come on down, stop on by

Hop a carpet and fly

To another Arabian night

Arabian nights

Like Arabian days

More often than not

Are hotter than hot

In a lot of good ways

Arabian nights

'Neath Arabian moons

A fool off his guard could fall and fall hard

Out there on the dunes

Jafar looked down at the man as he arrived by horse; Iago was on his shoulder. "You are late,"

"A thousand apologies, O patient one," The man apologized as he bowed before Jafar.

"You have it then?"

"I had to slit a few throats, but I got it," the man took out half of a golden scarab.

Jafar held out his hand for the item.

"Ah-ah-ah. The treasure,"

Iago flew down and grabbed the scarab.

"Ow!"

"Trust me, my pungent friend. You'll get what's coming to you," Jafar said as Iago dropped the item into his hand.

"What's coming to you. Awk!" Iago squawked.

Jafar took a similar piece of the golden scarab, and the parts combined caused it to come to life. "Quickly! Follow the trail," he took off on his horse after the flying golden scarab.

One of the dunes arose until it turned into the shape of a tiger's head. The mouth widened to reveal an opening to the cave.

"At last," Jafar breathed, "after all my years of searching, the Cave of Wonders,"

"Awk. Cave of Wonders," Iago echoed.

"By Allah," The thief mused as he looked upon the lion's head.

Jafar grabbed the thief by his shirt. "Now, remember. Bring me the lamp. The rest of the treasure is yours, but the lamp is mine,"

"Awk, the lamp. Awk, the lamp." Iago chanted as the thief headed towards the Cave. "Jeez, where'd you dig this bozo up?"

"Shh," Jafar hushed the parrot.

"Who disturbs my slumber?" The Cave questioned as the thief approached.

"It is I, Gazeem, a humble thief," The thief stuttered as he bowed before the cave.

"Know this. Only one may enter here, one whose worth lies far within. A diamond in the rough,"

Gazeem looked back at Jafar.

"What are you waiting for? Go on," Jafar said.

Gazeem moved hesitantly into the mouth of the cave. He released a sigh of relief when it seemed nothing was going to happen.

The Cave of Wonders let out a roar as it closed its mouth on Gazeem, burying him in the sands for all time.

"No!" Jafar exclaimed.

"Seek thee out the diamond in the rough," The Cave declared as it sifted back into the sands of the desert.