Inspired by Disney’s Aladdin
Written by Marco Merkelijn 1999
The flute of the snakeman plays a melody the snake dances on the music. A few musicians are playing and some men are dancing and singing I something about an “High Adventure. It is a busy morning at the market. The market has been busy for ages. Dozens of stalls selling everything you can get in the seven deserts and there beyond food, fabric, pots, tools and so much things except magic. A man and a woman walk by my stall. The woman young about my age asks me “Do you have a carpet with a tiger head on it? Sir.” The man asks. “Yes sir. What fabric?” I ask him. The woman says “Do you have it in silk? Yes” I give her a purple carpet with a golden tiger head on it “That’s 150 dinar please.” The man, middle aged probably her father or uncle pays me. “It is a good idea uncle to give a carpet as a birthday gift” the young woman says the greet me “Thank you and good bye. You have a nice day too” I say to them.
I do a few stapes forward turn my head up to the sky to the sun. It will not be long before the sun is at his highest point it is already very hot. Looking at the people walking, buying and selling goods at the many stalls. I suddenly see a girl coming out of one of the streets she is reading a scroll she is slowly coming closer I recognize her it is Sadira a very nice girl. She walks along the market and holds still at a stall that sells bread she buys a loaf of bread and continues reading her scroll. She buys two apples at the apple stall. I hear someone yelling her name she looks up stops and looks at the direction of the voice a middle-aged woman waves at her she smiles and waves back and starts walking again she walks out of my eyesight. I turn to the other side of the market and see the palace dooming high above the houses of Agrabah.
It’s t a wonderful palace it is as old as the old city that was destroyed many years ago that’s what my grandfather told me when I was still an young boy much as happened since than. Now I am a merchant selling pots, pans and carpets doing good business and it is only 12 years later. It is hot. I open one of my waterbottles and took a drink at the bottle. It cools me down a little. Two men that were walking on the market draw my attention. The short little man with a turban on his head looks like not so smart the second man taller than the first looks smarter then the first one. I see them many times on the market. I heard that they are members of a club of thief’s and they can be find in a place called Skull and Dagger in one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city. “If I only can remember their names O yes I remember now they are Abis-Mal and his sidekick Haroud”. “What are they up to today?” I walked a little closer to keep them in sight. They are walking along some stalls looking innocent but meanwhile stealing the moneybags of the customers of the merchants suddenly Abis-mal bummed into something big he looks up and sees Razoul standing with his sword in his hand. I hear the head of the guards say “what are you doing here?” With a tiny voice barley hearable above the music Abis-Mal says nothing and they try to run but some other guards are blocking their way they arrest them and drag them away. I smile “Good for them”.
It was almost noon and the sun is on his highest point and heat almost not bearable. I sit down at my stall I have had only a few customers today. I took another drink out of my waterbottle it is refreshing. I sigh again, stand up, and see a woman standing for my stall looking at the carpets I have for sell.“ “Sir” she looks up to me. “What costs this carpet? 20 dinars madam. That is a nice price for such a carpet I think I take it” she turns it around and examines it. ”Yes I take it” she gave me money I roll up the carpet, and give it to her and greet her she greets back and walks away. About half an hour later, it is the hottest moment of the day. Suddenly a dark tall man with a parrot on his shoulder stands in front of my stable. “Have you a sandwatch for me?” I answer “No sir I am sorry, but 3 stalls ahead you can buy sandwatches” the man thanked me for the information and walks away I hear the parrot saying “Awk Sandwatches, Sandwatches for Jafar”. I my eyes follow him. He looks as the look like a sorcerer “But if he is one why wants he a sandwatch it is much easier to make one with his magic.” I say to myself. O well maybe his is not a sorcerer after all I forget the man soon.
The rest of the day passes and nothing happens it was way after sunset when the merchants closed their stalls for today I was one of the last merchants to close my stall. While walking home with my camel packet with my merchandise. Thinking about today’s events. The arrest of Abis-Mal and Haroud and tall dark man that looks like a sorcerer and Sadira. Before I realized, I was home. I unload the camel and brought the merchandise inside. After I was finished, I sat down to rest and to count the money I had earned today. “Not bad for a day in the week” I put the money away save for thieves. It was late when I got to bed for a good night sleep. In the middle of the night, something or someone waked me. I listened. “Nothing” Knowing of the club of thieves that comes in the night and steals money I get out of bed walked carefully to my window. I looked out of it the moon was full, enough light to read a scroll down at the street everything was quiet to quiet. Step by step I walked down the stairs at the bottom I stood still looking around. “Noting!” I walked to the stable. I entered it only the camel was sleeping in the hay. Relived that every thing was normal I locked the stable again and got to sleep. The rest of the night passes.
The next day stared as all others, before twelve I already sold half of my merchandise. I knew that a caravan with more goods would arrive later where I could buy more goods. Slowly the day passes it is around 2 O'clock when I see a young girl walking on the market. I do not know her she seems new at the market she looks a little unsure when she passes I give her a smile she smiles back she looks like a nice girl I can see her face better now.
She is beautiful I turn my head to keep her in my sight. She walks further along the market and stops by the apple stall to give an apple to a little boy, the merchant sees it and demands money from her. Every one stops with they are doing even the music stops for a moment. I start walking toward them “This is going out of hand” I say to myself. Afraid he will hurt her I hold my breath when the man pulls his sword, grabs her wrist and pulls it down. Just before I want to help her, a young man saves her by saying she is his is sister. The girl is relieved but a little surprised. Looking at her reaction, she is not his sister the merchant is telling the boy who I now recognize as Aladdin, a streetrat always stealing and always to smart for the guards to being caught by them. I clearly hear what they say “She is a little crazy. Now come along sis we are going to the doctor” the girl greets a surprised camel “O hallo doctor how are you?” Aladdin is pushing the girl ahead him and greets the merchant. The man is looking very suspires at them. Then the monkey “What was his name again? O yes Abu” I thought aloud. Abu dropped some coins and apples. Aladdin, the girl and Abu escaped leaving the people on the market laughing behind. I laughed too. The mad merchants picked up the apples and swap the sand off them. In addition, places them on his stable again after a few minutes.
It was a few hours before the market closed the caravan arrived at the city. I closed the stall for today brought the goods home. After it I walked with my camel to the caravan that had stopped in the middle of the market it was busy but I managed to get enough goods for the rest of the week. I heard a voice behind me. “hey Merkal hurry up a little will you? I am already done, be my guest. Thanks.” The man who is employer by a rich man says.” Say how are you? I am fine” I answered “I did good business today and had a good laugh. You mean that boy what was his name again? Aladdin” I said. “Exactly, Aladdin and that nice girl that fooled the melon seller it was very funny. Well I must hurry before everything is gone, it was nice talking to you Merkal bye. I greeted him back and walked home. Stored my new goods save away, remembering the stories I hear about the thieves that come at night and steal your goods.
I decided to take to next day off to walk trough the city to relax as little. I avoided the market as much as I could I saw some friends of mine in an ally. I walked toward them they greet me I greeted them back and we talked a little. “Merkal did you hear about the kidnapping of the princess yesterday? No," I said “I heard that Jafar the grand vizier of the Sultan let the guards track her down. Please explain?” I asked him “I heard from one of the guards that a street rat did kidnapped her and asked for ransom of 10.000 dinar. That much?!” the other man said “Yes his name was Aladdin I think.” The first looked amazed at his friend ”But that cant be I saw Aladdin saving a girl from sudden death yesterday. He could not have kidnapped her. Yes” the second man said. “I saw them going to his place yesterday evening”. The first man says “Strange maybe it was the princess but nobody have ever seen the princess so we can't be sure. I doubt if he ever kidnapped her in the first place, he does not look a kidnapper to me.” What happened to him?” the second man asked “According to the guard he has been headed. But” the first man begins “I heard from another guard that he had heard the princess screaming at Jafar. He said she was very mad at him about something he did“. “Well nice talking to you guys but I have a business to run” the first man said. He walks away. The second man said goodbye to me, and I continue my walk trough the city. I do not know how but I ended up in a part of the city I did not recognize. Turning a corner, I see some people standing behind stalls “Another Market?” I asked myself. I hear a man screaming
Towns for sell, very cheap.
Miss, do you want to buy a town from me.
I have a special offer just for you
a town called Aladdin
Walking along the small market I saw some more strange items for sell, magic sand even someone tries to sell me a black box of a material I don't recognize. The merchant says that it is a videotape. I look questioning at him “Sir what is a video tape?” I look down at the videotape I have in my hands when I see a long man with a blindfold before his eyes. “Niet alles is wat het lijkt” he says in a language that I do not understand. “What did you say sir?” he repeats it in Arabian “Noting is what is seems to be.” I give the videotape back to merchant. I walk pas the market when I turn around to look at it once more there is a wall. “Did I dream it?” I question myself. While walking to home I think of it but still did not find an explanation for it.
A few hours later I hear music and noise from the market. I stood up from my chair were I was reading a scroll about doing better business. And ran toward the market seeing there a huge party coming form the city gates it was a song about a certain Prince Ali. It was a nice song but he was not the first prince to come here to ask the hand of our princess. They are come and as fast as they came, they were gone. Smiling and thinking “I am going to like the princess if, I ever meet her. Let’s hope he will be the prince of her dreams”.
The day passes, and still no one has seen the prince seen coming out of the palace gates. It was dark and the market where already closed for hours I climbed onto my roof to see the palace. Suddenly I saw a carpet flying away with the prince and the princess from the palace. “That carpet looks a lot like the one I sold a few days ago” Within minutes they where gone. The next day the royal reports called the people together on the square before the palace of the Sultan. He announces that his daughter princess Jasmine has chosen a husband the new ruler of Agrabah will be Prince Ali he said. Just when the prince joined the Sultan and princess a huge creature, a Genie 20 times as big as the palace lifted the palace into the air and placed it on a mountaintop. Screaming people are running away from the palace. Minutes later I see a tower of the palace flying away to the north.
Life in Agrabah stood still that day not knowing it wasn't the last time their peaceful lives will be ripped apart. Hours passes people are escaping from the city trying to survive. Headstrong as my dad and his dad I decided not to run away too soon and remembering the words of the blind man “Noting is what is seems to be” I stayed when most of the people are leaving. Not long after that, Aladdin flies over on a magic carpet heading to the palace. I do not know what happened there but an hour later the palace is back on his old place again and the sun is shining. I walk to the palace when I arrive I see hundreds of people standing looking at the Sultan's balcony he announces that the people are safe again and promises us that there won't be a second time. His second announce is that his daughter is going to marry with Aladdin and saying that he would let the complete story spread among the people.
In the next few days, the people of Agrabah are returning to their homes. My friends were back too. I invited them over for dinner. Slowly one by one arrived only one could not come he had to repair his home. After our dinner we talked about everything that had happened the last few days. “So does anyone know where the Princess and Aladdin are now? I think they are on their honeymoon.” said one. “No that can't be there was no wedding. Yes you are right but I saw them flying of to the south they seem very in love. They were singing a song. Let me think a minute O yes this was what they were singing:
A Whole New Life
For You And Me