Rajah's Surprise
Based upon an idea by Austin and Marco
By Marco Merkelijn
"Oh Rajah" Jasmine walks to her big cat and hugged him. "You're the best friend and pet a girl can have." Rajah had a big smile across his face. He stood up and rubbed his head to Jasmine's legs. She pets him on the head a content purr said that Rajah happy. Jasmine sat down on some pillows on the ground in her room Rajah laid down on her right purring. Suddenly a flash of bright light blinded the tiger. Moments later he opened them again. He was starring at a wooden board, when the tiger looked higher he found out that he was looking at a bed. The confused expression on Rajah's face said that he didn't understand where the bed suddenly came from. The tiger rose and looked over the edge of the bed. In the bed he saw his mistress and Aladdin sleeping even more confused Rajah looked around where he was. It was the royal bedroom, the room Jasmine and Aladdin slept after they got married. Then Rajah realized he must have been dreaming a big smile came across the face of the tiger. He walked to Jasmine's side of the bed and rubbed his nose to her arm hanging outside to bed. The princess made some noises but didn't wake up. With a wry face Rajah thought how to get her waking up. He decided to try with more force, Rajah lifted his pawn on the bed near Jasmine's legs and shook gently. The princess moved but turned to her other side. The big cat signed and grinned at the same time. He put both pawns on the bed moved his head to a bare shoulder of his mistress and licked it. Jasmine yelled feeling the rough tongue on her shoulder and sat straight up in a second. Aladdin woke up with a start, in a split second he stood next to bed ready for a fight. Abu had seen it all happen and rolled over the ground of laughing he just couldn't stop. Aladdin gave his old friend a look so the monkey stopped laughing. Jasmine looked angry at Rajah "Rajah that wasn't nice to startle me like that!" The tiger looked innocent with his big brown eyes at the princess. "Oh Rajah, I know you didn't do it on purpose but next time please don't scare me like that." She smiled, stood up, walked to her pet and hugged him. Then turned to her husband "I'm sorry Aladdin, Rajah is sometimes very naughty." Aladdin relaxed "It's okay Jasmine." He looked out of the window to the sky. "Rajah woke us up just in time, it must be around 9 O'clock. We should get dressed and join the others in the breakfast room." Jasmine nodded. The prince and princess quickly dressed themselves just before they left Jasmine walked over to Rajah. "Rajah behave yourself in the kitchen okay?" The tiger smiled. "Good boy now go and get your breakfast" Rajah stood up and ran out of the room through the hallways to the palace kitchen.
"Ah Namer how are you today?" Badi the head cook for the palace said to the tiger coming into the kitchen. Rajah made some sounds. "Aw he's so cute!" Sharica said, who is one of Badi's helpers. She was early 30's, pretty, short black hair with green eyes. Sharica had a weakness for Rajah, when Jasmine was to little to walk with Rajah and did some wrestling. Rajah turned the affection by being very nice to her. He saw her as his second mistress. Sharica threw her arms around the huge tiger and gave him a hug. Rajah purred enjoying the affection. "Now Rajah what do you want to eat this morning? Meat from camel, elephant or horse?" Badi asked the royal tiger. Rajah looked as if he was thinking he looks from one plate with meat to the other. Smelled the scent of his breakfast. "I would choose horse" Sharica whispered in his ear. From the corner of his eye Rajah gave a friend a look as if he said, "I understand." Princess Jasmine's tiger placed his right paw on the plate with the horse. "Good choice Namer enjoy!" the cook said. "Now to lay the final hand on the royal breakfast this morning" Badi said while turning his attention to the kitchen. Rajah quickly ate his meal then said goodbye to Sharica by licking her hand. "Bye Rajah see you later" she waved goodbye to the tiger who already had left the kitchen. On his way to Jasmine and Aladdin in the breakfast room Rajah walked trough a quiet wing of the palace. It where the chambers of the former grand vizier Jafar, he never liked him. The Sultan never saw how evil he was but Rajah did and inside the tiger knew that Jasmine always had suspected something wasn't right with the wizard. The tiger hold still in the center of the hallway connecting most of Jafar's chambers. A memory of an incident came back.
"But father I don't trust Jafar. I can't tell you how or why but I feel that something is not right with that man."
"But dearest, Jafar has always been loyal to me. I don't have any proof that supports your feeling" the Sultan said to his 8-year-old daughter. "Why not father? I'm the princess, I'm suppose have a good judgment about people!" Little Jasmine hollered grabbing her fathers arm. The Sultan sighed "Jasmine you're too young to be able to judge people and even more because Jafar is a member of the royal court. I couldn't rule this kingdom without him." He said gently.
"Oh father!" Jasmine got upset that her father didn't believe her turned around walked out of the throne room. Leaving a sad Sultan and a desperate tiger kitten behind. Rajah looked up at the Sultan "It's okay Rajah go after her, comfort her." Rajah stood up and as quick as his short paws could carry him he got after the princess. He lost her out of his sight but he knew where she was heading. When he entered the princess bedchamber he saw the young princess laying on her bed she was crying. The sight of the young princess crying gave the big cat a sad feeling inside. He got closer to her and rubbed his head to her arm. She looked the tiger straight in the eye trough her tears she smiled "Rajah you're the only friend I have here in this palace and the only one who believes me." She sat up at the edge of her bed and hugged and holds the tiger in her arms. Tough in the 4 years she had him the tiger grew very fast she could manage to lift him or her lap. "I hope to find someone some day that believes me too and is just a good friend as you Rajah. Now I'm going to take a nap, I'm tired." Little Rajah understood and jumped of her lap. Made a few rounds on the ground then laid down. Jasmine smiled at the tiger "You stay here? I love you Rajah" She said with a low voice then laid down again, closed her eyes and slept.
How could she ever know that then that 10 years later she would find her true love in her a streetrat? She couldn't know that. I'm glad Aladdin came into her life, he's just the right person for her. Rajah thought when noticed that he still was standing in the hall. Quickly he headed to the breakfast room where Jasmine, Aladdin, Genie, Abu off course the Sultan and the parrot where. "Jasmine he's eaten right?" Iago asked with fear in his voice. The married couple laughed "He's just coming back from eating his breakfast." Jasmine said to Iago who already had moved to the other end of the table. Rajah shook his head he wasn't in the mood to hunt the parrot today. He laid down on Jasmine's left side keeping an eye out of any sign of danger. "Say princess how does it feel to have your own body-tiger-guard?" Genie joked. "Good, it feels good to know I'm guarded by Rajah. And in the situations he can't look out for my safety I always have Aladdin." She smiled saying the last words. "And there is Rasoul and the palace guards off course" Sultan said. The rest of the breakfast the royal family talked about things that didn't interested Rajah and so he slept till his mistress was done eating and left the table.
"Rajah, Aladdin and myself have to do some royal things. When I get back we will play okay?" Jasmine said to her pet tiger while they walked trough the hallways of the palace joined by Abu and Genie. "Monkey man why don't you keep Rajah company while Jasmine is away?" Genie said zapping the monkey into a tiger. "Genie please make him normal, there's only one tiger around this palace and you're looking at him now." Jasmine said smiling. Genie stared at Rajah then at Abu in tiger form. "Okay how about this one?" he turned rajah into a gorilla. "Genie stop it!" Jasmine giggled at the look of the gorilla face. "Jasmine did you ever think about how it would be if you had a lion at pet?"
"Genie no!!" she hollered it was so funny. Genie turned into a blue lion "Hi I'm Simba king of the animals." The blue lion said. "Stop please Genie!" Jasmine managed to say before she had to sat down. Rajah, still as gorilla came closer to Jasmine. The princess of Agrabah holds her belly sitting against a wall. "What's going on here?" Aladdin asked.
"Oh Aladdin how long are you standing there? Look it's so funny!" Jasmine said laughing.
When he turned a corner Aladdin saw the strange scene playing before him, a gorilla, Abu as tiger and a blue lion add to that Jasmine sitting on the floor laughing it was such a strange sight that he just had to burst into laughter. Aladdin had heard Jasmine laughing and wondered why she had so much fun. "Genie is on one of his tricks again, this is so funny I just to sit down!" Jasmine told Aladdin she was calming down now. Genie turned the animals back to normal and help Jasmine on her feet. With a zap Genie was wearing a suit with tie having a briefcase in his right hand.
"Now to the royal stuff." He said on a royal tone. Abu jumped on Rajah's back and waved to the others who walked away to the throne room. When they had turned a corner and disappeared out of his sight Rajah turned around walked slowly to Jasmine's old chamber. She had given it to him when he needed to be alone, sometimes at night when she couldn't sleep Jasmine could also be found there. Rajah and she still had often-long talks where Rajah just listened.
The tiger and monkey entered the room, it was dark in the room. The curtains where still closed. Rajah needed a few seconds to adjust his eyes to the darkness then found his rug there he fell asleep with Abu snoring on his back.
In the throne room they met the Sultan again he was reading some papers. "Hi father what are you reading?" Jasmine asked. The Sultan looked up at his daughter, "this is a plan to help the poor people of Agrabah." Turning to Aladdin "My boy you did a good job, raising taxes for the richer people just a little and creating jobs for the ones without jobs. Also this plan to help the widows and orphans is a good plan."
"Thank you your highness, I see if I can think of any thing else. I will let you know then." Aladdin told his father-in-law.
"Father I think with the plans we can already help allot poor people." Genie made a table with a map of the city appear in the middle of the room. "I have an idea, let's provide them with free food." He pointed at several spots on the map. "Here we can setup a stand or something to spread the food." "No Genie not free food, they have to do something in return. It's better that way cause they might get used to getting free food."
"I agree with Aladdin. It's better they do work for it or something. We should also encourage the richer merchants to help the poor people." Jasmine said. The Genie and the royal family discussed for the rest of the morning about the plans.
"Father, Aladdin if you don't mind I've to go now. I promised the play with Rajah in the garden."
"That's okay dearest." The Sultan said coming to his daughter and hugged her. "Have fun Jasmine." Aladdin said he kissed her on the cheek and looked at her while she left the room.
"Rajah are you awake?" Jasmine asked when she entered the dark room. She knew her way there very well, even the in the dark she knew where the door to the balcony was. She shove the curtains away, the room filled with sun light. The brightness didn't bother the big cat that turned to his other side Abu fell onto the ground while Rajah was turning. The monkey was instantly awake and scolded him. Jasmine giggled at the scene.
"Rajah wake up! If you want to play." Rajah turned his head in the direction of the voice. He had something like, "well if you insist." He stood up, yawned, stretched and walked toward Jasmine. He rubbed his hand to her hand.
"Rajah you're a lazy cat, I spoiled you to much." She said smiling. The princess and Rajah got outside near the fountain. "What do you want to do Rajah?" Jasmine asked. Suddenly the tiger jumped at her knocking her over. The two wrestled rolling over the ground, most people that knew Jasmine didn't think she would be a match for Rajah. She always surprised them when she pinned her tiger to the ground. Jasmine tells them they're doing it for many years and that way she learned the weak spots of her pet tiger. Rolling over the ground Rajah has a lot of fun trying to defeat his mistress. Aladdin was looking down at his wife and her pet tiger from a balcony, smile across his face. Neither Jasmine nor Rajah knew that Aladdin, sometimes joined by the Sultan and Genie, often watched the daily wrestling of Princess Jasmine and Rajah. Aladdin looked away to the city stretching out in the afternoon sun.
"Aladdin I'm glad that Jasmine always had Rajah before she met you. I think he made her feel not so lonely in this palace. When she was a little girl I was often to busy with being a sultan then being her father. Rajah took a lot of pressure of my shoulders being her friend. Rajah loyalty to Jasmine is admirable. Before you no person could come close to her without Rajah approval." The sultan laughed. Aladdin looked at him, he didn't need to know why he was laughing. "Suitors?" he said started laughing himself. The Sultan nodded and laughed even more. The prince and the sultan laughed for a few minutes. Then Aladdin got serious again, "you know your Highness. I don't think doesn't really need Rajah to protect her anymore. We saw what she can do, every villain and bad guy in and around Agrabah would fear her. But I agree I'm glad that we always can count on Rajah to protect her. Only a few opponents can match Rajah, but all needed some form of magic."
The memory of that conversation between him and the Sultan fades away when he heard Jasmine yelling. He looked down.
Jasmine pushed Rajah of her, she jumped to her feet. Rajah did a few passes away from her then turned around to face her. Both Rajah's and Jasmine's muscles tighten. Who would make the first move. The seconds passed to Jasmine they seemed like minutes. Then Rajah made his move, he sprinted toward Jasmine. The princess stayed cool, the second before Rajah would hit her she stepped away. Rajah couldn't break in time and shot trough right in the palace fountain. Jasmine laughed, "I won!" The wet head of Rajah sticks out above the water. He didn't look happy at all.
Rasoul passed the tiger he stood still looking at the wet animal licking himself dry in the sun. "Did Princess Jasmine get you again tiger?" The guard said with a grin. Rajah shot a mean look at Rasoul. "Okay I leave you alone." Rasoul said frightened by the look in Rajah's eyes, but even more of his sharp teeth. The guard walked away Rajah looked till his was gone. The Princess her pet laid his head on his front paws, closed his eyes to get some sleep while he dried further in the desert sun.
Rajah heard some sounds in the distance. "Rajiek wiek iep!!" He didn't pay any attention to. "Rajiek wiek iep!!" He heard again. When the tiger opened one of his eyes he saw Abu jumping up and down before his face. Rajah opened both his eyes and yawned. When fully awake Abu whispered something in his ear. Rajah nodded with something that looked awful close to a grin on his face. The pet tiger got up and with Abu on his head he walked got inside the place again. Soon they found Rasoul in one of the rooms near the treasure room. Sneaking for behind Rajah closed in on him the suddenly without warning he roared. Rasoul jumped into the air pulling his sword. He aimed it at Rajah who, with one slap of his paw, let the sword fly away. Rajah showed his teeth again to scare the leader guard. Rasoul was trembling on his feet and backed away. "I-I- am sorry Rajah I never make a joke again!" he said to the tiger. Abu, still on Rajah's back, burst into laughter. Rajah did a few steps back to give Rasoul room to run for it. But not before Rajah used his claws the rip the guard's pants appeared. "Rajah what did I tell you about teasing the guards?" Rajah looked behind him and saw Jasmine standing with her hands on her hips. Rajah looked guilty. "Oh I can't stay mad at you Rajah." Rajah rubbed against her legs.
"But I have to go again Rajah. I see you later." Jasmine said and left with Abu on her shoulder. Rajah decided that is was time to make his daily round through the palace.
The east and west wings of the palace where save. Rajah noticed that he had end up in the servant's wing. His stomach was empty. Rajah thought that Sharica might have something to eat for him. She mostly had something behind when Rajah visited her room. The tiger was surprised not to find her in her room, he was certain that she was off work. He thought she might be in the palace kitchen. He ran trough the halls and hallways of the palace to the kitchen. He stormed trough the door, he got really hungry now. He found the kitchen empty not even the cleaners or servants where there. He got alarmed and speeded to Jasmine and Aladdin's chambers. No guards and no Jasmine were there. Rajah knew that something was wrong now, he needed help. The first place he thought of was the throne room he was sure that he could make the Sultan clear that something was going on.
Within two minutes the tiger was at the door of the throne room. They where closed and Aladdin was standing before it. Rajah almost thought that he was waiting for him. He pulled on his pants to get Aladdin go with him. "Rajah take it easy, let's play in the garden. Aladdin walked pass Rajah who didn't understand why Aladdin didn't go with him. Rajah jumped before Aladdin who was walking towards the garden. Jasmine's tiger roared telling Aladdin "Jasmine is in danger come with me."
Aladdin looked at Rajah and shrugged "Okay then we don't play, come let's go inside the throne room."
Rajah had totally lost it, he just couldn't understand why Aladdin wanted to go inside when Jasmine might be in danger. Didn't he love her anymore? Aladdin opened the doors for the tiger. "Surprise!!!"
"Happy birthday Rajah!" Rajah was blown away by the surprise. He looked around all his friends where present. In the middle of the room was a big cake with 15 candles on it. "Look Rajah." Aladdin pointed at words on the wall right against the door. "It says, Happy Birthday Rajah." Rajah smiled from ear to ear. He got allot of attention from everyone, hugs and pets on the heard. But the tiger was still very hungry then he saw the cake. He sported to it and jumped in the cake. Everyone laughed, they partied on for the rest of the day. Rajah had the best time in all his life.
The end.
Disclaimer: Rajah, Jasmine, Aladdin, Abu, Iago, Genie, The Sultan, Jafar and Rasoul are copyright Disney. Sharica and Badi are mine. Namer means tiger
Copyright 1999 Marco Merkelijn.
Rajah's Surprise by Merkal