Aladdin's New Genie

Once upon a time, there was a young man named Aladdin.

His mother was poor, but honest, a seamstress and weaver. 

But Aladdin's morals, well that's another story. 

He was already known as a great deceiver.

And on the day of her death, or rather, the day after,

he found that he lacked all kinds of a talent

for working.  But he was good at one thing.

At theft, he was more than competent.

And one day, a woman in a robe of green,

with crimson hair like a wildfire,

was walking along the street buying new herbs,

when guards rushed around her, full of ire.

A young man before her jumped into the shadows

of a building that was near them that day.

The guards ran past the building, bypassing the two people.

He came out, and stole her ring quite away.

All that night, he marveled at the beautiful ring.

Though it was beautiful, it seemed worthless.

So he put it away, for he had his true prize.

A thousand gold coins, more than enough to redress

the debts he'd run up from his refusal to work,

and plenty left to buy the very best.

It was at the next morning that the woman came up.

She knocked on his door, which awakened the boy.

He looked through the window, and noticed it was her.

So he fled to the attic, an old trick well-deployed.

Her response was to cast a spell upon the door,

making it open.  Then she found him, which hardly brought him joy.

"Return the ring to me.  For it must be destroyed,"

the woman warned.  "I cannot let you have it."

Aladdin laughed at her.  And he laughed and he laughed.

Then she made lightning, silencing him.  "That ring is tragic."

She searches through the house,

using a candlestick for dowsing.

Until she comes to the ring,

the prize of all her browsing. 

Then she takes the ring, but Aladdin tries to steal it.

And accidentally rubs it, the results he finds astounding.

For out from the ring emerges a genie,

who bows gracefully to Aladdin.

"Thank you for liberating me from the prison I was in.

Now I'll grant you three wishes, my master."

"Do not ask those wishes," the woman quite warned.

Aladdin pushed her down, and said, "Make me faster!"

The genie touched Aladdin, and as soon as he did,

Aladdin could move more quickly than the Flash.

The woman shook her head, knowing what would take place.

While Aladdin declared, "I want a million in cash!"

The genie once more worked his magical art,

and in gold coins, the house was awash.

Aladdin was amazed, and he could not believe

the good luck that had come from this ring.

"Can you really do whatever I ask?

If you can, good genie, make me a King!"

So the genie complied.  And down fell a crown,

which landed on Aladdin's head and felt like a ring.

The genie then laughed.  And he turned to Aladdin.

"You stupid boy, your soul is mine to take!" 

The woman stepped in, creating a volcano on the spot,

threw the ring into the magma, and the genie faded away.

"I don't know what to say," Aladdin replied.  "Was he really going to take my soul?"

The woman said nothing, canceled the volcano, and walked away.

Aladdin discovered a deed on the floor.

"I am the King of all of of Revekkiat?"

He stepped outside, and people looked with amazement,

for he was King of Revekkiat, and standing in it.

It was the same nation he'd been in before he rubbed the ring,

and here he was now, the King in less than a minute.

The same guards who once chased him

were now forced to bow.

And his debts were forgiven,

along with his thefts, as of now.

"On this day, I proclaim a wonderful new way.

Let us have a grand celebration, I don't care how!"

The people partied, and even the woman was there.

They celebrated their new King any way they could think of.

And as the new King was proclaimed through the world,

along came a woman, who was smitted with love.

Her father brought her to Aladdin, and her beauty shocked him.

"Why, hello there, my beautiful dove."

"Her name is Badroulbadour, my daughter.

And I am the Emperor of Qalstenbalm."

She blinked at him, and enflamed his lusts.

Then he gently took her into his palm.

And before he could think, he called to a priest.

"I've chosen to marry her.  Perform it, without qualms!"

And the witch walked off shaking her head.

"This boy has no clue what he's doing.

So much power, so fast.  When he's so immature.

He'll bring Revekkiat to ruin." 

And so she went off, leaving the nation for home,

certain that something would have to be done.

For a month, the nation was full of good cheer.

It was a party every night, depleting the foodstuffs.

Only a handful began to notice signs of coming trouble.

Everyone else enjoyed their good luck.

Badroulbadour quickly discovered she, and her father,

had to run the country, for Aladdin was vain and cared only for looks.

And within two month's time,

all the money ran out.

And the land of Revekkiat

was subject to a terrible drought.

The witch went around, helping out who she could,

but magic can't fight mismanagement, and there was no doubt

The Emperor and his daughter, tried their best to rule reasonably.

Aladdin, they found, was too vain to rule, let alone survive.

Though Aladdin soon learned when the King does something, it's not illegal.

So, to restore funding, he went back to crime.

But the people got mad, since they couldn't get food.

And they couldn't get rain, they were running out of time.

So the Emperor came to Aladdin one day,

confronted him, and found out about the ring.

"You mean to tell me that you put in charge,

because a genie gave you wealth and made you a King?

The nation of Revekkiat is falling apart at the seams.

Don't you care about anything?"

Finally, Aladdin had a brilliant idea. 

"Telling the story reminded me of how I got here.

So suppose I go out and find another genie?

He can bring us more rain, wealth, and abundance for years!"

So he made up his mind, and sent his men out

to find any sorcerer that was anywhere near.

They brought back the witch, for she came willingly.

As it turns out, she had been making ice spells,

which in the heat of the desert,

would rapidly melt.

Otherwise the drought would be worse

than any of them had ever felt.

She quickly dismissed Aladdin's request.

"It is time that you come up with a better plan

than reliance on magic and genies."

He stared at her, enraged.  "Do as I command.

Show me where to find another genie as fast as you can!"

Shaking her head, she promptly replied.  "You'll find a lamp with one in the mountain."

So Aladdin ran off straight to the mountains.

He went alone, a master thief

who felt it unwise to reveal to his guards

how he did it, a thief's secrets, if you please.

He searched for the lamp, and exactly as she said,

he found the lamp, and carried it home, which gave him great relief.

Then he rubbed the lamp, and a genie came out.

He found that the genie was the same one from before.

"Oh no," said Aladdin.  And he searched for the witch.

But she turned her back on him, and headed out the door.

"Please help me," Aladdin fearfully beseeched,

as the genie chased him around the room, and soon trapped him on the floor.

So she cast a new spell, a hurricane this time.

It tore the throne room, to bits, leaving it in tatters.

But her sorcery also captured Aladdin's clothes, the genie, and the lamp,

throwing them against the wall and shatting the lamp to pieces.

And she threw out her hands, and the wall disappeared. 

The people noticed their ruined, skyclad leader.

"The King has no clothes," the woman declared.

"He's a thief and a fool.  Not a monarch."

The people charged up to the palace,

while Badroulbadour threw Aladdin out with help from the guards.

The witch stood beside him, and created a shield.

"Stay back," she declared, protecting him from harm.

Aladdin quivered with fear, feeling his time had come.

But she helped him stand up.  "We will put this right."

Then she gathered her strength, and she cast a great spell

that covered the mountain in gallons of quickly-melting ice.

"Will you teach me to cast spells, my witch?  For a place in my court."

"No," she countered.  "But I will teach you wisdom, and how to rule right." 

And then, with the shield to protect him from harm,

she led Aladdin back into his castle, and he started to dance.

So she slapped him, which dropped him.

"Boy, this is your last chance.  Emperor, if you please?"

She and the Emperor took Aladdin to a dark room,

in the ways of wise rulership to educate him.