Snuggle in, little one — tonight's story travels far, far away, to a bright and busy town called Agrabah, where the streets smelled of hot bread and sweet oranges, and where every rooftop shone gold in the sunshine.
In one of the smallest houses on the narrowest lane lived a boy named Aladdin. Aladdin was not a prince. He was not rich. He didn't own even one pair of shoes that didn't have a hole in them. But oh, was he clever! And oh, was he cheeky! And oh, did he love his mother more than anything in the whole world.
Every morning, Aladdin's mother would sit at her spinning wheel and whisper, "Aladdin, please — go to the market. See if you can earn even one silver coin today."
And every morning, Aladdin would kiss her cheek, hop over the doorstep, and run out into the sunshine. But did he go straight to work? Not our Aladdin! First he had to say hello to the baker's cat. Then he had to peek at the parrots in their bamboo cages. Then he had to race the other market boys across the fountains — splash, splash, splash!
The shopkeepers would shake their fists. "Aladdin! Get down from there!"
Aladdin would grin and wave. "Sorry, uncle! Won't happen again, uncle!" And then, of course, it would happen again the very next morning.
Now — one very ordinary afternoon — something quite extraordinary happened.
Aladdin was sitting on the edge of a fountain, sharing half a mango with a stray dog, when a long shadow slid across the ground. He looked up.
Standing in front of him was a very tall stranger in a dark travelling cloak. The stranger had a long silver beard, sharp eyes like a hawk, and rings on every single finger. Nine rings! Aladdin counted them twice.
"Little boy," said the stranger, in a voice as smooth as honey, "is your name Aladdin?"
Aladdin blinked. "Yes, sir. How did you know?"
The stranger's face wobbled — first surprised, then sad, then very, very happy. He clapped his hands and cried out, "Oh, my dear boy! My dear, dear boy! I am your uncle! Your father's brother! I have travelled from far, faraway lands to find you!"
Well! Aladdin's mouth fell open like a little cave. He had never heard of any uncle. Not even one. But before he could say a word, the stranger pressed a heavy gold coin into his palm.
"Take this to your mother," said the stranger. "And tell her I shall come tomorrow, to have supper with my two most beloved family in the world."
Aladdin ran home so fast that his sandals nearly flew off. "Ammi, Ammi!" he shouted, tumbling through the door. "I have an uncle! A real one! With a beard and rings and a gold coin!"
His mother frowned. She turned the coin over in her hand. It was real gold, alright. "Aladdin," she said slowly, "your father had no brother. Not one. But… perhaps I never knew…"
And that's the funny thing about grown-ups, little one. Sometimes even they aren't sure what to believe when a stranger comes knocking with a smile too wide.
The next evening, sure enough, the tall stranger arrived. He brought a fat basket of fruits, a jar of honey, and a smaller pouch of jingling coins. He hugged Aladdin's mother and called her "sister." He hugged Aladdin and called him "my brave nephew." He ate three whole helpings of dinner. And by the end of the night, Aladdin's mother was laughing and wiping her eyes and saying, "How lucky we are! How lucky!"
Only the little grey cat by the door didn't laugh. She stared at the stranger and hissed softly, once. But nobody noticed.
Before leaving, the stranger placed his hand on Aladdin's shoulder. "My clever boy," he said, "tomorrow, come with me. I want to show you a wonderful place, just outside the town. There is a secret there — a treasure so bright, so beautiful, that once you see it, your life will never be the same again."
Aladdin's eyes went as wide as two full moons. Treasure! Adventure! Wonders outside the town!
He nodded so hard that his floppy hair bounced up and down.
That night, Aladdin lay on his little cot and could not sleep. He watched the moon peek in through the window and whispered to it, "Just wait, moon. Tomorrow, I will see something magical. I just know it."
And you know what, my sleepy one? He was right. Only… he had no idea just how magical it would be. Or how much trouble a magical thing can bring, when it comes wrapped in the smile of a stranger.
Sweet dreams, little dreamer. Tomorrow night, we'll follow Aladdin out through the tall town gates — and into a mountain that opens like a mouth.