Genie in a Bottle Read online

  “Because I know it has giants in it! And climbing! And it’s not a princess story! We are always falling into princess stories. Would it kill us to climb into a giant’s story?”

  “Hey, I don’t choose the fairy tales,” I say with a shrug. “I just fall into them. Take it up with Maryrose.”

  “I will if she talks to us again,” Jonah says. He looks around once more. “So where do you think we are?”

  “Um …” I’m really not sure. There’s definitely no fairy tale about duckball. At least not one that I’ve ever heard of. “What fairy tales have balls in them?”

  “Oh!” Jonah cheers. “Cinderella?”

  I laugh. “Not that kind of ball.”

  He giggles. “Duh. I guess the The Frog Prince. But we were just in that one.”

  Prince barks.

  We watch as one of the duck/dodgeballs goes flying in the air. The nice boy who apologized to me catches the ball with one hand.

  “Catchers keepers!” he yells.

  The girl with the ponytail cheers. “Good catch, Aladdin!”

  Aladdin?

  Aladdin!

  Did you hear that, Jonah?” I whisper excitedly.

  “That she called him Aladdin?”

  “Yes! Do you know what that means?”

  He squints at me. “That his name is Aladdin?”

  “Yes. And that means that we’re in the story of …” I wait for him to figure it out.

  He bites his lip and thinks for a moment. “Jack and the Beanstalk?”

  “Jonah!” I slap my palm against my forehead.

  “I’m kidding, I’m kidding,” Jonah laughs. “It’s the story of Aladdin. Probably. Unless Jack has a friend named Aladdin. That’s possible, too.”

  “Possible,” I say. “But unlikely. We’re in the story of Aladdin.”

  “Fun!” Jonah rocks back and forth on his heels. “I want to ride a magic carpet! Where are the magic carpets?”

  Prince starts wagging his tail. I guess dogs like the sound of flying carpets, too. Who doesn’t?

  “Um … I have bad news,” I tell Jonah. “There are no magic carpets in the original story.”

  “What?” he asks, deflating like a two-day-old balloon. “No magic carpets? How can that be?”

  “Well, there are flying carpets in other stories in The Thousand and One Nights, but not in the story of Aladdin.”

  Jonah frowns and kicks at a little rock on the ground. “But … but … what’s the point of being in Aladdin if we can’t ride a magic carpet?”

  “There are other magic things,” I say. “Like a magic lamp! And a magic ring!”

  Jonah looks doubtful. “Do they fly?”

  “Not exactly,” I admit.

  “You better tell me the whole story,” he says. He hoists himself up on the stone wall. “Guess I should make myself comfortable.”

  Prince curls up below Jonah’s dangling feet and closes his eyes.

  Now I just have to remember the tale. My nana read us stories from The Thousand and One Nights over the years. And I read some of those stories recently myself — including the one about Aladdin.

  That’s one of the books our school library does have. But their version is called The Arabian Nights and only includes some of the stories.

  “Here goes,” I say to Jonah. “Once upon a time, there was an evil magician.”

  “Jafar!” Jonah says. “I remember him from the movie about Aladdin!”

  “That’s not his real name,” I say. “That’s just his name in the movie. The movie is pretty different from the real story. In the book, I think he was just called Evil Magician. So, the evil magician heard about a magic lamp with amazing powers. Of course he wanted it for himself, but he needed someone else to get it for him.”

  I yawn. I wish I’d gotten more sleep the past few days.

  “Anyway,” I continue, “the evil magician sees Aladdin and tells him that if Aladdin does him a favor, he’ll make Aladdin rich and successful. So they go through the desert until they get to a cave.”

  Jonah raises his hand. “And you’re sure they don’t go through the desert on a magic carpet?”

  Did I not already tell him there is no magic carpet? I ignore the question.

  “Once they’re at the cave, the evil magician gives Aladdin his magic ring to wear. Aladdin puts the ring on and then descends into the cave. It’s scary, but there are also jewels hanging on trees like fruit. Aladdin takes some jewels and then finds the lamp. He goes back to the mouth of the cave and tells the evil magician that he has the lamp. The magician tells him to pass it up to him and then he’ll help him out of the cave.”

  Jonah tenses up. “That sounds so sketchy! I don’t trust the evil magician at all!”

  “Good! You shouldn’t! He was planning on taking the lamp and closing the cave around Aladdin. But! Aladdin thought he was being sketchy, too. So he refused to give up the lamp until the evil magician helped him out. The magician got so mad he closed the cave on Aladdin!”

  “Oh, no!”

  “So Aladdin is stuck in the cave. But then he accidentally rubs the ring and a genie pops out!”

  Jonah’s mouth drops open. “I thought the genie was in the lamp?”

  “Yes. But this is another genie.”

  His eyes light up. “How many genies are there?”

  “Two. So of course Aladdin asks to be wished out of the cave. Then when he gets back to his house, his mother tries to clean the lamp — and a genie pops out of that, too.”

  “The real one!”

  “Yup. Aladdin wishes for some food. And food appears! And fancy plates! It’s great. Anyway, one day Aladdin accidentally spies the princess.”

  Jonah scratches his knee. “Jasmine? Or is that only her name in the movie?”

  I hoist myself up on the stone wall next to Jonah. “Only her name in the movie. In the story, it’s Badr-al-Badur. And Aladdin falls madly in love with her. Aladdin’s father had passed away, but his mother goes to the sultan, the princess’s dad, to ask if Aladdin and the princess can get married. The sultan says that Aladdin has to bring him forty buckets filled with jewels. Forty buckets! Impossible, right? The sultan doesn’t expect Aladdin to make that happen because Aladdin’s mom looks poor. But Aladdin has the genie of the lamp! Who has super-strong magic! And the genie makes it happen! And then the sultan has no choice but to agree to the marriage.”

  “So they get married? And live happily ever after?”

  I shake my head. “Not yet. First Aladdin gets the genie in his lamp to build a beautiful palace for him and the princess to live in. But then the evil magician reappears and tricks the princess into giving him the magic lamp.”

  “Oh, no!”

  “The lamp genie pops out and has to grant the evil magician’s wish: that the new palace be moved to the other side of the world — along with the princess!”

  Jonah’s eyes widen. “Yikes.”

  “Yikes is right. But then Aladdin remembers his magic ring. He rubs it and asks the ring genie to send him over to the palace. When Aladdin finds the princess there, he tells her to put poison in the evil magician’s drink. It works. Aladdin takes the lamp and wishes them and the palace back home.”

  “And then they live happily ever after?”

  “Well, some more stuff happens, but yes, they do,” I say.

  “So now can I go play duckball?” Jonah asks. “Prince is being good. Look.”

  I glance down at Prince. He’s napping. I yawn again. I wish I could take a nap.

  I look over at the game. It does actually look like fun. “Okay, fine. Go ahead.”

  “Yay!” Jonah says, and runs over to Aladdin.

  “I can play, right?” Jonah asks him.

  Aladdin smiles. “Sure. But I’m pretty good, so watch out,” he says, and whams the ball at Jonah. But not that hard, I notice.

  Awww, Aladdin really is a nice guy.

  Jonah catches the ball and throws it at a boy. The ball bounces off his leg and
hits a girl in the stomach.

  The girl doubles over and at first I think she’s hurt, but she’s laughing. “Guess I’m out,” she says, and tosses me a ball.

  Oh, why not? I AM pretty good at dodgeball. I just hate the getting-hit-with-the-ball part.

  “Try to get me!” Aladdin calls to me, grinning. I grin back and throw the ball as hard as I can and —

  Oops. The ball hits him right in the face.

  GULP. His nose is bleeding!

  Oh, NO!

  “I am SO sorry!” I say, rushing over to him. “Are you okay?”

  Jonah runs over to us, too, looking worried.

  The rest of the kids stop playing and gather around.

  “I’ll be okay,” Aladdin says, covering his nose with his hand. But he doesn’t look that okay. “I’ll just run home for an ice pack. You guys keep playing!”

  The rest of the kids start the game again, but Jonah and I head back over to the stone wall, watching as Aladdin dashes off down the road.

  “I feel terrible,” I say. I started off wanting to help Maryrose and now I’ve ended up HURTING Aladdin!

  “Did we mess up the story?” Jonah whispers fearfully.

  My stomach tightens. “I don’t know,” I admit. “I hope not.”

  “Hey,” Jonah says, standing up on the wall. “Who’s that?”

  I grab his hand and yank him back down. Does he want to end up with a bloody nose, too?

  “Who?” I ask.

  Then I notice that a man has appeared on the road and is watching the duckball game. He looks to be about my dad’s age. He has piercing gray eyes and gray hair, and is tall but rail thin. He’s wearing shimmery copper clothes and a shimmery copper cape. His shoulders are hunched, his hands are clenched, and his shadow is looming over the kids.

  “That guy looks kind of creepy,” I say. “Oh! I bet I know who he is.”

  “The evil magician!” Jonah and I say at the same time.

  I can’t believe Aladdin would actually help that guy,” Jonah says. “Um, hello! Hasn’t he heard the term ‘stranger danger’?”

  Jonah and I watch as the evil magician studies the kids playing duckball, a frown on his face. He’s clearly looking for someone.

  Oh. Right.

  He’s looking for Aladdin. So he can bring Aladdin to the cave and make him find the magic lamp.

  But Aladdin isn’t here, because I gave him a nosebleed.

  Oops.

  “Um, Jonah?” I say.

  “Yeah?” says Jonah.

  “I think we — well, I — messed up the story.”

  Prince wakes up with a bark, as if he’s heard me.

  Quickly, I explain to Jonah how Aladdin WON’T be able to help the magician now, due to the bloody nose I gave him.

  “But maybe that’s a good thing!” Jonah says. “We don’t want Aladdin getting mixed up with the evil magician anyway, right?”

  I shake my head. “But Aladdin needs the genie if he’s going to end up with the princess. We have to make this right!”

  Ding ding ding! Suddenly, I have an idea. The story never says why the evil magician picks Aladdin to get the lamp. Maybe it can be any kid.

  Maybe it can be … us.

  “Hey, Jonah,” I say. “What if we get the lamp? Then we’ll give it to Aladdin later!”

  Jonah looks at me like I’m nuts. He does that a LOT. “How?”

  “You go up to the evil magician. Start talking to him. Then he’ll take you!”

  Jonah’s eyes bug out. “Me? You’re sending ME over to the evil magician? Have YOU ever heard of stranger danger?”

  “He’s not a stranger! We know who he is and exactly what is going to happen. He’s the evil magician from the story!”

  “Good point,” Jonah says. “But doesn’t the person who gets the lamp have to be Aladdin?”

  “I don’t think so. All the evil magician needs is someone to go get it. Someone who’s willing to go inside the cave.”

  “Why doesn’t the magician just go into the cave himself?” Jonah asks. “And if he’s a magician, why can’t he just work some magic to make the lamp appear in his hand?”

  Forget the read-a-thon — if there was such a thing as a question-a-thon, Jonah would win it.

  “I have no idea,” I say.

  Jonah’s eyes light up. “But I’m totally willing to go in the cave. Do you think it has bats and stuff? Like a haunted-house cave?”

  My back stiffens. Hmm. “Maybe this is not a good idea.”

  “No, it is a good idea,” Jonah insists. “I’ve always wanted to go exploring in a cave.” Then his whole face lights up. “Ooh. And I just thought of something else!”

  “What?” I ask suspiciously.

  “If we get the lamp … maybe we can make a wish to free Maryrose!”

  I gasp. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself. Jonah is right! This is a brilliant plan. We’ll be able to help out Aladdin AND Maryrose at the same time.

  “It’s perfect,” Jonah continues excitedly. “I’ll go in the cave, I’ll get the lamp, meet the genie, and wish Maryrose free. Then we’ll give the lamp to Aladdin and everything can go on the way it’s supposed to. It’s a win-win.”

  I nod. It does sound perfect. But I’m suddenly nervous. I can’t just send Jonah into a place that might be dangerous. What if he doesn’t come back? Aladdin was okay in the story, but Jonah’s only seven.

  “I’m so excited,” Jonah exclaims. He jumps down from the wall and starts running toward the evil magician. Prince goes racing after him.

  I hurry to catch up with my brother, but I’m not fast enough.

  “Hi, Mr…. um … man,” I hear Jonah say.

  I bet he almost called him Mr. Evil Magician.

  The magician tears his eyes away from the players and looks down at Jonah. If he’s noticed Prince sniffing his shoe, he doesn’t say anything. “Can I help you?” he asks.

  “What do you think of the game?” Jonah asks.

  “It seems interesting,” the evil magician says.

  Jonah shrugs his scrawny shoulders. “Yeah? It looks boring to me. What’s the point in throwing a ball back and forth?”

  The evil magician looks at Jonah. “You don’t like to play ball?”

  “Not really,” Jonah says. “It’s not exciting enough for me. I like adventures. I like exploring. I like danger.”

  I hold my breath.

  The magician raises an eyebrow. “You do?”

  “Yup! I am so bored. What a boring day. I wish I had something exciting to do. La la la la.”

  The la la la la may have been pushing his luck.

  “Well,” the man says, “I might have a suggestion.”

  It’s working!

  Jonah feigns surprise. “You do? I love suggestions!”

  I stifle a laugh. I step closer to them.

  “It just so happens that I am about to embark on an adventure,” the evil magician says.

  “Really?” Jonah says, his eyes extra wide.

  The magician nods. “I need to get something from a cave. Would you like to help me?”

  Bingo! “I would!” Jonah cries. “I really would!”

  “Let us leave at once,” the magician says, and motions for Jonah to follow him.

  “Great!” Jonah says. Then he winks at me and starts to follow the man.

  Is he kidding me? Does he really think he’s just going to walk away with an evil magician? Not on my watch.

  “Wait!” I holler.

  Jonah and the magician turn to me.

  “Excuse me?” the magician says.

  “I’m coming with you!” I call out.

  Woof! Woof-woof! Prince barks.

  “We’re coming with you,” I correct.

  The man looks at Jonah. “Do you know that girl?” he asks. “And that creature?”

  “Yep.” Jonah nods. “She’s my sister. And that’s our dog, Prince.”

  I hurry up to them, Prince at my side. “I love adventures, to
o. And, um, danger. So does my dog.”

  The man raises his eyebrows at me. He’s probably surprised that he doesn’t have to put in that much effort. In the original story, the evil magician pretends to be one of Aladdin’s many uncles. He also sucks up to Aladdin’s mother and even brings Aladdin fancy clothes before getting Aladdin to agree to come with him. This time he didn’t have to do anything and he gets two kids and a dog.

  “I really want to come,” I add. “And Prince won’t be any trouble. He’s a good dog. Aren’t you, Prince?” I give Prince a serious warning look. He better be good.

  Ruff, Prince says extra sweetly.

  “I suppose you can join us,” the evil magician says. “Follow me.”

  Behind the man’s back Jonah and I give each other a high five.

  Much to Jonah’s dismay, we do not take a flying carpet to get to the cave. Instead, we walk. Far.

  Really far.

  We walk down the road and pass the small, cramped houses. Then we walk through an open-air market, where all kinds of stuff is for sale, like fruit, veggies, meat, pillows, and multicolored sheets, scarves, and rugs.

  After the market, we walk down winding streets where we see bigger homes, also made of stone. Some have domes and stained-glass windows.

  Forget the read-a-thon. I would win a walk-a-thon for sure.

  We walk through a garden of tall yellow and red tulips and then take a break at a small fountain.

  Meanwhile, the evil magician has not said one word. Not one.

  “So what’s your name?” Jonah asks him. Clearly he’s afraid of calling him Mr. Evil Magician by mistake.

  “Dracul,” the evil magician says.

  “Dracul?” I ask. “Like Dracula but without the A?”

  “Yes,” Dracul says.

  Well. That shouldn’t be too hard to remember.

  “What do you like to do for fun, Dracul?” Jonah asks, stretching his arms behind his head.

  “For fun?” Dracul repeats.

  “Yeah! Do you swim? Or rock climb?”

  I press my lips together hard to keep from laughing.

  “No,” Dracul says. “I do not.”

  “What do you like?” Jonah asks.

  “Cats,” he says. He glares at Prince. “I am not a dog person.”

  Prince shimmies backward a bit.