”
He said magical words and threw the stick into the fire. Immediately the earth closed again. Aladdin remained under the ground. The magician was just a stranger and no uncle of Aladdin. He read in his magic books about a wonderful Lamp. This Lamp could make him the most powerful man in the world. He heaped the earth over Aladdin. Then he went away.
But as for[14] Aladdin, he began to call his uncle. He shouted, and no one answered him. Then he understood, that the stranger was no uncle at all.[15] So Aladdin began to weep.
Then he began to look for[16] an exit. The doors were shut. But he noticed the ring! The false uncle gave him a ring and said, “This ring will guard you from all danger.”
So Aladdin rubbed the ring. Immediately the Jinn appeared before him and cried, “Here I am, your slave, between your hands. Ask what you want, because I see the ring of my master.”
When Aladdin saw a Jinn, he was very afraid. But the Jinn said, “Ask what you want, I am your servant, because the ring is on your hand.”
Aladdin said, “Deliver me from this place!” And the earth opened and he found himself outside.[17]
Aladdin came back home.
He told his mother what happened, and showed her the Lamp and the fruits.
Aladdin said to his mother, “Ah, my mother, that false uncle wanted to kill me! He is a sorcerer, a liar.”
Then Aladdin told his mother everything.
In the morning his mother said to him, “We don’t have anything to eat.”
Aladdin replied, “Mother, give me the Lamp. I think we can sell it.”
She brought the Lamp. But it was very dirty, so she said, “We need to clean and polish it.”
She took a handful of sand, and began to rub the lamp. Instantly a great Jinn appeared. “I am the Slave of the Lamp. What do you want?” The mother was very afraid and could not say a word.
Aladdin said, “O Slave of the Lamp, I am hungry. Bring me something to eat!” The Jinn brought him a magnificent tray, made of pure silver. On the tray there were twelve golden dishes of various delicious foods, and two silver cups of clear water.
So they began to eat. After that Aladdin said, “The false uncle didn’t want gold or silver. He ordered me to bring him the Lamp. He knew its great value. But he tried to kill me and he went away, so now this Lamp is mine. It will make us rich.”