Once upon a time, in a flourishing Arabian kingdom there lived a poor family in the slums of the beautiful city. The family was that of a young man with his mother and younger sister. His mother was very old and frail and his sister was very young so neither of them could work. This led to the young man, whose name was Nasir, being the sole support of his mother and sister. So, every morning, he would rise early and walk the city streets to the market place where he worked for a rich man by selling fish at a stand to those who passed by.
But one particular morning he rose late and had to walk very quickly through the streets.
I shall still be late, he thought disparagingly to himself. Then at that moment, a narrow alleyway caught his eye that he had never noticed before on his walk to the marketplace.
Perhaps it is a shortcut, he thought to himself. He cut through into the narrow street and began to run. Suddenly, he tripped and tumbled to the ground, a cry escaping his lips. He had tripped on something.
He rose, expectorating dust and sand out of his mouth and looked to see the cause of his fall. His gaze fell upon a small golden lamp, lying in its side in the dirt.
What luck, Thought he. I can sell this in the marketplace.
I bent down and snatched the lamp and commenced to dust it off. Upon doing so, glittering purple smoke erupted from the lamp, filling the alleyway.
Nasir dropped the lamp in fear as a lilac figure of a Nasir dropped the lamp in fear as a lilac figure of a man emerged in affluent golden robes from the smoke.
“I am an all-powerful genie!” He proclaimed. “You have awoken me from a great slumber and now I shall grant you three wishes!”
Nasir blinked in shock. This was too good to be true! He paused for a moment and then said, “Can I wish for anything?”
“Big or small,” the genie replied.
Nasir licked his lips greedily.
“I wish to very rich, so I shan’t be poor any longer!”
The genie bowed low.
“Your wish is my command.”
Nasir’s vision blurred momentarily and the purple smoke swirled around him, incapacitating him completely. As it cleared, he found himself standing before a colossal house with a fountain in its courtyard, decorated in luscious greenery.
“Where am I?” Asked Nasir.
“You are at your new home,” said the genie. “Inside you will find your riches along with your mother and sister.”
And with that, the genie disappeared in a poof of smoke and Nasir was left alone, standing before the large house, the golden lamp at his feet.
He picked it up and examined it for a moment as it glinted in the harsh sunlight of the morning. Then he shoved it in his satchel and entered his new house.
For a time, Nasir and his family were happy. He bought his mother and sister fine silks to wear and beautiful golden jewelry to adorn their wrists and necks. But as time went on, he gained many friends due to his riches but not all of them were wise or trustworthy. Many urged him to spend his money foolishly and to participate in foolish bets and gambling. So, inevitably, the time came when all his riches were spent, and he called upon the genie once more.
“Your wish is my command,” said the genie as he appeared before Nasir. “Big or small I shall grant it.”
“Riches were of no good to me,” said Nasir. “So now I wish for power and to rule over this many lands!”
“It shall be so,” the genie said and waved his hands.
More purple smoke filled the room and Nasir found himself in the kingdom’s palace with a crown upon his head.
Nasir ruled rather foolishly, giving in to the whims of his sly friends and did what he wished with no thought of his people.
One day his sister and mother came to him and said, “Nasir! Stopping living as foolishly as you are. While you are eating the finest food, many are starving!”
But Nasir, young and foolish as he was, ignored his mother and sister. As time went on, the kingdom fell further victim to ruin, and the people were angry.
So one dark night they rioted and stormed Nasir’s palace armed with torches. That night, half if the palace burned.
As the morning sun rose, Nasir stood among the ashes of his kingdom with his lamp in hand and rubbed it, summoning the genie for the last time.
“What is it, my master?” Asked the genie.
“Oh, woe is me!” Cried Nasir. “For my kingdom is nothing but a pile of ash and my family perished In the flames! Riches and power have failed to satisfy me! I was better off poor and selling fish!”
He knelt for the genie, spirit broken.
“Please,” he begged. “Make it as it was before. Let me start over. I wish to do it over again. And pray this time I am not so foolish!”
The genie smiled sadly.
“Your wish is my command.”
And Nasir found himself spiraling in a tornado of glittering smoke.
~*~
Nasir woke with a start and rubbed his eyes. He felt tired but knew not why. He then directed his eyes to the window of his room, and to the risen sun. He was late! Nasir rose and had to walk very quickly through the streets.
I shall still be late, he thought disparagingly to himself. Then at that moment, a narrow alleyway caught his eye that he had never noticed before on his walk to the marketplace.
Perhaps it is a shortcut, he thought to himself. He cut through into the narrow street and began to run. Suddenly, he stumbled and fell to the ground, a cry escaping his lips. He had tripped on something.
He rose, expectorating dust and sand out of his mouth and looked to see the cause of his fall. His gaze fell upon a small golden lamp, lying in its side in the dirt.
What luck, Thought he.
The End
By the Brooke 