Week 5: Story telling - The 10 Year Curse

 

Let me - Aladdin, tell you a story. A Story about a man named Jerusalem and his two brothers Edward and Alexander. Jerusalem was a man in the business of trade as were his brothers Edward and Alexander. These young men all have one thing in common. They all suffered the loss of a loved one – the loss of their beloved father. Their father had lift them with a large sum of money, in which they were to use so that they may establish a life for themselves. Jerusalem was the youngest of the three but also the smartest as he let his money turn into more money, whilst Alexander and Edward sold their individual business so that they may travel Arabia.

Minutes turned into hours, hours into days, and days into months. Until one month, Alexander appeared at Jerusalem’s front door looking as if he had gone through the wars of the world. “What is the matter dear brother?” asked Jerusalem in concern.

“I have lost it all and have failed in my worldly ventures” expressed Alexander “I haven’t a sequin of what father has left us. Whatever shall I do?”

 

(sequins minted by Suleiman I)

 

“Well first of all you need to come inside and we need to get you comfortable and fed. I could hardly recognize you” said Jerusalem “I shall give you half of my earnings so that you may start over here with me”

And so Jerusalem did just that and gave his brother half his earnings so that he may get back on his feet. Many weeks later Edward also appeared at Jerusalem’s door complaining of the same misfortune as did Alexander. Jerusalem being the good hearted person that he was offered him half his earnings to split with his brother.

One day the boys set off together after numerous days of trying to convince Jerusalem to shut up shop and join them in another worldly venture. But joint this time. They sailed across the red sea until they came to a shore for shelter. There she was, the most beautiful creature any of the boys had ever seen, and so Jerusalem fell in love with her and decided to marry her hastily.  She was young, with big dark eyes, hair flowing to her ankles, indeed she was a rare being and so they fell in love. As time went on Edward and alexander grew jealous of Jerusalem’s love for his wife Athia. So they decided to plot against him. Athia heard their plan against her loving husband as they wanted to murder him and take all of his wealth making it their own. So she hurried back and informed her husband of this scheme and promised that she will avenge him by turning them into dogs for ten years.

However what Jerusalem didn’t know was that his wife Athia was not any mortal human being, she was in fact a fairy that was sent by the Egyptian gods to protect Jerusalem and once her task was complete she was to disappear forever. And so she did just that and Jerusalem was never to see her again.

 

Authors note: I read this story, thinking that this unit was going to be just about Aladdin. However I was wrong. This unit is very vast in the number of stories told in it. So instead of collectively trying to compress all the stories into one. I decided to stick to one of the other stories being told by the old man and the two dogs to the genie. I kept most of the story in its original plot but changed up the character names.

 

 Link: Arabian NIghts