One Good Turn
Characters © are owned by Walt Disney Corp.
The soothing touch of the bright dawn roused her. Jasmine awoke as the first slants of morning light penetrated her window and crept into the soft covers of her bed, gently placing their warmth upon her body and congenially bidding her welcome to the start of a new day. The Princess of Agrabah slowly opened her lustrous eyes and stirred like a flower beginning to bloom.
She stretched herself out across her bed as she took in the enfolding embrace of the sun's rays. Turning her pretty face toward the window, Jasmine gazed outside to see the light shining over her bustling, prosperous city. She smiled at the picturesque view, and then gave a small yawn as she prepared herself for starting a new day.
Jasmine rose from her bed and began to dress for the day. As she proceeded, Jasmine hummed a cheerful melody and thought about what she was going to do first. Her father, the Sultan, was out of Agrabah at this time. He had gone away on a diplomatic summit with a neighboring kingdom for a few weeks, and now Jasmine and Aladdin were left in charge of taking care of the city in the Sultan's absence.
Jasmine planned to make sure that the palace was tidy, and to see that the poorest citizens of Agrabah were fed. Ever since Jasmine had discovered firsthand how desperately impoverished some of the city's people were, she and Aladdin had worked together on a number of efforts to rescue the most destitute families from hunger and starvation. Thanks to their efforts, many of Agrabah's poorest citizens had been saved from a life of perpetual hunger and want. It was one of Jasmine's happiest moments to see these families cared for.
Aladdin helped me to clearly see the hardships of Agrabah's needy, she thought. I already loved him, but when he helped to rescue so many of our people from hopeless poverty, it simply made me love him all the more.
She couldn't wait to meet up with Aladdin so that they could start the day together, so she hurried to get herself ready. But as she finished dressing, she was suddenly interrupted by a loud bump at her bedroom window.
Boom! The shutters on the window burst open and into the room flew a familiar feathered form. It was Iago, and he rambunctiously moved through the air right into the room. Jasmine jumped back slightly in surprise as her red parrot friend glided into view.
"Good morning, princess!" Iago shouted in a piercing, gravelly voice. "Rise and shine! Time to start a beautiful new day! And it's also time to…..feed the parrot!"
Iago settled down on Jasmine's bed. "I'm sure that you want to give your favorite bird the most luscious breakfast that royalty can afford!" he said with a wide, toothy smile. "I'll just place an order for eggs over easy, a side of Sicilian sausage, a stack of buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup, a fruit salad with all the fixings, a…."
"Iago!" Jasmine yelled in an exasperated tone. "What do you think you're doing breaking into my room while I'm changing?!"
Iago paused. "I….was just trying to get dibs on the best entrees," he finally said.
Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Iago, you know better than to go barging into someone's bedroom like that. I need privacy. Suppose I hadn't finished changing my clothes yet?"
A guilty grin now covered Iago's face as his eyes took on a sheepish, embarrassed expression. The parrot knew he had screwed up.
"Uhhhhh…" he said, trying desperately to think up a suitable response. "Would it help if I mentioned how ravishing you look this morning? I gotta say, princess, you freshen up real good!"
"Okay, okay," Jasmine said. "You don't have to grovel. I'm not mad. But at least knock next time, and don't be so careless."
"You got it!" Iago affirmed. "No more breaking and entering!"
Now Jasmine exhibited a mischievous smile which crept over her face as she eyed Iago mysteriously. "Of course, you know what this means, though," she said in a crafty tone of voice. "Because of your naughty behavior, I'm going to have to punish you."
Iago's eyes widened. "Punish me?" he asked.
"Yes," Jasmine said as she leaned closer. "Because you've been such a badly behaved parrot, I'm going to have to…tickle you!"
Before Iago knew what was happening, Jasmine's fingers were tickling him, and he couldn't stop laughing.
"Ah-ha-ha-ha! Stop!" he laughed as he squirmed furiously. "Come on! Cut it out! I can't stand it!"
"Do you give up?" Jasmine grinned.
"Yeah, yeah! I give up!" Iago shouted while laughing.
Jasmine stopped tickling him, and Iago breathed heavily with relief. As he began to gradually catch his breath, he fluttered over to perch on Jasmine's right shoulder.
"Whew! I think I almost coughed up my last midnight snack there," Iago commented as he panted audibly.
"You know, Iago, you're so cute when you're acting funny," Jasmine said with a giggle.
Iago looked somewhat shy. "Hey, princess, I'm…sorry about, you know…earlier," he said.
"Don't worry about it," Jasmine smiled as she petted his feathers. "I was really just playing around with you, that's all. Let's head out together."
"Yes ma'am!" Iago grinned.
Jasmine exited her bedroom and headed down the palace halls, with Iago on her shoulder. In a few moments, they ran into Aladdin down the hall. Jasmine's fiancé came strolling up the corridor with Abu clinging to his shoulders. The little monkey tittered cheerfully when he saw Jasmine and Iago.
"Morning, Jasmine!" Aladdin said enthusiastically as he hurried over to give the princess a hug. "I hope you slept well. It looks like a nice day."
"I had a wonderful rest, Aladdin," Jasmine beamed as she embraced him with tender, affectionate hands. "I felt so good when I woke up this morning. How about you?"
"I always feel good whenever you're in my thoughts," Aladdin smiled. He and Jasmine gazed longingly into each other's eyes while their hands clasped together.
But Iago was getting impatient. "Alright, alright, enough with the cheesy googly-eyes routine," he griped. "Why don't you kids focus on something more constructive? Like feeding some hungry palace pets, for instance?"
"Yeah yeah yeah!" chattered Abu, who was smacking his lips loudly.
"See? The monkey knows what I'm talking about," Iago said with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Don't worry, Iago, you won't have to wait for breakfast," Aladdin said with a hint of amusement. "They've got food set out in the dining room already. Why don't you and Abu go down there and start eating, and we'll catch up with you soon."
"Now you're talkin'!" Iago rasped. "Let's get going!"
"Better bring Genie, too," Aladdin added. "He's probably ready to start the morning."
Aladdin reached into his vest and produced Genie's lamp, and after giving it a quick rub, a billowing puff of smoke rose from the lamp's spout, and Genie appeared before his friends.
"Hey kids!" the blue jinn exalted. "Nice to see y'all. Just putting on the last-minute touches for my morning fixer-upper." Genie conjured up an electric shaver in one hand and ran it over his cheeks while using his other hand to move a soapy bath brush up and down his back.
"Well, the palace still seems to be in one piece," he observed as he finished up. "The Sultan will be pleased when he gets back in a few days."
"I hope so," Jasmine said. "I want everything to be okay for when father returns from his diplomatic summit."
"That's why we're looking after things in Agrabah," Aladdin noted. "You guys can go start on breakfast while Jasmine and I go over our plans for today."
"Alright!" Genie enthused. "I am totally in the mood for some crispy bacon and some nice hot pancakes!"
"Hey blue boy!" Iago shouted. "Stay away from my pancakes! They're mine!"
"You guys work this out among yourselves," said Aladdin, who was anxious to get the daily routine started as quickly as possible. "We have a lot to think over. There are many important responsibilities that we need to address in the city."
"Feed me," Iago muttered.
"You got it, Al," Genie nodded. "Come on, my starving animal friends, let's hit the dining room. We'll see you kids in a bit!" Genie left the hallway with Abu and Iago, leaving Aladdin and Jasmine alone.
Jasmine took Aladdin's hand in her own and led him to the palace study, gently stroking his hand with her other hand as they walked inside. In the study, the two of them went over a series of documents outlining plans for taking care of the city and making improvements.
"Aladdin, I can't believe how much good we've been able to do for the city," Jasmine said in a dreamy tone of voice. "Just thinking about the good things we've accomplished for the people of Agrabah makes me feel incredibly happy."
"I know exactly what you mean, Jasmine," Aladdin said as he pored over several papers. "All these plans we've been carrying out over the past few months have been making a real difference for people. We're helping the city's poor people to move into better homes and find better opportunities to improve their lives."
Aladdin looked up from the collection of documents to face Jasmine.
"This is really important to me," he told her. "I spent my life out on the streets, and I've seen the worst kind of poverty up close. I've seen a lot of people suffering. But now I'm able to fight it. I'm finally in a position to help the people I saw suffering for all those years."
Jasmine looked into his eyes with a deeply affectionate gaze that actually sent a tingle up Aladdin's spine. And it wasn't a bad tingle at all; it felt very good.
"You are one of the main reasons that we've been succeeding, Aladdin," she said. "We understood how to help the poor much better because you lived among them for so long. And you made a difference because you are a kind, generous person. It's why I love you."
Aladdin blushed slightly. "I just try to do what I can," he said shyly. "It's not that special. Whatever I do, I do it better because I learn from the best." He clasped her hands softly in his palms.
Now it was Jasmine's turn to appear bashful. "Aladdin, you really don't have to—" she started to say, but she was cut short by her fiancé.
"No, Jasmine, I really mean it," Aladdin insisted, holding her fingers just a tiny bit tighter. "Without you, I'd be nowhere. I would never have known what to do—for myself or for others. You have been my inspiration."
Jasmine felt a sensation of giddiness inside of her as she smiled at Aladdin with an air of genuine pleasure. "You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that," she told him. "All my life, people were telling me that I couldn't do things because I was a woman, or because I was a princess, or both. Then I met you and…you were different. You never stopped believing in me, Aladdin. And you supported me every step of the way. It was truly a dream come true."
"It was the truth," Aladdin said. "I always knew you could do great things for the city, Jasmine. Nobody could ever limit you unfairly. It's not in your nature to be limited like that."
"You do understand!" Jasmine exclaimed with unadulterated enthusiasm. "See, this is exactly what I mean, Aladdin! You understand me—my thoughts, my hopes, my dreams. Lots of other people never understood…but you do. You're a shining light in the darkness."
"It's because you understood me," Aladdin said. "You never overlooked me because of who I was…never overlooked me for being street rat."
"And I never will," Jasmine whispered. She rested her head against his shoulder in a loving manner.
The two of them hugged, and then Aladdin stepped back. Something told him that Jasmine had something else on her mind, that she was concealing some highly personal thoughts. He felt that he just had to ask.
"Jasmine," he ventured, "I can tell that you feel really good about what we're doing, like it means something on a very personal level. Want to talk about it?"
"Oh, it just seems like a part of who I want to be," Jasmine said. "Helping the poor people of this city means a lot because I can't stand to see others suffer. Even when I was a little girl, I knew that there were poor people in Agrabah, and I came to see this world of poverty and hardship more and more as I got older. To tell you the truth, I…I felt guilty in a way. Here I was, a daughter of royalty, living in comfort while so many of our people were barely surviving on a few scraps of bread."
Jasmine hung her head, looking sad and slightly ashamed.
"When I witnessed all this hardship and suffering, I knew it was wrong," she continued. "It was unacceptable. I promised myself that I would do everything I could to fight it. I didn't care what people said; I was going to help others. People kept telling me that it wasn't a princess's proper place to be concerned with such things, but I didn't believe them. It just wasn't right!"
Jasmine let out her words very fervently, and Aladdin nodded with understanding.
"I'm glad you didn't listen to that kind of talk, Jasmine," Aladdin said. "You knew exactly what was right. And you should never feel guilty, because it was never your fault. You were born a princess, and you can't help how you were born. What matters is what kind of person you become…and you're an exceptional person."
In response to Aladdin's words, Jasmine's eyes sparkled, and her cheeks blushed.
"Aladdin, you make me so happy when you say that," she told him. "I never wanted to be some kind of useless royal decoration. I wanted to do things, so that I could help others and be true to myself. It might sound strange, but I always had an overwhelming inner desire to show the whole world that I'm so much more than just a princess."
"It's not strange at all," Aladdin assured. "You deserve to be recognized for your gifts. I know this because I see your gifts every day, Jasmine. You've done so much to help the poor people of Agrabah, and you'll continue to do so. I just want to be there to help you."
"Oh, you will!" Jasmine beamed. "No one has made a bigger difference than you, Aladdin. It was your support that helped me to serve those in need, because you know about their hardships better than anyone."
"I'm really happy that I could," said Aladdin. "After living in poverty for most of my life, being able to lend a hand to those who need it feels great."
"Well, let's keep it up then," Jasmine said affirmatively. "We've been doing very well so far, but there are still many needs left to meet."
Aladdin smiled. "Jasmine, with you on the job, nothing's gonna stop us."
"You are so right about that!" Jasmine declared as her spirits rose. A mischievous, knowing grin grew across her pretty face as she put her hands on her hips and regarded Aladdin with a twinkle in her eye.
"Listen up, people!" she said in an authoritative voice, pretending that she was addressing a large audience like a stage performer. "Are we going to let anyone say that a princess can't save the day?"
"No way!" Aladdin responded with a chuckle, playing along with Jasmine's little gag.
"Who's the princess who's going to stomp out all the stupid ideas about what princesses can't do?" Jasmine asked, quivering with giddy enjoyment.
"You are!" Aladdin said with a grin.
"I can't heeeaaarrr yoooouuuu," Jasmine cooed teasingly, letting a giggle pass her lips.
"You, Princess Jasmine!" Aladdin repeated.
"Thank you, you're a wonderful audience!" Jasmine exalted as she stepped forward and gave Aladdin a hug. The two of them burst out laughing while they were embracing.
"You got a little overexcited there, didn't you?" Aladdin ribbed.
Jasmine shrugged her shoulders. "I had some pent-up energy inside me. I had to let it out," she said with an innocent-looking facial expression.
She and Aladdin laughed again as they kept hugging.
"Well, why don't we join the others for breakfast so we can get started on today's agenda?" Aladdin said.
"Absolutely," Jasmine nodded. "It's about time we did that."
She and Aladdin locked arms together and walked down the hallway to head for the palace dining room.
After Aladdin and Jasmine had finished eating breakfast with their friends, they prepared to leave the palace to oversee some of the city's important affairs.
"Hey Genie," Aladdin said. "While Jasmine and I are out in the city, do you think you could make sure the palace is clean?"
"You know, that's a good idea," Jasmine added. "Father will be returning in a few days, so we should definitely make sure the palace is nice and neat for his arrival home."
"Don't worry about a thing, Al!" Genie assured. "I've got this covered. I'll bathe this whole emporium in a sea of cleansing, purifying detergent! The best on the market!
Genie turned himself into a laundry detergent can and started spraying soap suds everywhere. Some of the soapy suds landed on Abu and Iago.
"Watch where you're spraying, will ya?!" Iago shouted as he and Abu shook the suds off. "I don't let anybody do my washing for me!"
"Sounds good, Genie," Aladdin was saying. "You can clean the rooms, and Abu and Iago will help you."
Iago rolled his eyes. "Oh goody, housework. Like the bird doesn't have anything better to do with his free time."
"Jasmine and I will take off on Carpet," Aladdin said. "We'll be checking up on the poorer citizens of Agrabah, and we'd also better check on the city's defenses. We need to be prepared to protect the city in case any enemies attack."
"You got that right," Genie agreed. "And if it's a really powerful attack, you and I will probably have to go into our hero routine, Al."
"Right," Aladdin said. "We'll see you guys later!" He whistled for Carpet, who came soaring into the room, looking eager to take off and enjoy the sunny day outside the palace. Aladdin and Jasmine hopped onto Carpet's back, and they were gone two seconds later.
"Okay, my animal sidekicks, let's get this place clean and shiny!" Genie said as he handed mops and scrubbing cloths to Abu and Iago. Abu looked rather displeased.
"You said it, Abu," muttered Iago. "It's bad enough we have to slave away like a couple of pack animals, but we have to do it on a day when we could be thinking up ways to get rich instead!"
"Well, I guess your moneymaking ventures will have to wait another day, bird man," Genie commented as he started scrubbing floors.
"There's no point waiting when there's big money at stake," Iago stated. "Hey, Genie, why don't you invest with me and Abu in our next enterprise? You might get, say, ten percent of the earnings. Or five, if I can help it."
"What are you talking about, bird man?" said Genie. "You heard Al. We've gotta do these chores."
"That's what you think," Iago said with a sly grin. "But I have a brilliant scheme to get out of doing chores. And then we can focus on gettin' some hefty riches!"