I do not own many of the characters in the following story. They are protected property of Walt Disney. Any barbaric nature in some of the characters is not meant to be slandering against the Arab people. I have great respect for their culture.
References:
- All writing in standard form is the primary narration (narrator), in the third person.
- All writing in italics with quotation is the secondary narration (Mutajawal), in the first person.
- The word "Sadiq" is the name given by the secondary narration to the reader, meaning "friend" in MS Arabic.
- Some phrases may appear in MS Arabic. They are the following:
*"Salaam Aleikum" is a formal greeting.
*"Tafadal" means "here you are, be my guest".
*"Sayidi" means "sir, milord"
*"Shukran" means "thank you"
*"Afwan" means "pardon me, you're welcome, oops"
*an "assba" is the measurement for one finger width. A "qabda" is the measurement for one palm width.
...
CHAPTER I
THE OASIS
Far above the sands of the earth, a burning fury of fire and light hangs affixed in the sky, blotting out all sight of the
lush blue atmosphere. Scorching rays rain from this fiery sphere, causing waves of intolerable heat to rise from the
desert's surface; the Arab frontier. The wind blows in great force upon the golden dunes, forming whirl winds of
dust as they build up towards the sky, as if to climb up to the heavens to escape this forsaken land. Only the
sheltering shadows of a forest of palm trees around a small pool of crystal clear water exist in this lifeless land. The
gentle tropical plants lean together in a circle forming a canopy over the precious spring, sparing it from the sun's
unquenchable thirst. This tranquil oasis is all that resides, in such a solitary terrain, that breaks the horizon of its
seemingly endless vastness. From a scope within this shelter of greenery, nothing breathes, nothing lives beyond;
only the lull of a barren existence is seen.
But then, like a sensation in the unconsciousness of the mind, a mild hum starts to echo in the air. A harmonious
hum like one in the essence of a song, creating the mood for a ballad of great age and ancient tidings. As the sound
gets louder, it begins to form a melody coming from the voice of one who is talented in inflection and of song. Then
from over the top of a nearby dune, a shadow appears, swaying from side to side. As the glare of the sun moves
beneath the figure, it is now visible that the approaching silhouette is of an Arab nomad astride a camel of tall
stature. Only a whoop and holler away from the mystical oasis, a shrill voice bellows out from this Bedouin specter
with powerful lungs with the words like that of some timeless tale.
...
"I have come from a land, from a far away place,
where the caravan camels roam.
Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense.
It's barbaric, but hey...
It's home.
When the wind's from the east and the sun's from the west
and the sand in the glass is right.
Come on down, stop on by, hop a carpet and fly
to another Arabian night!
Arabian nights, like Arabian days.
More often than not, are hotter than hot, in a lot of good ways.
Arabian nights, 'neath Arabian moons.
A fool off his guard, could fall and fall hard out there on the dunes."
...
- "Ah! *Salaam Aleikum weary traveler. I hope your journey has been merciful upon you in the arid land of the Arabs.
Now please, please come closer to the pool and refresh yourself. *Tafadal, Sadiq, use one of my finest ladles and quench
your thirst. Quite an ideal model if I may say so myself, made from the finest..."
"Why stranger have we met before? Your face... it seems so familiar. Have we happened to cross ways in the grand city...
of Aghrabah? Yes, now I remember. You are the traveler I told of the true tale of Aladdin and his lamp, no? If so, that is
wonderful! For I have fixed and improved my coffee and julienne fry maker! Look at this, yes, and see. It is now more
durable and moisture efficient. It will not sink, will not...
...it sunk."
"Oh well, I have plenty more merchandise to present... but now I can see that you are still perplexed about Aladdin's
lamp. I see that your interest in it has grown very much. There is actually more to the story than I told of to you. I told
you of the... Diamond in the Rough. Now it is time that you hear of the tale that brought me, Mutajawal, to the lamp. The
Cave of Wonders is more than it seems, for... I don't want to spoil the story. After all, it is a long endeavor and would take
a long time to tell."
"Oh! You want to hear the tale of the Scarab Gem of Ard Al-Mawt? But surely you must be weary after your journey that
you would want to... Alright, alright! Nice sharp dagger you have there, you can put it back now. I will tell. Now first find a
comfortable spot near this date tree. Yes."
"Now let me see. Ah, yes now I remember the tale's beginning."
"It started many years ago, upon an evening just like this one, over the desert, in a far off part of the world,
where the caravan camels roam..."