THE MERCHANT
You step off the caravan tired and sore. No matter how effective they may be for desert travel, camels made for the greatest of saddle sores. On top of that, they smell horrible and they spit. Suffice to say, you're glad to have arrived at your destination
Oh, Aggrabah! How you had missed this wondrous place of mystery, wonder, and enchantment. Perhaps it wasn't the most picturesque kingdom within the seven deserts, and it always seemed to be invaded by thieves and the occasional monster, but it was still your home away from home. A wonderful place to visit, and perhaps one day you would raise a family here.
You start to make your way to the small inn where you usually stay, but you pause as the sound of singing takes hold of your ear. You pause to listen, and you can't help shake the feeling that you had heard the voice from somewhere before. The hour is late, but your curiosity has worn away any weariness. You set off down the dusty path, following the sound.
Before long, you come across the famous Agrabah bazaar. The sound was now much clearer, and he could hear the words.
Oh, you come from a land, such a far away place
And here you are for excitement in the streets aglow!
Oh, it's wonderful sight, like the Arabian Night
But, hey, that story you already know!
But here you are, worthy friend
For you knew it wasn't quite the end!
Welcome to another Arabian Night!
Arabian ni-ight!
Sure enough, your suspicions were correct. It was indeed the mysterious peddler you had met the first time you had visited Agrabah. Strangely enough, he looked exactly the same as the first time you had seen him: short, dressed in blue, skinny mustache and stringy beard, beady eyes, and a turban that was three times the size of his head.
He sees you approaching, and he already wide grin grows even wider.
"Ah, salaam, worthy friend!" he declares joyously. "I had a feeling I was going to see you tonight. Let me be the first to officially welcome you back to Agrabah, the finest city in all of the seven deserts. How have you been?"
You offer the small peddler a friendly smile, and you tell him that you've been well. He steps away from his small stall, and he rushes up toy you and takes you by the hand.
"I am happy beyond words to see you again! So happy, I think I might pop! You're just in time for my latest sale on."
Your face falls when you realize what is happening, and you quickly free your hand and start to back away.
"Wait, don't go!" the peddler is quick to beg as he recaptures your hand. "Please, won't you purchase something? Business has been so slow lately."
You once again reclaim your hand, and you shoot a glance towards his shop. Amongst the heap of refuse and near worthless baubles, you spy the still broken, unbreakable hook/coffee maker that cuts fries, and off the side is the not so famous Dead Sea Tupperware. You fix the peddler with a sideways glance, and he breathes a defeated sigh.
"Ok, maybe business hasn't been so much slow as much as non-existent but come on! Genuine prime merchandise is getting harder and harder to come by these days. I'm making do with what I got."
He falls silent for a moment, and then a grin returned to his face.
"Say, now, I've got an idea! Wait right here!"
He rushed back to his little stand and dive into before flinging out several random items over his shoulders. Items such as a deck of tarot cards, a tea pot and matching tea cup with a chip in one side, a staff with a pair of gourds tied to the top, and a seashell necklace with a strange green rock inside.
"AHA! HERE IT IS!"
He came up again, and whatever he had found was hidden behind his back.
"Shield your eyes of you must!" he declares boldly. "For I have, in my possession, one of the most powerful artifacts in all of the seven deserts! Gaze in awe upon the one, the only, the all-powerful Tome of Libros, the djinn of the written word!"
With that, he revealed the mysterious item, and you were suddenly filled with feelings of…disinterest. The book, or at least that is what it once had been, was burnt to a complete crisp, and the only discernable feature you can make out is a terribly mistaken L on the cover. Detecting a scam, you begin to back away once more.
"Wait, don't go!" the peddler called, and he quickly rushes up. "I know what you're thinking, but at least hear me out. This tome may be nothing but a useless paperweight now, but it once housed a powerful djinn. But that is nothing in comparison to who's hands once touched it." He smiles and winks. "Aladdin."
Your eyes jump. You recall with a string hint of nostalgia the first time you had heard of the lowly street rat whom found a magic lamp, and he made all of his fondest wishes come true. But you stop yourself when you recall that the last story the peddler had told you was of the boy's marriage to the lovely yet bold Princess Jasmine, and that had been the end of it. Wasn't it? The peddler senses your mounting confusion, and his grin widened.
"Ah, yes, I can imagine what you're thinking. Aladdin and the princess lived happily ever after, Yes? Oh, I assure you that they did, but the lovely thing about happily ever after is that it doesn't necessarily mean the end of a story. Would you like to hear the tale? Who knows, maybe it'll inspire you to buy this book."
You sincerely doubt that, but you're always ready for another story about one of the greatest heroes in all the seven deserts. With that in mind, you take a seat on the sand and give the peddler your full attention as he begins to spin his tale.
