Doubtful. It’s not as if the royal family knows us. And when they ask why we’re here, we can’t exactly come out and say we’re matchmaking the princess and a poor villager.
“I think we need Princess Badr-al-Badur to come outside,” I say.
“But how?” Jonah asks. “Should we throw pebbles at her window or something?”
“If a villager throws rocks at the palace, he’ll get arrested for sure!” Aladdin says.
“Okay, no pebbles,” I say. “But let’s see if we can find her room.”
“Hey!” Aladdin says. “I think that’s her.” He points to one of the lower towers. I can make out a room with an open window. There’s a beautiful girl with long dark hair covered by a pretty purple veil, packing her purse.
“She’ll never talk to me,” Aladdin says, frowning. “Even with my fancy outfit. I have nothing to offer her.”
I have an idea. What if Karimah could whip up something nice for Aladdin to bring to the princess? Something like flowers?
I’m about to slide off my ring when I realize that will use up one wish. That means we’ll only have two more for today. But Aladdin can’t woo a princess empty-handed.
I slide the ring off, rub its side, and out pops Karimah. This time, her pink hair is in two pigtails.
“Karimah, I wish for flowers that Aladdin can give the princess.”
Karimah bites her lip. “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’m powerful enough to create flowers from scratch.”
“But you made the flying carpet from scratch,” I say.
She blushes. “No I didn’t. I transformed the tablecloth that was under the lamp. No one was using it anyway.”
I look down at the flying carpet. “Oh! I thought it looked familiar!”
“What about the flower in Abby’s hair?” Aladdin asks. “Can I give her that?”
Jonah makes a face. “I don’t think that one wimpy flower is going to do it. We need more.”
“I know a multiplying spell I can try,” Karimah says.
“Go for it,” I say. “That’s my wish.”
Karimah stares at the flower in my hair. “Flower, flower at this hour, I hereby ask you to use my power … and” — Karimah stops and wiggles her fingers at the flower — “multiply!” she adds.
A rose pops onto the flying carpet. It’s not the same flower as the one in my hair, but who doesn’t love roses? Karimah’s the best. Everyone should have their own genie, I tell you.
“It’s working!” Jonah says as a daisy appears on his lap.
“Thanks, Karimah!” I say, sliding the ring back onto my finger. Karimah disappears. An orange iris lands on my foot. Wow, that’s a pretty flower.
Then a yellow tulip appears.
And a tall sunflower.
And two more roses, pink and red. Then three more irises. Five more red roses. At least twenty black-eyed daisies. Then so many pink roses pop onto the carpet that I can’t see Prince anymore. He’s buried in roses! And the flowers keep coming. I’m already covered up to my waist! They’re spilling over the sides!
“Stop the flowers!” Aladdin says. “I can’t see!”
“Abby!” Jonah shouts. “Stop the flowers!”
“I can’t!” I cry. “If I wish for the flowers to stop coming, I’ll waste a whole wish! We only have two left!”
“But we’re going to drown in flowers!” Jonah yells as a yellow daffodil lands on his head.
Sigh. I slide the ring off and rub it. Karimah appears through a cloud of purple haze.
“Karimah! I wish to stop the flowers from coming.”
A white rose hits me in the chin.
“Sorry!” Karimah calls out. “I’m not so great at spells yet. I’ll try my best.” She stares at the flower in my hair and says, “Flower, flower, at this hour, I hereby ask you to use my power and” — she wiggles her fingers again at the flower — “stop multiplying!”
The flowers stop! Karimah did it! I thank her and slide the ring back on, and Karimah — poof — disappears back inside.
But the giant piles of flowers are still everywhere.
“Abby! I can’t seeee!” Jonah cries. He’s knocking long sunflowers out of his way, but there are so many.
The flying carpet is wobbling all over the place. It’s heading straight for the castle.
Ahhh!
We’re going to crash!
ARGH!” we all scream as the flying carpet goes right through the open window and straight into the princess’s sitting room.
The carpet stops short and we fall off. Flowers are scattered all over the couches and tables.
Uh-oh. Not exactly the plan.
The princess is standing up, her jaw dropped. Her purple headdress matches the long, lavender patterned dress she’s wearing. She also has a pretty lavender purse on her arm.
Please don’t arrest us, please, please, please.
“We’re sorry!” I say immediately. “We didn’t mean to fly in here! Please don’t call the police.”
“Of course I won’t call the police,” the princess says. “You brought flowers. A lot of flowers. I love flowers.”
“Oh, good!” I say. “That’s great! We’re so glad we crashed into your room, then!”
“I was just on my way out the door,” she says. “But really. How could I call the police on two kids with flowers?”
“There are actually three of us plus a genie and a dog,” Aladdin says from beneath a pile of tulips.
Aladdin pushes the flowers out of the way and stands up.
The princess’s dark eyes widen. “Hello,” she says.
“Hello,” Aladdin says back.
They stare at each other. And stare.
“Um …” I say. “Do you guys know each other?”
Neither of them answers. They just continue to stare.
“Guys?” I say.
The princess smiles. “No, I don’t think we’ve ever met. I’m Princess Badr-al-Badur.”
“Hello,” Aladdin says. “I’m Aladdin.”
They’re still staring at each other. Their eyes are like magnets.
“I … I … I’ve always admired you,” Aladdin says. His cheeks turn red. “I mean the good things you do for the village and the street kids and for animals, too.”
Princess Badr-al-Badur grins. “I like to help people. And cats and dogs,” she adds, bending down and brushing two pink roses off Prince’s back. She pats his head, and Prince lets out a happy bark.
“I … I …” Aladdin keeps stammering, staring at the princess with moony eyes. “I should clean up these flowers and put them in a vase for you,” he says.
Before Jonah and I can even introduce ourselves to the princess, she and Aladdin are huddled over the flowers, picking them up together. They sure are taking their time. The princess picks up a flower, and looks at Aladdin shyly. He turns red, and smiles. Then he picks up a flower, hands it to her, and she says, “For me?” while slowly batting her eyes.
Oh, brother.
But wait! This is perfect! This is exactly what’s supposed to happen. They like each other!
A half hour later, still deep in conversation, Aladdin and the princess have all the flowers picked up. I would have offered to help, but every time I stepped forward, Aladdin would hand the princess another flower and say something about how it couldn’t possibly match her beauty. Then the princess would hand Aladdin ten flowers and say that he was as sweet as roses.
They’re pretty adorable.
Finally, Aladdin stands. “Princess Badr-al-Badur,” he says. “I … I … I …”
“Yes?” the princess asks, smiling.
“I think I love you,” Aladdin says, his cheeks turning red.
“I think I love you, too,” Princess Badr-al-Badur responds. She stands up beside him, beaming.
Jonah and I look at each other.
“Did that just happen?” he asks me.
“I think it did,” I say. I glance at Aladdin and the princess. “Did you two just fall in l
ove?”
They both nod.
“That’s amazing!” I cheer. “Love at first sight!”
Jonah elbows me in the side. “But that’s never happened before in fairy tales!”
“Well, it’s happening now!”
Ruff! Prince agrees, looking from Aladdin to the princess.
Aladdin gets down on one knee, with a red rose in his hand. “Princess, do you want to marry me?” he asks.
The princess grins. “Yes,” she says. “But you have to ask my father, the sultan, for permission.”
“What’s a sultan?” Jonah asks.
“‘Sultan’ is another word for king here in Mamlaka,” the princess explains.
Aladdin gulps, then nods. He stands up. “Then that’s what I’ll do. I’ll ask your father for permission. Let’s go.”
“We can’t now,” the princess says. “He’s very busy this morning. But he’ll be in the Great Hall this afternoon.” She frowns. “Aladdin? What’s wrong? You look worried.”
“I am, Princess,” he says. “Why would your father say yes? I have nothing to offer him. Nothing to offer you,” he adds, hanging his head.
“Except love,” Princess Badr-al-Badur says. “That is the most important thing.”
“I’m not so sure the sultan will agree,” Aladdin says.
“I have an idea!” Jonah pipes up. “We can bring the sultan all these flowers.” He gestures around the room.
“Nice thought,” the princess says. “But my father is allergic to flowers.”
“Oh,” Jonah and I say at the same time.
“He likes jewels,” the princess says. “Do you have any gold, or some diamonds you can offer him?”
I’m about to say no when suddenly I remember: the jewel-fruit in my pocket. Yes! I’m so happy I risked OR ELSE to take a few.
“I have these,” I say. I reach into my pocket, then hold out my hand with the three jewel-fruits on my palm.
Suddenly, something furry and brown takes a flying leap toward me and eats the jewel-fruits right off my hand.
“Prince, no!” I cry.
My palm has nothing on it but dog drool.
I hear Prince chomping away on the hard jewel-fruits as if they’re crunchy dog biscuits.
And just when he was starting to behave again.
Jonah wags his finger at Prince, who’s licking his lips. “Bad dog!”
Prince lies down and at least looks guilty.
“Now what?” Aladdin says.
I look at Aladdin and the princess, then at the ring on my finger. “Now we call in the genie.”
Princess Badr-al-Badur has to leave because she’s scheduled to bring toys to sick children. We go outside the palace gates and watch as she drives off in her horse-drawn buggy.
I slide the ring off, rub it, and Karimah pops up in her purple haze.
“Hey, guys!” Karimah says. “Did it work? Did the princess talk to Aladdin?”
“She did,” Aladdin says. “She even agreed to marry me. But unless I can offer her father gold or jewels, he’ll tell me no. Can you help?”
Karimah bites her lip. “I can try. But then you’ll be out of wishes for today.”
“Already?” Jonah says. “It’s not even noon!”
I nod. We have no choice. We have to use our last wish of the day for the jewels. Or the king will tell Aladdin he can’t marry the princess.
“Here we go,” I say. “Should I just wish for a bag of jewels?”
“No,” she says. “That’s a two-parter.”
“A what?” I ask.
“A two-parter,” Jonah explains, nodding. “A bag of jewels. A bag. Of jewels. Two parts.”
“Seriously?” I ask.
“Sorry,” Karimah sighs, the smoke strings connecting her to the ring blowing a bit in the breeze. “I wish I had stronger magic.”
“Oh!” I say. “I have the bag Nada gave me. Let’s use that for part one.”
“Great,” Karimah says.
I open the silky purple purse.
“Okay, Karimah, I wish for jewels or gold inside this purse,” I say, then hold my breath.
Please work. This has to work.
Karimah nods. “Got it.”
“Maybe we’ll get a million jewels!” Jonah says. “Like the flowers! We could take some home!”
Karimah takes a deep breath and stares at the bag in my hand. “Rubies, emeralds, diamonds, and gold, give us something pretty to hold!”
A poof of sparkles comes out of the bag. Yay! Something’s happening!
Aladdin jumps up and races over. I open the purse wide. We all look inside.
It’s not rubies. It’s not emeralds. It’s not diamonds and it’s not gold.
Tsik-tsik, says whatever’s inside.
Prince runs over and sniffs at the bag. Grr-ruff! Grr-ruff-ruff!
Jonah’s eyes pop wide open. “It’s a squirrel!”
I stare at the tiny, gold-colored, furry creature in my purse. “A squirrel,” I repeat. “A teeny, tiny squirrel.”
“Oops,” says Karimah, her face scrunching.
“How did this squirrel end up in my purse?” I wonder aloud. “What does a squirrel have to do with jewels and gold?”
Jonah reaches a finger into my purse before I can tell him not to. But the squirrel seems happy and nuzzles against Jonah’s finger.
“I think it’s a golden-mantled ground squirrel!” Jonah says. “We just learned about them in school! And Karimah had the word gold in her rhyme …”
You’ve got to be kidding me. Then I notice the squirrel has a little gold collar with a name tag.
“‘Goldie,’” I read. “The squirrel’s name is Goldie.”
“I’m really sorry,” Karimah says, frowning. “I don’t know what I did wrong. I’m just not good at making something out of nothing.”
“We can take him home, right, Abby?” Jonah asks, using his pinky to pet Goldie’s head. “He’s so adorable. And Prince will learn to love him.”
I look at Prince, who is staring at the squirrel with narrowed eyes.
“How will we explain to our parents why we have a squirrel?” I ask.
Jonah frowns. “The same way we explained Prince?”
I shake my head. “We have to at least try and give him to the sultan.” But who wants a mini-squirrel? If Karimah had to zap up an animal, couldn’t she have zapped up a golden retriever? Or a golden elephant?
“What if the sultan hates animals?” Aladdin asks. “Or if he’s allergic to them? If only Princess Badr-al-Badur were here to ask.”
I take little Goldie out of the bag and hold him close to my chest. He wiggles against me and licks my thumb. Awww, he’s twitchy, but cute.
“Who could hate a squirrel?” Jonah asks.
Grr-ruff! Prince barks, trying to jump up on me.
“Our dog, for one,” I say.
“Down, Prince!” Jonah scolds. “Be nice to the squirrel.”
Prince listens to Jonah and sits. It’s a start at least.
I put a squirming Goldie back in the bag, careful to leave it open enough so he can breathe. I put my ring back and Karimah disappears.
I climb back on the magic carpet and motion for Aladdin, Jonah, and Prince to do the same.
Goldie is all we have.
* * *
When we arrive at the Great Hall on the other side of the palace, there is a long line of people out the double doors. Are they all waiting to see the sultan?
Aladdin, Jonah, Prince, and I hop off the magic carpet. Jonah tucks the rolled-up carpet under his arm. I have the bag of squirrel. Aladdin is pacing at the end of the line. I’m not sure if animals are even allowed in the palace, so I tell Prince to wait for us behind a tree. He curls up to take a nap. I have to say, Jonah’s doing a decent job of training Prince to be good. Besides the jewel eating, of course.
We wait for an hour in line. We slowly inch up in the marble hallway. It’s impossible to tell what the other people are asking for. Hopefully, no one
else is asking to marry the princess.
Finally, there’s only one person in line in front of us. One minute later, the door opens and the guard gestures for us to enter.
“Come in!” booms the voice. A man sits on a throne at the opposite end of the room. He’s wearing a white turban on his head and a long white robe. The top of his throne is actually inscribed with the word Sultan.
Standing just behind the sultan is another man, wearing a dark green robe and a white turban. He is not smiling. Two guards stand on either side of the throne.
Aladdin lets out a breath. “I’m nervous,” he whispers to me.
“Maybe the sultan will think love is all that matters,” I tell him.
“Why do I doubt that?” he asks, looking around.
I see what he means. The Great Hall is lined with jeweled things, from tall gold vases to paintings with frames encrusted with rubies and emeralds and diamonds. Even the golden carpet leading to the king is dotted with jewels.
“You have to try!” I say. If you don’t try, guess what. Nothing happens. “You’ve got this, Aladdin!”
He takes a few steps toward the throne. “Um … Hi? Mr. Sultan? I’m Aladdin. And I … would like to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage?”
The sultan raises an eyebrow. “My daughter?” he asks. “The princess?”
Aladdin nods and looks down at the floor.
The sultan studies Aladdin. The man standing behind the sultan leans down and whispers in his ear. Do I hear the words poor villager? I think I do.
Aladdin clears his throat. “Mr. Sultan? I mean, sir? I mean Your Highness. I love Princess Badr-al-Badur, and it’s my greatest wish to marry her.”
“I don’t think so,” the sultan replies. He starts to wave his hand to dismiss us.
“Wait!” I cry out. “Aladdin really loves the princess. And she loves him. Sure, they fell in love really, really fast, but they’re going to be happy together. I promise.”
“Do you have something to offer the sultan?” the unsmiling man asks. “Something of monetary value? A gift?”
Kuk-kuk! squeaks Goldie from inside the bag.
The sultan eyes the bag. “Is that for me? What is it?”
I take the teeny-meeny squirrel out of the purse and put it on the floor. “A golden-mantled ground squirrel?”
Genie in a Bottle Page 6
