Aladdin

## Stats

***Aladdin*** is the tenth episode of the second season of Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, and the twenty-third episode in total. It aired on June 15, 1997.

## Summary

A long time ago in Ancient China, there lived a dreamer named Aladdin, who was a great architect, creating small-scaled models of buildings, but his mother thought Aladdin wasn't fit enough for the job, and would rather have him fish instead. On his way to the river, Aladdin couldn't help but take a look at the emperor's palace, even getting out a paper and sketching it out. When Aladdin saw Princess Jade, he literally fell in love with her as he falls off the tree he was holding onto. At the same time, a magician named Chang brought his son Dong to marry the princess, but he knew his magic wasn't enough to impress the emperor. Thinking of a plan which involves a treasure cave, Chang finds Aladdin and his drawing and figures he is suitable for his plan, claiming that he is his uncle.

Chang takes him to the area of the treasure cave and opens it up with his magic. He tells Aladdin that there is an oil lamp under it and he must grab it and just that, not the many other jewels inside. Aladdin was tempted by the treasure, but he managed to get to the little lamp. Dong, not believing why the cave is so dangerous, touches a ring that causes the entire place to shake with treasures falling. Chang rescues Dong and doesn't want to pull Aladdin up unless he gives him the lamp first, but he doesn't and the treasure cave closes up, for good as Chang could only use the spell once. Aladdin lights the lamp up with fire rocks to brighten the confined place, which causes the lamp to cough. The lamp's voice tells Aladdin to rub it, and out comes a Genie who knows kung fu, or, not as much as he thinks he does. Aladdin wishes he were back home, and sure enough, he and The Genie are. But Aladdin's mother comes out and scolds him for coming home late. She wonders who is the "leech", and Genie threatens to hit her, but she whacks him right to the ground with her broom. To get her on the lighter side, Genie spawns gold pots and she allows him to stay for the night, but just the night.

The next day, Genie wonders about Aladdin's love interest and comes up with a plan for him to get Jade. He dresses Aladdin up like he is a magician and Genie will hide in his pocket doing the work. He gets to the emperor's palace, and it just so happens that Chang is also there with Dong. Jade suggests they have a contest to see which magician uses his powers more cleverly. Chang gives his son magic powers and he makes a pile of gold coins appear, then Aladdin creates a larger pile. The two do more competing tricks that involve jumping and flipping in the air. One last trick, however, wants the next thing to come from their hearts, not their heads. Fortunately, Aladdin knows one thing about Jade from experience: she likes animals and uses his magic to make a rare dragon appear. Jade names it Wing, and Aladdin wins the princess. Aladdin's magic makes a pagoda that will be a home for the newlyweds, and the emperor is amazed, saying to hand out the marriage contract immediately. Chang tells Dong that they will get back to Aladdin. In the pagoda, Aladdin tells Genie that he might lose her if he tells her that he has a magical assistant, and introduces Jade to Genie as a kung fu master. He goes back into his lamp, which Jade thinks doesn't fit anywhere in the house.

When Aladdin steps out, a disguised Chang is outside with a wagon of lamps, calling out that he will exchange old lamps for new ones. Aladdin had told Jade that he was going to "get rid" of Genie's lamp, so she walks out and gives it to Chang. With the lamp in his evil hands, he summons the Genie and commands him to carry off the pagoda with them and the princess. He covers her mouth and hands despite clearly not wanting to do it and does what Chang says. The emperor and Aladdin see it happen right outside the window. Aladdin gets on Wing, remembering Chang's tales of traveling through Africa, which he uses to find him. It took him 39 days to find Chang, and manages to find the pagoda on the 40th. Aladdin climbs up on a kite vine to the top of the building, where Jade tells him how much of a liar he was to her. Aladdin admits what he did was wrong, but his love for her was all true. Jade mentions that if Chang finds out he's there, his fireworks (or anger) will begin, giving Aladdin an idea. Jade pretends that she would like to marry Dong, and requests fireworks for her celebration. Aladdin hides behind a curtain and shines the moonlight on a fuse, causing them to explode. Jade shows off her kung fu skills, and so does Aladdin to recover the lamp. The Genie casts a spell on Chang and Dong making them handcuffed together, and Aladdin and Jade fly on Wing, with the lamp on his head, through windy mountains. The lamp ends up falling off his head, but it lands right in the right hands of a true kung fu master. As for Aladdin and Jade, they get married, Aladdin's buildings are constructed after all, and they all live happily ever after.