Aladdin facts for kids

Aladdin with the oil lamp

Aladdin is a famous character from the story Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp. This story is part of a much larger collection called The Book of One Thousand and One Nights, which is full of exciting tales from the Middle East.

The Story of Aladdin

The story begins with a young man named Aladdin. He meets a sorcerer (a type of magician) who pretends to be his long-lost uncle. The sorcerer tricks Aladdin into going into a hidden cave to find an old oil lamp.

Aladdin gets the lamp, but the sorcerer tries to trap him inside the cave. Luckily, Aladdin manages to keep the lamp for himself. Soon, he discovers that the lamp is magical! Inside it lives a powerful djinn. This djinn can grant any wish to the person who owns the lamp.

With the djinn's help, Aladdin becomes very rich and powerful. He even manages to marry a beautiful princess.

However, the evil sorcerer returns. He tricks Aladdin's wife into giving him the magic lamp. Aladdin is very upset, but he soon finds out that a ring he wears also has a djinn inside it! This second djinn helps Aladdin defeat the sorcerer, get back the magic lamp, and save his princess.

New Versions of the Story (Adaptations)

The story of Aladdin has been told and retold in many different ways over the years. Here are some famous examples:

Early Adaptations

• In 1822, a composer named Nicolas Isouard created an opera based on Aladdin's adventures.
• A ballet version was created in 1854 by Michael François Hoguet, with music by Wenzel Gährich.

Aladdin in Movies

• The film The Thief of Bagdad was made in 1940. It was one of the first movies to use Technicolor, which made the colors look very bright and real.
• There's also a Bollywood movie called Aladdin and Sinbad. In this version, Aladdin and Sinbad meet and go on adventures together. The djinn in this story is female, and Aladdin ends up marrying her instead of the princess!

Disney's Aladdin

• Disney created a very popular version of Aladdin. In the Disney film Aladdin from 1992, Aladdin is a clever young thief living in the fictional city of Agrabah.
• He falls in love with Princess Jasmine, who, like him, wants to escape her everyday life.
• The Sultan's evil advisor, Jafar, tricks Aladdin into finding a magic lamp. Aladdin and his monkey friend, Abu, end up with the lamp.
• The lamp's occupant is a funny, shape-shifting genie who offers Aladdin three wishes. The Genie helps Aladdin pretend to be a rich prince, but Aladdin soon learns that Jasmine likes him for who he truly is, not for his wealth.
• Using his own smartness and bravery, Aladdin defeats Jafar and his evil plans, becoming a true prince in the end.

Images for kids

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  The Sorcerer traps Aladdin in the magic cave.

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  An 1886 theatre poster advertising a production of the pantomime Aladdin.

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  New Crowns for Old, a 19th-century British cartoon based on the Aladdin story (Disraeli as Abanazer from the pantomime version of Aladdin offering Queen Victoria an Imperial crown (of India) in exchange for a Royal one)

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  Aladdin trades the silver plates to a Jew for a piece of gold

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  The Sorcerer tricks a handmaiden and offers "new lamps for old lamps".

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  Aladdin in Disney's stage show.

See also

In Spanish: Aladino para niños