The Story of Aladdin

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a poor boy named Aladdin. Aladdin lived with his mother in a small house, and they did not have much money. One day, a strange man came to Aladdin and said he was Aladdin’s uncle. This man was really a bad wizard who wanted Aladdin to help him find a magic lamp. The wizard took Aladdin to a cave filled with gold and jewels, but all he wanted was the old lamp.

Keywords:

• Cave
• Wizard
• Lamp

Reasoning Question with Two Choices:

• When the wizard asked Aladdin to get the lamp from the cave, was he being honest or tricky with Aladdin? (tricky)

Reasoning Question with a Predictable Answer:

• When someone tells a lie to get what they want, they are being __. (Expected completions: dishonest (65%), deceitful (20%), sneaky (10%))

Reasoning Question with a Range of Responses:

• Aladdin is a character in a story. Can you name another character from a different story?

Open-Ended Question:

• If you found a cave full of treasure like Aladdin did, what would you do with it?

Inside the cave, Aladdin found the lamp but got trapped when the wizard tried to take it without giving Aladdin his reward. Scared and alone in the dark cave, Aladdin rubbed the lamp and out came a big, friendly genie! The genie told Aladdin he could have three wishes. For his first wish, Aladdin asked to leave the cave and go home to his mother. Later, Aladdin used another wish to become a prince so he could marry the beautiful princess he had seen in the market.

Keywords:

• Genie
• Wishes
• Princess

Reasoning Question with Two Choices:

• When the genie appeared from the lamp, was this a problem for Aladdin or a solution to his troubles? (solution)

Reasoning Question with a Predictable Answer:

• When someone helps you get out of trouble, they are your __. (Expected completions: friend (70%), helper (15%), savior (10%))

Reasoning Question with a Range of Responses:

• The genie granted wishes for Aladdin. What is something else that might grant wishes in stories?

Open-Ended Question:

• If you had three wishes like Aladdin, what would you wish for and why?

The wizard found out that Aladdin had the lamp and tried to steal it back. He tricked the princess into giving him the lamp by offering to trade “new lamps for old ones.” When Aladdin discovered what happened, he had to be very clever to get the lamp back from the evil wizard. In the end, Aladdin defeated the wizard, married the princess, and used his last wish to free the genie. Aladdin and the princess lived happily ever after in a beautiful palace, and they were kind rulers who helped the poor people of their kingdom.

Keywords:

• Palace
• Kingdom
• Clever

Reasoning Question with Two Choices:

• When Aladdin used his last wish to free the genie instead of keeping him for more wishes, was he being selfish or generous? (generous)

Reasoning Question with a Predictable Answer:

• When someone does something nice without expecting anything in return, they are being __. (Expected completions: kind (60%), generous (25%), selfless (10%))

Reasoning Question with a Range of Responses:

• Aladdin became a ruler of a kingdom. Can you name another job or role that helps lead or take care of people?

Open-Ended Question:

• How do you think Aladdin’s life changed from the beginning of the story to the end?

SOURCES:

• “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp” from One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights), traditional folk tale
• Disney’s Aladdin (1992), Walt Disney Pictures
• “Aladdin: A Complete History” by Yasmine Seale, 2018