Today is part one of two where we are talking to B. G. Wolfe about her novel. Over the next 2 weeks you will hear about her journey of writing before she understood what she was writing, inspiration coming no matter where you are, using friends to help you develop your book, understanding that your first draft is not going to be perfect, and giving yourself permission to do things a little differently to get the job done.

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B. G. Wolfe constantly has several fictitious storylines playing out in her head—especially when she’s trying to go to sleep. She aims to write diverse characters and storylines, with emphasis on those in the LGBTQ+ community and those who struggle with their mental health like she does. B. G. can often be found chasing after her toddler or one of her various pets whilst in desperate need of (more) coffee (or wine, depending on the time of day).

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Welcome to Freya's Fairy Tales, where we believe fairy tales are both stories we enjoyed as children and something that we can achieve ourselves.

Each week we will talk to authors about their favorite fairy tales when they were kids and their advice ventured to holding their very own fairy tale in their hands.

At the end of each episode, we will finish off with the fairytale or short story read as close to the original author's version as possible.

I am your host.

Freya victoria I'm an audiobook narrator that loves reading fairy tales, novels and bringing stories to life through narration.

I am also fascinated by talking to authors and learning about their why and how for creating their stories.

We have included all of the links for today's author and our show in the show notes, today is part one of two where we are talking to BG wolfe about her novel.

Over the next two weeks, you will hear about her journey of writing before she understood what she was writing.

Inspiration coming no matter where you are, using friends to help you develop your book, understanding that your first draft is not going to be perfect and giving yourself permission to do things a little differently to get the job done.

April Renegade Ashley Sing I've been enchanted by him ever since I first heard his laugh.

Before I saw his face, before we talked, before everything.

He saved me when I needed saving the most, but I'm about to ruin it all.

I don't know how to keep the pieces of my world intact otherwise.

Drew Dawson I think I've been in love with Ash since we met on that chilly night in April almost ten years ago.

I'd do anything for him, have done everything for him, but I don't know how much longer I can tear myself apart as I wait for him.

I don't know if I'll survive it.

According to Ashlancing's fans, he has it all.

He's the lead singer for a popular punk rock band, he's got a literal model for a girlfriend, a beautiful loft in NYC, and through the past ten years, he's had his best friend, Drew Dawson by his side through it all.

But Ash doesn't really have it all because the one thing he desires he can only have in the shadows and behind closed doors.

And the exhaustive secrecy is no one's fault but his own.

Drew Dawson is nothing but supportive of his best friend.

They grew from boys to men together and formed the band that has given them more than they could have dreamed of.

But his best friend can't give him the one thing he needs to keep going.

And that might just be his breaking point.

April Renegade is a comingofage and m romance novel that follows the story of two young men coming to terms with their true selves over the span of a decade in this steamy rock and roll romance, tag along as two people form a relationship forged by fate.

April Renegade is not suitable for readers under the age of 18.

Well, the show is Freya's Fairy Tales, and that is two ways.

Fairy tales are both something that we either listened to or watched or read as kids.

And then also the journey of now you're a new author, but the journey of spending the weeks and months and years working on these books and finally holding that in your hands is also a fairy tale for you.

So I like to start off with, do you remember your favorite fairy tale from when you were a kid or short story?

And did that favorite change over time as you got older?

That's a really great question.

So I mostly watched the Disney movies and the fairy tale type of movies.

I think we had the Grimm Fairy Tales at one point, but I'm not sure I read any of it, which is really funny because I'm really into dark stuff now, so I feel like I would have liked it, like the real set in stone fairy tales.

Right.

So Aladdin was always one of my favorites, and that still holds up today.

And I think the original is Aladdin.

And the magical lamp, I believe.

No, it's 1001 Arabian Nights, I think is the original, which is like a long book.

So I won't be able to read that at the end because it's very long.

I saw that there was a few.

Yeah, there should be.

Usually Beauty and the Beast also started one.

That one started in French and it was like a 200 page book, but then it got shortened over time and translated into other languages and stuff.

There's a few of them, though.

Either they were oral traditions that just got copied down shorter as time went on, or they started these long books that got, like, way cut down.

It's so funny how that happens.

But yeah, Aladdin was probably my favorite.

That and The Little Mermaid, like, the traditional ones, because other than that, I loved Hercules and Greek mythology.

I've heard that one.

I haven't read through his story, but I've heard that it's not very accurate.

No, it's not at all.

But that was one of my comfort, like Disney movies growing up.

Like every time I was sick, I wanted to watch Hercules or Emperor's New group.

Don't know why.

Those are my staples.

Nice.

So at what age did you think, hey, it might be kind of cool to write a book?

Honestly, as soon as I learned to write.

So my earliest memories of writing were me trying to figure out a story in my head that I was not capable of doing quite yet.

But from the time I could write, I was writing and imagining things.

And even if there was only a few sentences, I was trying to put something together.

And I only just last year finished my first novel.

So it took me quite a while to figure it out, but it's been a great long journey.

So how long did it take you to write the book?

Because it hasn't actually released yet.

Right?

Yes, I actually wrote a first book before this one that's coming out this month of July.

I keep thinking it's June, so I wrote a science fiction novel first, which is on Kendall Vella, so that's a little different.

Right.

So that one took me about six months.

But for April Renegade, which is the one that releases in less than two weeks, that took me two and a half months to write.

Okay, well, and it will have released because I believe your episodes will be airing in like, September.

Perfect.

It will have released by then.

So we'll have links for the book in the show notes of the podcast.

Yes.

Okay, and so where did you get the idea for either both books.

Either book.

I'll talk about April Renegade because I guess it's more relevant right now and I've been so focused on it.

That's pretty much where my brain is at.

Right.

So it was a couple of days after Valentine's Day this year.

I was at a punk rock concert here in my hometown with my sister and I was just listening to the music.

I had a gin and tonic.

I was living my best life.

And I was just like I was just looking around and all of a sudden I just got this.

Like the first paragraph of the book come to me in my head of a singer on stage and what it was like to be on stage and have this secret love who happens to be the drummer of the band.

So it just kind of hit me, which has never really happened in that way before.

Okay, and so did you immediately pull out your phone and write this down or how did that work out?

I did.

I think my sister was getting more drinks or something.

She was having a lot of fun.

We had a great night.

And so I was alone sitting down, and there's people, like, in the pit and stuff, but I was away from that sitting down.

I was like, I should probably write this down so I remember it right.

Before the drinks come back.

Yeah, exactly.

And then the next day I was like, I guess we'll see what happens if I just write a little bit of that.

Because at that point, I was editing my other book and I was kind of deep into that, but I missed actually writing, so I wanted to actually, because editing really does become overwhelming.

So I was like, okay, we'll take a break from editing and just see what happens.

And if nothing happens with it, fine.

And then two and a half months later, it was complete and I had already decided to publish it.

So it was just kind of a.

Crazy whirlwind that happened because you're self publishing, right.

Did you consider traditionally publishing for the.

One that I have on Kindle Bellow, which is called Amer's Nest, that's science fiction.

I actually did query to agents to quite a bit for that one.

But once I learned more about the publishing and I know my friend Jason was on your podcast as well.

Jason, he has been a huge help to me.

And once I just did more research, I was like, I think for a male gay romance, that Kindle Unlimited, Amazon, that's where the genre mostly lives.

Like, that's where it thrives.

And I have a mentor who only writes that.

I had no plans of writing a male gay romance, but I'm happy I'm here.

But she was like, that is the platform for it.

You just want to stay on Amazon for that.

If it was maybe male, female or a little different, maybe I would branch out.

But I'm pretty happy with the self publishing and doing it through Amazon.

So you wrote the book and then obviously you've talked about edits.

How long did the editing process take?

So I had an alpha reader while I was writing, so every time I had a chapter, I added it into a Google Doc.

And I went to college with her.

We took creative writing together, so she would just give me a little bit of feedback here and there.

She was amazing.

And then once I finished the whole thing, I did one more read through, send it to my two beta readers so that they could catch a few things, give me some feedback.

Ended up writing like 3000 more words, which was not what I wanted, but they insisted.

And I think the book is stronger because of their suggestions, I really do.

I think having eyes on it before you send it to your editor is really good.

Right?

So once they were done and I added in their edits, then I sent it to my editor.

She only took about a week to get it back to me, which was great.

Nice easy turn around.

And then I had a proof reader and I approved it again.

So it was like several cycles.

It didn't take long though, maybe like three weeks altogether.

So you did not try to jump in with no editor, just off on your own, publish it first up and shoot?

No.

And I'm happy that I got an editor this time, but my degree is in English and I used to be a grammar teacher, so my editor didn't find a lot.

I'm still very thankful for her.

She was amazing.

But next time I might go the not editing editor route.

I might just have proofreaders and I might do the alpha readers, the beta readers, the proofreaders.

I might try doing it myself, but that's going to be a battle that I fight when it comes to time.

You want to save money as much as you can too, right?

But you also want to support editors because they're important.

When I talk to like, the author I talked to last week, she went to an editor first, but it wasn't a genre that he liked to read and so he didn't catch a lot of stuff.

And like, all her reviews she was getting were, this needs to see an editor.

This needs to see an editor.

So she finally was like, okay, we're going to pull it.

Go to a new editor and repo.

That was my biggest fear, especially because I do have a background in English and grammar and writing.

I was like, oh my gosh, if it has like 100 typos, I'm never.

Going to get a job ever again.

Yeah, which is another great thing about having Arc readers.

I had about 50 Arc readers, and I've had close to 20 finish the book right now.

And I had a few of them show me a few types.

I think I only had four or five, but I was like, that's great.

I can fix that for the print and the ebook version before it goes live.

So that was important.

So Kindle, Vella, you put up a chapter at a time, right?

Yeah, it's like a serial.

It's heard that it's similar to something else.

I can't remember.

Maybe something similar on WhatsApp I never did.

Watts had So don't quote me on that.

I have one author that that's the only way that I can talk to her is through Wattpad.

Really the only reason I have an account.

I've never looked at anything else other than her profile.

Well, I tell people when they ask me what it is, I'm like, it kind of reminds me of a podcast, actually.

Because you release new episodes, right?

Like, sometimes weekly or sometimes biweekly.

Whatever.

And a lot of people on Bella do that as well.

So if you're caught up, you know that at least there will be a new episode.

Because they call it Episodes on Bella as well.

So there will be a new episode next week.

And then you can have like a part one, or there can be different seasons.

It's very interesting and it's fairly new.

So I'm doing it.

Yeah, I've only heard of it through TikTok actually, recently.

So I didn't know it was a thing.

But I've seen authors talk about it on there, so I kind of figured out the gist of it.

Yeah, I kind of heard about it and I was like, my science fiction book was kind of at a standstill and I wanted to reread it and jump back into it.

And I was like, you know what, let's just see what this Bella thing is all about.

I just literally went in blind.

And so I've got like twelve episodes, I think, out of that right now.

I need to edit more.

But with April renegade, I've been, like, super crazy, right?

I got to meet my deadline.

Yeah, there's that.

And then I'm like, I also want to write something else.

It's just like a crazy, chaotic cycle that never ends.

So is April Renegade part of a series, or are these both one offs?

April Renegade, which is the one that comes out July 12, that's just going to be a standalone.

I might do a novella for it eventually, but I think it's just going to be a standalone.

Amir's Nest, the one on Kindle Bella, that's supposed to be one of three, but it was very long.

It's like 148,000 words, the first one.

So it's science fiction.

It tends to be on the longer side.

But then I look at my friend Jason Durham's books and they're way longer.

So it makes me feel better.

Right.

I just landed my first epic fantasy narration, and they're like, all the books.

Well, most of the books are over 100,000 words, but it's five books long.

Three are over 100,002, are like 90,000.

And I'm like, oh, my gosh.

Yeah.

Jason is like his second one.

I think it's going to be $200,000.

And that's the other thing with traditional publishing, right?

If you're a new author, they don't want you to have a very long book as your first book, even if it is.

Science fiction was something that I learned.

Like, I had one person say, it's just too long.

Otherwise, I would say yes.

I'm like, but it's science fiction.

It's science fiction.

I can't do a science fiction in less than 100,000 words.

And even April Renegade is a world building.

Exactly.

And even April Renegade is technically a little on the longer side for romance.

It's 85,000 words, and a lot of them are like 60 to 70,000 words.

Yeah, I'm an overwriter.

At least I've done romances anywhere from like 30,000 up to I guess that was a fantasy one, thinking I did one that was like 100 and something thousand, but it was vampires and werewolves.

So that is fantasy.

That sounds fun.

That's my kind of fantasy.

It was very fun.

I love it.

I love it.

All right, it's been fun.

So if this one is going to be a one off and you possibly will do the novella, does that mean that you're, like, starting to focus on book two of the Kindle Vella series or other?

Start on another series?

What's happening next?

One thing about me is I make no sense.

And I'm just totally I've come to terms with my own chaos because that would make the most sense right now.

As I publish each episode on Kindlevela, I go back and I edit those chapters that I haven't visited in a while to kind of refresh my mind.

Right.

So I'm kind of doing that gradually as I write some other things.

So I already have the whole trilogy planned out, so I'm kind of like, okay with taking a pause on that for now.

So next I have another science fiction stand alone.

And it's more on the horror side of things, too, that I'm trying to rewrite.

It was originally a screenplay that I wrote in 2015.

Okay.

And I'm kind of playing with that because I usually write in first person, but I'm trying third person, and I'm trying all these different things, and I finally figured out my plot holes.

So I'm very excited to do that.

But I might also do the novella for April Renegade first.

It just kind of depends on where I'm at creatively.

I want to do the science fiction horror one, but a lot of my readers are like, I want the novella.

So I'm like, I don't even know if I can write a novella because, again, I'm an overwriter.

So we'll just have to see it.

Might be another full length.

It might just be a weird prequel.

I don't know.

So how has it been?

Because science fiction is, at least from what I know, predominantly male authors.

Does the Kindle Vella kind of change that and make it easier, or how has it been kind of breaking in as a female and not very female genre?

Yeah, I haven't really noticed any big differences quite yet.

And also, like I said, kindle bell is fairly new.

It hasn't gotten a kind of traction quite yet, but it is definitely a predominantly male genre, like you said.

So I'm interested to see if my feelings about that will change.

But most of the people that I know who love Sci-Fi are men.

I think I saw one other Ticktocker who was like, where are my female science fiction writers that I was like, hey.

All the way at the back of the class.

Hey.

Yeah.

I haven't really experienced anything personally yet.

Sometimes when you tell people you write science fiction or horror and you're like this girl, this small girl, they're like, what?

Why?

Because I want to.

This is what I like.

It's what I like.

I mean, Alien is one of my very favorite movies.

I love The X Files.

I love conspiracy theories.

So it all checks out in my brain.

As you play in this, do you plan on, once the Vela book is done, going and doing that as a published all by itself thing, or do you have any plans to actual physical copy that book at some point?

I think so.

I think that once you finish the book on Bella, I think you have to wait 60 days before you can publish it through Amazon.

It's like a physical book by itself, but I do plan on doing that when it's done.

Okay.

Now, obviously your journey is a little bit different in the getting people to your books.

What do you do to get people to your Vela book versus how are you getting people to the one that comes out here in a couple of weeks?

Yeah, so it is very different because a lot of people don't understand what Bella is.

And that's one of the things that I talked to a couple of friends on TikTok recently, and they're like, you have to market that.

It's a bella as well.

You can't just say that.

This is my book.

It's on single unlimited.

People are going to be like, what is Vella?

So I do have my own separate Instagram for that, for the Vela, where I'll post things, graphics.

I'm in some Facebook groups where I do some marketing for that one.

But like I said, my energy has mostly been focused on April Renegade, which.

Is what I do.

My TikToks and my Instagram and my ads and my Facebook and my arc reader is spreading the word.

It's crazy, it's hectic, and my head is never screwed on quite straight.

It's a lot of social media, and I have a big hate love with social media, honestly.

So sometimes I'm just like, I cannot make a TikTok right now.

I know I need to, but I don't want to.

I've kind of gotten in the pattern where I'm like, okay, I'm sitting down to narrate, get a tick tock done, and then go about narrating.

So that's always like the first thing.

But I only do like one a day.

I'm not one of those, like, I'm going to post ten times a day people.

If you see more than one, for me, it's because something came up and I wanted to comment on it or whatever.

Yeah, I used to do like three or four a day, and now I'm just like my creativity.

I'm in a resting period, I guess, where I just need to read.

I like to have Draft saved of TikToks, and my graphics for Instagram are saved and way ahead of time.

So I've had those made for a week, but with ticktocks it takes longer.

And then coming up with new ideas of things to create.

Right.

It's hard, especially because some things are overdone and other things aren't talked about enough that you have to find this weird perfect balance.

Yeah, I would say mine are lame compared to most people because I'm just like talking and all of them and I edit absolutely nothing besides adding my logo in the corner.

I love when people just talk honestly, and I think that makes people more personable, because if you just record with sounds, I'm like, but who are you?

If you make money and it can be relatable, but who are you?

And that's how Jason and I became friends.

And a lot of my other TikTok authors and I became friends because I'd be like, oh my gosh, me too.

And then we just start chatting outside of the TikTok comments, and you just create friendships.

So I have TikTok where I'm more like personable, but then I have Facebook and Instagram and Twitter where I post these memes and gifts and stuff like that.

Gift, gift, whatever.

And stuff like that on there.

And at one point, my mom, who actually went to school for social media marketing was like, all your posting.

First she thought I was paying someone to do these posts for me.

She's like, So how's that person that's doing all your posting working out?

And I'm like, what are you talking about?

The happy Thursday.

Happy Friday.

Whatever.

I'm like, that's me to post them.

And she's like, oh.

They'Re going to.

Fall in love with you, not your brand, so you need to talk more about your life.

Growing shade.

I'm like, thanks, Mum.

It's okay.

Because today she tells me she was at work and one of her employees came in and heard her listening to one of my podcasts.

And the girl was like, oh my God, who is that?

Like, narrating on this fiction podcast?

And she's like, that's my daughter.

It balances out.

Yeah.

She's like, what are you doing?

And she's like, yes.

I'm so proud.

It is what it is.

And she had an author came into her work and had like a shirt on, like, I'm an author or something like that, until my mom got her information because she didn't have an audiobook yet.

So my mom's like, let me give you my daughter's information and then I'll get your information and you guys can maybe she can do your audio, maybe.

You can do mine in the future.

For sure.

I'm trying to get Jason to do April Renegade because two males and he's like, Absolutely not.

Because he is voiceover, but he's not okay with spice and romance makes someone comfortable.

And I'm like, you know you want.

I got the hook up for you, though.

I got a friend that'll do it.

Perfect.

I would love it.

He's on Tik Tok.

I can send you his name.

He would love it.

Yes, for sure.

I just always love making Jason uncomfortable.

So I'm like, don't you want to?

And he's just like, no.

In fact, I talked to him about his audiobook getting made, and he was like, I'm thinking about it, like, maybe, but I haven't decided.

I'm like, okay, from what I've heard, I don't do voiceover, so I don't personally know the differences.

But from what I've heard, for people that do both, it's more taxing to do the long form because you're talking for a very long period of time.

But I'm like, for me, I'm like, I can't imagine just doing these one off one line things and that being my whole day.

I like being in the stories.

Yeah.

And I think he would like to as well at some point.

I know he did like an airport commercial or something like an overhead like that you hear at the airport.

And I was like.

Do you see the ones on TikTok that'll post?

Like, here's the spot and then here's, like, once it was in the video or whatever.

Do you ever see those voiceover ones.

I don't I want to talk to you.

I want to see those.

It will show me later because I said that.

Yeah, there's a couple of I can't even give you any names right off, but there are several voice over people that will do that.

They'll post.

Like, here's what I sent off initially, and then the commercial that one of them is doing a commercial for, like, a restaurant chain, and it was so funny.

It's this restaurant chain that we have near us, and the way that he says the name of the restaurant in his video is definitely not the way we pronounce the name.

And I'm like, you learn that you've been saying the name wrong for ten years, because tick tock.

That's, like, my theory.

I said my theory could be an Australian man, because he'll be like, Turn on this street.

That is not how you pronounce that at all, but it sounds so much better coming from your fake robotic voice.

Thank you.

Yes.

We're in Florida, so nothing sounds real good.

Some of our taxes are really Texas, so it's weird.

Oh, man.

Florida and Texas got together.

Yeah, I have the same Australian man.

My husband is, like, an Irish woman or something.

I don't remember.

But yeah, I'm like it's just so much better when it's the Australian and every time I get a new phone, you got to reset it up with the right voice.

Otherwise, it's weird.

Yes, exactly.

So in your book so you had this idea from this concert you were at.

How did you figure out as a new writer the storyline and all of that?

Did you completely plan it out ahead of time, or did you kind of just fly by the seat of your pants?

It took me a very long time to figure out that I can't just go in and try my best to connect the plot.

I have a journal for each work in progress that I have, and I do my character development.

If there's world building, I'll do that.

I'll lift my major plot points or things that I want to add, and then I do the 27 chapter method.

I don't know if you've ever heard of that.

I don't think it was you, but an author on Tik Tok, I saw talk about it, so I actually saved the video for it for, like oh, keep this in mind for later.

Yeah, I heard about it.

I think I read about it, and then I specifically looked it up one day, did my research, and I really liked that outline because it reminds me of screenwriting.

It might have been, you know, I got to look at my phone and see whose video I saved.

I took a screenwriting class as a sophomore in college.

It was you.

It was you.

Yeah.

Hey, I'm glad.

But it helps me so much because it's like, this is where this needs to.

Happen.

And my brain does good with that structure.

And then once I have that all down, I'll start writing.

Sometimes ignore things I write down and have planned because I'm like, actually, as I'm writing, like, this would fit better.

And sometimes I have to go back and rework things.

But even if I have a shell of an outline, I'm going to do better than just going in blind, right?

Just like general plan.

Yeah.

So I'm working on my own book.

Awesome.

One book that's like 30,000 words in.

And then another book was like, nope, we're going to go over this way for a while.

So I paused that one.

I'm researching for the other one now.

But yeah, in my head, as I'm researching, I'm kind of planning in my head.

Haven't written anything down yet.

Want to get the research read first before I, like, set anything in stone.

But in my head, I'm kind of planning.

And then, like, every book that I read that's somewhat of a similar genre, I'm also like not copying, but it's inspiring.

Like, oh, we could do this.

Instead, I'm reading through the AKATAR series, and the one that I'm planning is mythology based, which is why I need to research.

And so I'm like reading through, and I don't want to copy what she's doing.

It's not even going to be anywhere close to what she's done.

But reading her book, I'm like, oh, I could also do this.

Yeah, no, it's good to have so many professors tell me, the more you read, the better you're going to write.

And I think that's so true.

I think that's so true.

And I also did a lot of research, especially for my science fiction one, and I put it all down in that journal because essentially in that one, the whole world is dying.

So it's a plague, but not just a human, right?

So it's like humans, animals, and all the foliage, all the plants, the whole Earth is dying.

Okay.

And I don't focus on that because a lot of people are very sensitive with Cobin still being a thing.

We understand that it mostly takes place in space.

But I did so many like, I had so much research on plagues because we have one big plague that happens every century.

And then like, animal diseases, plant diseases, like the endangered species list.

And then I did a 100 year timeline so all the species that die off in the next 100 years.

And all of these things.

I have government, like politics, things that happen.

It took me months to plan that.

Out, so I was trying.

So the book that's on pause, I guess it would technically be scifi fantasy.

And so in that book, something has happened.

Let me think.

In my brain, words are hard.

Words are hard.

So there's a disease similar to Covet.

I had named it COVID, like, not 19.

It was like Covet, like 25 or something.

And so they're trying to come up with a vaccine for this.

And they like, every vaccine that's come out has just killed everybody.

So they keep like, okay, we got to reformulate.

Reformulate.

And so finally this guy accidentally stumbles upon.

He's like, all right, we're going to start using animal DNA in this vaccine and tweak it.

So, like, what animals have really good immune systems and what animals have really good this.

And so using that DNA in the virus, well, then he gets like a bad batch of this animal DNA and his entire everyone he's vaccinated has died.

And so the government's like, you get one more chance.

You're fired.

Because if you need a beta reader, you hit me up because that's awesome.

So I'm getting Jurassic Park vibes.

So then he's like, all right.

So he finds out that someone didn't wash their hands at the animal DNA place is what caused all of it to be, like, contaminated.

So he was like, all right, so he finds a new animal DNA place, and he's like, you send me whatever you have.

Like, we're just going to throw everything at it and we're going to see what happens.

Well, the big thing of it, the whole book opens on this.

Like, she's in an alley and she sees a blue flash of light, and then she passes out.

So everything goes dark, and then it goes back a couple of weeks.

And so you see the build up to it.

But yes, the whole thing is basically all these animal DNA have started giving people superpowers.

So now these people have powers because of these different DNA that got mixed in.

But I was trying to research and figure out I don't want the whole population to have powers.

I want it to be a distinct one.

So I was researching, like, how could we get a small enough group down?

And I'm not going to give away the book, but I did a lot of researching on what percentage of people did this happen to.

Okay, let's whittle that down more.

What percentage of people did this happen to?

And down until I got to a reasonable percentage of the population that could have been affected by this.

I love this whole concept.

I'm like, nerding out so high, so hard.

Did you ever read what was it?

The animal series?

I did not.

Oh, my gosh.

That was like when the kids would turn into a specific animal for some reason.

Okay, I'm going to have to send you a link.

Was in there a TV show for that too?

I think so.

I think so.

In the covers, it's always like the human morphing into, like, Transformers, but animals.

Yeah, it's awesome.

But I love that you have a big emphasis on animals because the main character in my Bella is a wildlife biologist, which is why I paid so much attention to the animals in my research.

Because she's going to try and find viable life on another planet.

But she's also like, if I do that, we're bringing all of my animals that are alive in my dome to this new planet.

I don't care how you do it, but you're going to do it.

Well, I said it too, because I'm not very like, I didn't want to have to do a bunch of science research.

So I have it set where he was for school for premed, but then he changed to business instead.

So he has the main character is not the person doing it.

He's just like, hey, what if we start using animal DNA?

And then his chemist is the one that then figures out how to actually I don't actually have to do a bunch of research for how to formulate vaccines and stuff.

I like that too.

Light scifi is good.

That's where I like to be.

I love epidemiology.

That's like a big thing I heard out about on the side.

So I was one of those people who was like, it's going to be a big thing.

And nobody listened to me because I was like on deep reddit holes before it came to America.

And I was like, y'all just wait.

And everyone laughed at me.

Everyone laughed.

Yeah, we all got sick with some really big coughing thing, like November before it all happened and like really bad coughing.

And we're like, maybe we had it then.

And then we got it again this past January.

And let me tell you, I sounded like a trucker that smokes a pack a day for like a month afterwards.

I'm so glad I had a lull in Narrating.

Like, I happened to have a break where I didn't have any books.

And I'm like, thank God, because my voice was awful.

I was just tired.

I was exhausted.

And I had bronchitis before that.

So I had a horrible cough from that.

But then I got cobid and that made that cough go away.

And I was like, okay, too negative, I guess.

So my day job s*** hit the fan and I was literally at my desk from like 07:00 A.m.

Until 07:00 P.m.

For like three weeks straight.

And during all that I started to feel kind of sick and I got a fever.

But it's literally I'm the only me at my job.

So it was like and I'm having to work normally.

I work for like one to 2 hours a day and then answer the phone throughout the day.

It's not that big of a deal.

Normally when things go wrong, sometimes they go very wrong with my day job.

So it happened to be very wrong.

And I'm like I start to feel sick.

I'm like coughing a little bit.

I'm running a fever.

My daughter starts to get sick.

My husband is fine for a few days and then suddenly he comes down with it.

And for his work, I work from home, so I didn't need to test for me being at home, like, whatever.

He gets sick, he has to test because of work.

And so we're like, all right.

So I basically worked like twelve hour days through covet.

That's fun.

Oh, my gosh, that's awful.

That's awful.

Yeah.

Do not recommend at all.

No.

We almost like we went two and a half years without getting it.

And then I think my husband got it from chaperoning the 8th grade dance at the school he works at and then going on a field trip with the same 8th graders because my old boss's son went there and he got it.

And I was like, that's weird.

My husband's also sick.

I should probably test him.

And then he had it.

And then me and my daughter were like, three days after that.

And I was like, this is great.

But before I started my new job, I just started a new job a couple of weeks ago.

So I was thankful that it was before the new job, right?

Yeah.

I'm thankful that I didn't get it as bad as other people because I was having to work during all of it, and it was like, no one could have done what I was doing.

Situation.

People would call me that, talk to me often, and they're like, you don't sound good.

And I'm like, I don't feel good either.

So just what do you need?

Let's get this over with.

Definitely.

Beachy Wolfe liked Aladdin as a kid and growing up.

Aladdin is a Middle Eastern folk tale.

It is one of the bestknown tales associated with the book of 1001 knights, the Arabian Knights.

Despite not being part of the original text, it was added by the Frenchman Antoine Galand, based on a folktale that he heard from the Syrian Maronite storyteller Hanna Diab.

Today we will be reading aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp.

Don't forget we're reading Lamont de Arthur, the story of King Arthur and of his noble knights of the Round Table on our patreon.

You can find the link in the show notes.

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp there once lived a poor Taylor who had a son called Aladdin, a careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play all day long in the streets with little idle boys like himself.

So grieved the father that he died.

Yet in spite of his mother tears and prayers, aladdin did not mend his ways.

One day when he was playing in the streets as usual, a stranger asked him his age and if he were not the son of Mustafa the tailor.

I am, sir, replied Aladdin, but he died a long while ago.

On this, the stranger, who was a famous African magician, fell on his neck and kissed him, saying I'm your uncle and knew you from your likeness to my brother.

Go to your mother and tell her I'm coming.

Aladdin ran home and told his mother of his newly found uncle.

Indeed, child, she said, your father had a brother, but I always thought he was dead.

However, she prepared supper and bade Aladdin seek his uncle, who came laden with wine and fruit.

He presently fell down and kissed the place where Mustafa used to sit, bidding Aladdin's mother not to be surprised at not having seen him before as he had been 40 years out of the country.

He then turned to Aladdin and asked him his trade, at which the boy hung his head while his mother burst into tears.

On learning that Aladdin was idle and would learn no trade, he offered to take a shop for him and stock it with merchandise.

Next day he bought Aladdin a fine suit of clothes and took him all over the city, showing him the sights and brought him home at nightfall to his mother, who was overjoyed to see her son so fine.

Next day, the magician led Aladdin into some beautiful gardens along the way.

Outside the city gates they sat down by a fountain and the magician pulled a cake from his girdle which he divided between them.

Then they journeyed onwards till they almost reached the mountains.

Aladdin was so tired that he begged to go back, but the magician beguiled him with pleasant stories and led him on in spite of himself.

At last they came to two mountains divided by a narrow valley.

We will go no further, said the false uncle.

I will show you something wonderful.

Only do you gather up sticks while I kindle a fire.

When it was lit, the magician threw on it a powder he had about him, at the same time saying some magical words.

The earth trembled a little and opened in front of them disclosing a square flat stone with a brass ring in the middle to raise it by.

Aladdin tried to run away, but the magician caught him and gave him a blow that knocked him down.

What have I done, uncle?

He said piteously.

Whereupon the magician said more kindly hear nothing, but obey me.

Beneath this stone lies a treasure which is to be yours and no one else may touch it.

So you must do exactly as I tell you.

At the word treasure, Aladdin forgot his fears and grasped the ring as he was told, saying the names of his father and grandfather.

The stone came up quite easily, and some steps appeared.

Go down, said the magician.

At the foot of those steps you will find an open door leading into three large halls.

Tuck up your gown and go through them without touching anything, or you will die instantly.

These halls lead into a garden of fine fruit trees.

Walk on till you come to a niche in a terrace where stands a lighted lamp.

Pour out the oil it contains and bring it to me.

He drew a ring from his finger and gave it to Aladdin, bidding him prosper aladdin found everything, as the magician had said, gathered some fruit off the trees, and having got the lamp, arrived at the mouth of the cave.

The magician cried out in a great hurry, make haste and give me the lamp.

This Aladdin refused to do until he was out of the cave.

The magician flew into a terrible passion, and, throwing some more powder on the fire, he said something, and the stone rolled back into its place.

Magic left Persia forever, which plainly showed that he was no uncle of Aladdin's, but a cunning magician, who had read in his magic books of a wonderful lamp, which would make him the most powerful man in the world.

Though he alone knew where to to find it, he could only receive it from the hand of another.

He had picked out the foolish Aladdin for this purpose, intending to get the lamp and kill him afterwards.

For two days Aladdin remained in the dark, crying and lamenting.

At last he clasped his hands in prayer, and in so doing rubbed the ring which the magician had forgotten to take from him.

Immediately an enormous and frightful genie rose out of the earth, saying, what wouldst thou with me?

I am the slave of the ring and will obey thee in all things.

Aladdin fearlessly replied, deliver me from this place.

Whereupon the earth opened, and he found himself outside.

As soon as his eyes could bear the light, he went home, but fainted on the threshold.

When he came to himself, he told his mother what had passed and showed her the lamp and the fruits he had gathered in the garden, which were in reality precious stones.

He then asked for some food.

A last child, she said, I have nothing in the house, but I have spun a little cotton and will go and sell it.

Aladdin bade her keep her cotton, for he would sell the lamp instead.

As it was very dirty, she began to rub it, that it might fetch a higher price.

Instantly a hideous genie appeared and asked what she would have.

She fainted away, but Aladdin, snatching the lamp, said boldly, fetch me something to eat.

The genie returned with a silver bowl, twelve silver plates containing rich meats, two silver cups and two bottles of wine.

Aladdin's mother, when she came to herself, said, whence comes this splendid feast?

Ask not but eat, replied Aladdin.

So they sat at breakfast till it was dinnertime, and Aladdin told his mother about the lamp.

She begged him to sell it, and have nothing to do with devils.

No, said Aladdin, since chances made us aware of its virtues, we will use it in the ring likewise, which I shall always wear on my finger.

When they had eaten all the genie had brought, aladdin sold one of the silver plates, and so on, till none were left.

He then had recourse to the genie, who gave him another set of plates and thus they lived for many years.

One day Aladdin heard an order from the Sultan proclaimed that everyone was to stay at home and close his shutters while the princess, his daughter, went to and from the bath.

Aladdin was seized by a desire to see her face which was very difficult as she always went veiled.

He hid himself behind the door of the bath and peeped through a c****.

The princess lifted her veil as she went in and looked so beautiful that Aladdin fell in love with her at first sight.

He went home so changed that his mother was frightened.

He told her he loved the princess so deeply that he could not live without her and meant to ask her in marriage of her father.

His mother, on hearing this, burst out laughing.

But Aladdin at last prevailed upon her to go before the Sultan and carry his request.

She fetched a napkin and laid it in the magic fruits from the enchanted garden which sparkled and shone like the most beautiful jewels.

She took these with her to please the Sultan and set out trusting in the lamp.

The grand vizier and the lords of council had just gone in as she entered the hall and placed herself in front of the Sultan.

He, however, took no notice of her.

She went every day for a week and stood in the same place when the council broke up on the 6th, the day the Sultan said to his vizier I see a certain woman in the audience chamber every day carrying something in a napkin.

Call her next time that I may find out what she wants.

Next day, at a sign from the vizier she went up to the foot of the throne and remained kneeling till the Sultan said to her rise, good woman, and tell me what you want.

She hesitated.

So the Sultan sent away all but the vizier and bade her speak freely promising to forgive her beforehand for anything she might say.

She then told him of her son's violent love for the princess.

I prayed him to forget her, she said, but in vain.

He threatened to do some desperate deed if I refuse to go and ask your Majesty for the hand of the princess.

Now I pray you to forgive not me alone, but my son Aladdin.

The Sultan asked her kindly what she had in the napkin whereupon she unfolded the jewels and presented them.

He was thunderstruck and turning to the vizier, said what sayest thou?

Ought I not to bestow the princess on one who values her at such a price?

The Vizier, who wanted her for his own son begged the Sultan to withhold her for three months in the course of which he hoped his son would contrive to make him a richer present.

The Sultan granted this and told Aladdin's mother that though he consented to the marriage she must not appear before him again for three months.

Aladdin waited patiently for nearly three months, but after two had elapsed, his mother, going into the city to buy oil, found everyone rejoicing and asked what was going on.

Do you not know?

Was the answer, that the son of the grand vizier is to marry the sultan's daughter tonight?

Breathless she ran and told Aladdin who was overwhelmed at first, but presently bethought him of the lamp.

He rubbed it, and the genie appeared, saying, what is thy will?

Aladdin replied.

The sultan, as thou knowest, has broken his promise to me, and the vizier son is to have the princess.

My command is that tonight you bring hither the bride and bridegroom.

Master, I obey, said the genie.

Aladdin then went to his chamber, where, sure enough, at midnight the genie transported the bed containing the vizier son and the princess.

Take this new married man, he said, and put him outside in the cold and return at daybreak.

Whereupon the genie took the vizier son out of bed, leaving Aladdin with the princess.

Fear nothing, Aladdin said to her.

You are my wife, promised me by your unjust father, and no harm shall come to you.

The princess was too frightened to speak and passed the most miserable night of her life.

While Aladdin lay down beside her and slept soundly at the appointed hour, the genie, fetched in the shivering bridegroom, laid him in his place and transported the bed back to the palace.

Presently the sultan came to wish his daughter good morning.

The unhappy visitor son jumped up and hid himself, while the princess would not say a word and was very sorrowful.

The sultan sent her to her mother, who said, how comes it, child, that you will not speak to your father?

What has happened?

The princess sighed deeply and at last told her mother how during the night the bed had been carried into some strange house and what had passed there.

Her mother did not believe her in the least, but bade her rise and consider it an idle dream.

The following night the exact same thing happened, and the next morning, on the princesses refusing to speak, the sultan threatened to cut off her head.

She then confessed all, bidding him ask the vizier's son if it were not so.

The sultan told the vizier to ask his son, who owned the truth, adding that dearly as he loved the princess, he would rather die than go through such another fearful night and wish to be separated from her.

His wish was granted, and there was an end of feasting and rejoicing.

When the three months were over, aladdin sent his mother to remind the sultan of his promise.

She stood in the same place as before, and the sultan, who had forgotten Aladdin, at once remembered him and sent for her.

On seeing her poverty, the sultan felt less inclined than ever to keep his word and asked the vizier's advice, who counseled him to set so high a value on the princess that no man living could come up to it.

The sultan then turned to Aladdin's mother, saying, good woman, a sultan must remember his promises, and I will remember mine, but your son must first send me 40 basins of gold, brimful of jewels, carried by 40 black slaves, led by as many white ones, splendidly dressed.

Tell him that I await his answer.

The mother of Aladdin bowed slow and went home.

Thinking all was lost, she gave Aladdin the message, adding, he may wait long enough for your answer.

Not so long, Mother, as you think.

Her son replied, I would do a great deal more than that for the princess.

He summoned the genie, and in a few moments the 80 slaves arrived and filled up the small house and garden.

Aladdin made them set out to the palace, two and two, followed by his mother.

They were so richly dressed, with such splendid jewels in their girdles, that everyone crowded to see them and the basins of gold they carried on their heads.

They entered the palace and after kneeling before the sultan, stood in a half circled round the throne with their arms crossed, while Aladdin's mother presented them to the sultan.

He hesitated no longer, but said, good woman, return and tell your son that I wait for him with open arms.

She lost no time in telling Aladdin, bidding him make haste.

But Aladdin first called the genie.

I want a scented bath, he said, a richly embroidered habit, a horse surpassing the sultans, and 20 slaves to attend me.

Besides this, six slaves, beautifully dressed to wait on my mother, and lastly, 100 pieces of gold in ten purses.

No sooner said than done, aladdin mounted his horse and passed through the streets.

The slaves stewing gold as they went.

Those who had played with him in his childhood knew him not.

He had grown so handsome.

When the sultan saw him, he came down from his throne, embraced him, and led him into a hall where a feast was spread, intending to marry him to the princess that very day.

But Aladdin refused, saying, I must build a palace fit for her, and took his leave.

Once home, he said to the genie, build me a palace of the finest marble set with Jasper, aggate and other precious stones in the middle.

You shall build me a large hall with a dome.

It's four walls of messy gold and silver, each side having six windows, whose lattice is all except one, which is to be left unfinished, must be set with diamonds and rubies.

There must be stables and horses and grooms and slaves.

Go and see about it.

The palace was finished by the next day, and the genie carried him there and showed him all his orders, faithfully carried out even to the laying of a velvet carpet from Aladdin's palace to the sultans.

Aladdin's mother then dressed herself carefully and walked to the palace with her slaves.

While he followed her on horseback, the sultan sent musicians with trumpets and symbols to meet them, so that the heir resounded with music and cheers.

She was taken to the princess, who saluted her and treated her with great honor.

At night, the princess said goodbye to her father and set out on the carpet for Aladdin's palace with his mother at her side and followed by the hundred slaves.

She was charmed at the side of Aladdin, who ran to receive her princess.

He said, blame your beauty for my boldness if I have displeased you.

She told him that, having seen him, she willingly obeyed her father in this matter.

After the wedding had taken place, aladdin led her into the hall where a feast was spread and she supped with him, after which they danced till midnight.

Next day, Aladdin invited the sultan to see the palace.

On entering the hall with the four and 20 windows with their rubies, diamonds and emeralds, he cried, it is a world's wonder.

There's only one thing that surprises me.

Was it by accident that one window was left unfinished?

No, sir.

By design, returned Aladdin.

I wished Your Majesty to have the glory of finishing this palace.

The sultan was pleased and sent for the best jewelers in the city.

He showed them the unfinished window and bade them fitted up like the others.

Sir, replied the spokesman, we cannot find jewels enough.

The sultan had his own fetch, which they soon used, but to no purpose, for in a month's time the work was not half done.

Aladdin, knowing that their task was vain, bade them undo their work and carry the jewels back.

And the genie finished the window at his command.

The sultan was surprised to receive his jewels again and visited Aladdin, who showed him the window.

Finished, the sultan embraced him.

The Envious vizier, meanwhile, hinting that it was the work of enchantment.

Aladdin had won the hearts of the people.

By his gentle bearing, he was made captain of the sultan's armies and won several battles for him, but remained modest and courteous as before, and lived thus in peace and content for several years.

But far away in Africa, the magician remembered Aladdin and by his magic arts discovered that Aladdin, instead of perishing miserably in the cave, had escaped and had married a princess with whom he was living in great honor and wealth.

He knew that the poor Taylor's son could only have accomplished this by means of the lamp and traveled night and day till he reached the capital of China, bent on Aladdin's ruin.

As he passed through the town, he heard people talking everywhere about a marvelous palace.

Forgive my ignorance, he said, what is this palace you speak of?

Have you not heard of Prince Aladdin's palace?

Was the reply.

The greatest wonder of the world.

I will direct you if you have a mind to see it.

The magician thanked.

Him who spoke and having seen the palace, knew that it had been raised by the genie of the lamp and became half mad with rage.

He determined to get hold of the lamp and again plunge Aladdin into the deepest poverty.

Unluckily, Aladdin had gone a hunting for eight days, which gave the magician plenty of time.

He bought a dozen copper lamps, put them into a basket and went to the palace, crying, new lamps for old, followed by a jeering crowd.

The princess, sitting in the hall of four and 20 windows, sent a slave to find out what the noise was about, who came back laughing so that the princess scolded her.

Madame, replied the slave, who can help laughing to see an old fool offering to exchange fine new lamps for old ones.

Another slave, hearing this, said there is an old one on the cornice there which he can have now.

This was the magic lamp which Aladdin had left there, as he could not take it out hunting with him.

The princess, not knowing its value, laughingly, bade the slave take it and make the exchange.

She went and said to the magician, gives me a new lamp for this he snatched it and bade the slave take her choice.

Amid the jeers of the crowd.

Little he cared, but left off crying his lamps and went out of the city gates to a lonely place where he remained till nightfall.

When he pulled out the lamp and rubbed it, the genie appeared and at the magician's command, carried him together with the palace and the princess in it, to a lonely place in Africa.

Next morning the sultan looked out of the windows towards Aladdin's palace and rubbed his eyes, for it was gone.

He sent for the vizier and asked what had become of the palace.

The vizier looked out too and was lost in astonishment.

He again put it down to enchantment, and this time the sultan believed him and sent 30 men on horseback to fetch Aladdin in chains.

They met him riding home, bound him and forced him to go with him on foot.

The people, however, who loved him, followed armed to see that he came to no harm.

He was carried before the sultan, who ordered the executioner to cut off his head.

The executioner made Aladdin kneel down, bandaged his eyes and raised his cmatar to strike.

At that instant the vizier, who saw that the crowd had forced their way into the courtyard and were scaling the walls to rescue Aladdin, called to the executioner to stay his hand.

The people indeed looked so threatening that the sultan gave way and ordered Aladdin to be unbound and pardoned him.

In the sight of the crowd, Aladdin now begged to know what he had done.

False wretch, said the sultan, come hither and showed him from the window the place where his palace had stood.

Aladdin was so amazed that he could not say a word.

Where is my palace and my daughter?

Demanded the sultan for the first, I am not so deeply concerned, but my daughter I must have, and you must find her or lose your head.

Aladdin begged for 40 days in which to find her, promising, if he failed to return and suffer death.

At the sultan's pleasure.

His prayer was granted, and he went forth sadly from the sultan's presence.

For three days he wandered about like a madman, asking everyone what had become of his palace, but they only laughed and pitied him.

He came to the banks of a river and knelt down to say his prayers before throwing himself in.

In so doing, he rubbed the magic he still wore.

The genie he had seen in the cave appeared and asked his will.

Save my life, Genie, said Aladdin, and bring my palace back.

That is not in my power, said the genie.

I am only the slave of the ring.

You must ask the slave of the lamp.

Even so, said Aladdin, but thou canst take me to the palace and set me down under my dear wife's window.

He at once found himself in Africa under the window of the princess, and fell asleep out of sheer weariness.

He was awakened by the singing of the birds, and his heart was lighter.

He saw plainly that all his misfortunes were owing to the loss of the lamp, and vainly wondered who had robbed him of it.

That morning the princess rose earlier than she had done, since she had been carried into Africa by the magician whose company she was forced to endure once a day.

She, however, treated him so harshly that he dared not live there altogether.

As she was dressing, one of her women looked out and saw Aladdin.

The princess ran and opened the window, and at the noise she made, Aladdin looked up.

She called to him to come to her, and great was the joy of these lovers at seeing each other again.

After he had kissed her, Aladdin said, I beg of you, Princess, in God's name, before we speak of anything else, for your own sake and mine, tell me what has become of an old lamp I left on the cornice in the hall of four and 20 windows.

When I went to hunting Alas, she said, I am the innocent cause of our sorrows, and told him of the exchange of the lamp.

Now I know, cried Aladdin, that we have to thank the African magician for this.

Where is the lamp?

He carries it with him, said the princess.

I know, for he pulled it out of his breast to show me.

He wishes me to break my faith with you and marry him, saying that you were beheaded by my father's command.

He is forever speaking ill of you, but I only reply by my tears.

If I persist, I doubt not that he will use violence.

Aladdin comforted her and left her for a while.

He changed clothes with the first person he met in the town, and having bought a certain powder, returned to the princess, who led him in by a little side door.

Put on your most beautiful dress, he said to her, and received the magician with smiles leading him to believe that you have forgotten me.

Invite him to SUP with you, and say you wish to taste the wine of his country.

He will go for some, and while he is gone, I will tell you what to do.

She listened carefully to Aladdin.

And when he left her.

Arrayed herself gaily for the first time since she left China.

She put on a girdle and headdress of diamonds.

And seeing in a glass that she looked more beautiful than ever.

Received the magician.

Saying.

To his great amazement.

I have made up my mind that Aladdin is dead.

And that all my tears will not bring him back to me.

So I am resolved to mourn no more, and have therefore invited you to SUP with me.

But I am tired of the wines of China, and would feign taste those of Africa.

The magician flew to his cellar, and the princess put the powder Aladdin had given her in her cup.

When he returned, she asked him to drink her health in the wine of Africa, handing him her cup in exchange for his as a sign she was reconciled to him.

Before drinking, the magician made her a speech in praise of her beauty, but the princess cut him short, saying, let me drink first, and you shall say what you will.

Afterwards she set her cup to her lips and kept it there, while the magician drained his to the dregs and fell back lifeless.

The princess then opened the door to Aladdin and flung her arms round his neck.

But Aladdin put her away, bidding her to leave him as he had more to do.

He then went to the dead magician, took the lamp out of his vest, and bade the genie carry the palace and all in it back to China.

This was done, and the princess in her chamber only felt two little shocks and little thought she was at home again.

The sultan, who was sitting in his closet mourning for his lost daughter, happened to look up and rubbed his eyes, for there stood the palace as before, he hastened thither, and Aladdin received him in the hall of the 420 windows, with the princess at his side.

Aladdin told him what had happened and showed him the dead body of the magician that he might believe.

A ten day feast was proclaimed, and it seemed as if Aladdin might now live the rest of his life in peace.

But it was not to be.

The African magician had a younger brother, who was, if possible, more wicked and more cunning than himself.

He traveled to China to avenge his brother's death and went to visit a pious woman called Fatima.

Thinking she might be of use to him, he entered her cell and clapped a dagger to her breast, telling her to rise and do his bidding on pain of death.

He changed clothes with her, colored his face like hers, put on her veil and murdered her that she might tell no tales.

Then he went towards the palace of Aladdin and all the people, thinking he was the holy woman, gathered round him, kissing his hands and begging his blessing.

When he got to the palace, there was such a noise going on around him that the princess bade her slave look out of the window and ask what was the matter.

The slave said it was the holy woman curing people by her touch of their ailments.

Whereupon the princess, who had long desired to see Fatima, sent for her.

On coming to the princess, the magician offered up a prayer for her health and prosperity.

When he had done, the princess made him sit by her and begged him to stay with her always.

The false Fatima, who wished for nothing better consented, but kept his veil down for fear of discovery.

The princess showed him the hall and asked him what he thought of it.

It is truly beautiful, said the false Fatima, in my mind at once.

But one thing and what is that?

Said the princess.

If only a rock's egg, replied he were hung up from the middle of this dome, it would be the wonder of the world.

After this the princess could think of nothing but a rocks egg and when Aladdin returned from hunting, he found her in a very ill humor.

He begged to know what was amiss and she told him that all her pleasure in the hall was spoiled for the want of a rock's egg hanging from the dome.

If that is all, replied Aladdin, you shall soon be happy.

He left her and rubbed the lamp and when the genie appeared, commanded him to bring a rock's egg.

The genie gave such a loud and terrible shriek that the hole shook.

Rich, he cried, is it not enough that I have done everything for you, but you must command me to bring my master and hang him up in the midst of this dome?

You and your wife and your palace deserve to be burnt to ashes.

But this request does not come from you, but from the brother of the African magician whom you destroyed.

He is now in your palace, disguised as the holy woman whom he murdered.

He it was who put that wish into your wife's head.

Take care of yourself, for he means to kill you.

So saying the genie disappeared, aladdin went back to the princess, saying his head ached and requesting that the holy Fatima should be fetched to lay her hands on it.

But when the magician came near, aladdin, seizing his dagger, pierced him to the heart.

What have you done.

Cried the Princess.

You've killed the holy woman.

Not so, replied Aladdin, but a wicked magician, and told her of how she had been deceived.

After this, Aladdin and his wife lived in peace.

He succeeded the Sultan when he died and reigned for many years, leaving behind him a long line of kings.

Thank you for joining Freya's fairy tales.