Wishes?

November 7th, 2020| Topic: RaMbLeS | 0

Dr. Laeek Khan got taken the other day. The good doctor had recently got back to India from London, and while in Meerut, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, he was approached by a couple of guys. They claimed to be tantriks (sorcerers) and said they had the Aladdin ka chirag (Aladdin’s lamp) for sale. For only $250,000. Only!

BTW, Aladdin’s tale is ATU 561. That is, #561 of the Aarne–Thompson–Uther catalogue of folktales, an essential tool for folklorists, that was first created by Finnish historian Antti Aarne in 1910, and subsequently revised by American scholar Stith Thompson (in 1928 and 1961), and later by the German literary critic Hans-Jörg Uther (2004). In this renowned catalog, the Aladdin story is set in between of ATU 560 (“The Magic Ring”) and ATU 562 (“The Spirit in the Blue Light”). Each member of the trio ATU 560–562, deals with a down-on-luck protagonist who finds a magical item (ring, lamp, and tinderbox, respectively) that can grant him his wishes.

All that to say, ATU 561 is just that, a folk tale.

But Dr. Laeek Khan wanted his wishes fulfilled, and his wealth multiplied, all without any work (unless you consider rubbing a lamp work). And so Khan fell for the tantriks’ enticements. He laid out a down payment of $100,000.

He had met these con men through one of his patients, Sameena. Khan confessed that the two accused would often make him see the jinn (aka “genie”) appearing through the “magical lamp.” The physician claimed that the two tantriks were very convincing, often using a fragrant perfume to fool him into thinking that the jinn was coming out of the lamp. But they refused to give the lamp into his hands, telling Khan that the object could cause him harm. (Khan later realized that he was being fooled, and the jinn was actually Sameena’s husband.)

After the down payment, Khan went home with the lamp, but rub and scrub as he may, no genie materialized. By then the tantriks were gone, Sameena was gone, $100,000 was gone, and, it appeared, the jinn had decamped, too, to Khan’s chagrin. He went to the cops.

These dudes told me that they had a magical lamp made of gold weighing around 5 kg (11 lbs). He also said that a genie resided in it. He said the lamp was magical and all my wishes would come true. But I had to keep it locked in a box for two years or else some untoward incident would happen to my family.”

The police have gotten their hands on the two tricksters, though Sameena and her “jinn”–spouse are still at large. Apparently this is not the first time this gang has duped people with the Aladdin ka chirag. No word on Khan’s $100K.

Folks, that ain’t no way to get your wishes.

I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears. …
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.
O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger;
But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.
Psalm 34:4, 6–10

No need to go rubbing lamps and rings and tinderboxes. Abandon those ATU stories.

Seek God!

SOURCE:
The Times of India