Aladine and her wonderful magic genie of the bottle. I know, you have heard the story told otherwise. In all fairness to Scheherazade, she was vying for her life. The Sultan, Schahriar, her betroth, was contemplating having her murdering after their wedding, having been betrayed by his first wife and his half-brother Schahzenan, and driven rather mad by their plot to murder him and steal the throne. Given the politics of the day, I suppose it was only natural that Scheherazade would take poetic license with the facts and cast the tale in somewhat sexist tones in order to keep her head as they say firmly fixed on her shoulders. In truth it was a bottle, not a lamp, and it was found by a young a potters daughter named Aladine, who had been digging for fresh clay when she chanced upon it. As fate would have it, I happened to be in the area in search of a magic ring, when I encountered Aladine, only to have her in turn become quite smitten with me. I dare say, that dashing young man seen in the picture, half scared out of his wits, is me. I need not tell you that saying "no" to a young lady holding a genie at command is not prudent. Fortunately for me, Aladine, was not unattractive and my stay with her - how shall I put it - turned out to be a rather pleasant and quite interesting affair to say the least. -------------- Please feel free to download and use this image for your own personal use. However, I ask that you not use it in any commercial venture, in whole or in part. If you do, you could upset the genie of the bottle. I can not be held accountable for what might happen to you then. - Brey ----- Poser 5 and Paint Shop Pro 7