There once was a genie who was imprisoned in an ornate bottle that had floated across the Indian Ocean for centuries. One day the bottle landed on an island where a vacationing couple found it. As they brushed the sand and muck off its fine edges, they admired the beauty and art of the bottle. The genie was excited, for this was his chance to be released from the bottle, grant a wish to his liberators, and regain his freedom. But the bottle was never opened. The couple took the bottle home, diligently cleaned it, and stored it in a glass case. The bottle became a mere decoration, keeping the genie and his magic trapped inside for years to come.

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