Denise Laurenzo, age 15, of Vancouver, Wash., for her question:

WHAT IS A JINNI?

A jinni is a spirit or demon that is a bit lower than an angel in rank. It is found in Middle Eastern and Islamic fokelore and mythology. The plural form of the name is "jinn." They are frequently known by the Anglicized form "genie."

Composed of fire or air, jinn can assume both animal and human form. They may be good or evil. If good, they are beautiful. If wicked, they are ugly. Jinn exist in air, in flame, under the earth and in inanimate objects, such as trees, rocks and ruins. In some ways they resemble humans.

Jinn are mischievous spirits who enjoy punishing humans for wrongs done to them, even unintentionally. Thus, accidents or diseases are considered to be their work. With the proper knowledge, however, humans can control jinn for their own purposes.

Popular in the fokelore of Egypt, Syria, Iran, Turkey and North Africa, jinn are familiar in the West as characters in "The Thousand and One Nights."