Latest / Sandman Stories Presents / EP 331: Turkiye- The Enchanted Pomegranate Branch and the Beauty (Kunos)

Transcript

EP 331: Turkiye- The Enchanted Pomegranate Branch and the Beauty (Kunos) · Sandman Stories Presents

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Welcome back listeners to Sandman Stories Presents
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folklore podcast where I read you to sleep or until the next
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story. I'm your host Dustin.
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And if you want more Sandman that is too spicy for the main
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feed, go ahead and slide over to the Patreon where you can sign
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up for free Today. We are back in the book of
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Turkish folklore written down by Ignez Kunos.
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And today's story is the classic switch the Prince with the
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pauper and then a whole nother epic after that as well.
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OK, let's begin. The enchanted pomegranate branch
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and the beauty. There was once a potty Shah who,
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while being very bored, decided to take a trip with his vizier.
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Before setting out, however, he called to his vizier and said,
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so that our departure may be a secret, find me a man that looks
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like me and set him on the throne.
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The vizier asked how he could be found.
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Let's walk around town for a few days and we'll find one, said
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the Potty Shah. Disguising themselves, they put
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the plan into action. Entering a pub for some
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refreshment, they saw a drunk who was the spitting image of
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the Potty Shah. So they took the publican aside
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and told him to let the man drink until he was drunker than
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a boiled owl, and when night came, to throw him out onto the
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street. This was done, and at midnight
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the Potty Shah sent the vizier to secretly bring the man back
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to the palace. There the fellow was washed, put
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in royal robes and laid out on the Potty Shah's own bed.
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Now everything was ready for the monarch and his vizier to start
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their journey. When the drunken fellow awoke in
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the morning, he saw that he was in the King's palace.
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What did I do? He asked himself.
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Maybe I'm dreaming or perhaps even dead and in heaven.
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After these reflections, he clapped and immediately servants
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brought him a wash basin and a cup of water.
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After washing, he drank the coffee and lit his shibuk.
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I must be the potty Shah, he mused.
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As it was Friday, the servants begged him to say where the
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guests should be met. In the quarter where he used to
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live was a jammy or orator, so he decided that the conversation
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should be held there and all hurried away to get ready.
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A fortnight had elapsed since the drunker had left his own
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home and when his wife heard that the potty show was coming
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to the local jammy, she prepared a petition which he handed to
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him as he was leaving the mosque.
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After the conversation, the Potty Shah took the petition and
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read as follows. Oh Potty Shah, I have a husband
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who does nothing but drink day and night.
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He has not been home now for two weeks nor sent any money for
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provisions. So now we are dying of hunger.
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The Potty Shah immediately gave orders that the woman's dwelling
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should be pulled down and rebuilt on a better plan and
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also that a monthly pension of 500 gold pieces should be given
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to her. This was done.
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The new Potty Shah had three enemies, the innkeeper who threw
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him out into the street when he was drunk, the butcher who had
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beaten him because he cannot pay for the meat, and a restaurant
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owner who wouldn't feed him. He gave orders that they should
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be beheaded and this was done. In the meantime, the real Potty
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Shah and his vizier had already travelled A considerable
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distance. One day they came to a valley
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where they decided to stop and rest for a while.
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In a stream that flowed through the valley, they found an apple,
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which they ate. Now the Potty Shah recollected
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that when setting out, he had taken an oath to do nothing that
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was forbidden while on his journey.
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This made him feel uneasy since he had no way of knowing whether
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that was permitted to eat the apple or not.
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Oh, there's nothing you can do, said the Potty Shah.
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We can only go and ask the owner's permission.
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As they went along, they came across a farmer plowing.
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Greeting him, they told him about the apple and when the
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story was finished, the farmer showed them an orchard with the
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apple trees from which the apple they had eaten had fallen.
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He also pointed out the House of the owner of the orchard, and
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there the potty shot in. His vizier went immediately.
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They knocked on the door which was opened by an old woman, and
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to her they also related the incident of the apple.
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The old woman, saying that the apple trees belong to her
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daughter, went to consult her about the matter.
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The daughter sent back a message that if a man were to marry her,
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permission to eat the apple was granted.
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The potty shot considered the question and finally agreed to
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make the maiden his wife. When she heard this, the old
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woman said, Then I must tell you that my daughter's legs and arms
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are crooked, she is bald and all together so ugly that no man can
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bear the sight of her. Don't worry, replied the potty
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Shah. I won't break my promise.
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He told his vizier to prepare for a wedding for that very day,
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as the next morning they had to be off again.
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Then they went to a neighboring pub to prepare for the wedding.
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As soon as the maiden was presented to him, the Potty Shah
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was dumbstruck. My Sultana, he exclaimed, your
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mother said that you were ugly, while behold, you are the
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loveliest creature in the world. The maiden said that her mother
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always spoke about her like that.
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The wedding took place and the next day the vizir reminded the
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Potty Shah that they must proceed.
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The monarch, however, replied that he had made-up his mind to
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remain at the inn four or five more days.
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As a matter of fact, he remained for 40 days, and on the 41st he
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said to his wife, My Sultana, I cannot remain here any longer, I
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must go. If you should have a son when
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he's grown up, bind this amulet to his arm, and send him to such
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and such a country, and tell him to inquire for Osman and Hamza.
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These were the names the Padishah and his vizier had
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decided to use upon their travels.
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They mounted their horses and rode away, not stopping until
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they had reached home. After arriving at the palace,
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the first thing they did was to get rid of the fake potty Shah.
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So at midnight, while he slept, they put him in a basket and set
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him down by the pub where they had found him a few months ago.
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When the man woke up, he found himself lying in the street.
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I must be dreaming, he said, and closed his eyes again.
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Then he clapped his hands, whereupon the publican appeared
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to ask him Who is there. The drunkard told him to stop
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joking or he would be hanged immediately.
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Open the door. I am the Potty Shah, he called
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loudly. The landlord opened the door and
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seeing the drunkard, kicked him away the ladder in a towering
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rage. Exclaimed, You Rascal, I am the
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potty Shah. I will certainly hang you for
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this. In reply the innkeeper took a
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stick and beat the self styled Potty Shah until he was in a
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lather, and afterwards he was taken to the madhouse.
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Meanwhile the Patty Shah said to his vizier, Oh la, la, we
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brought the man to our palace after he had served our purpose,
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and then we cast him away. Go and see what's become of him.
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So the vizier went to the publican and learned that the
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drunk had gone mad and been taken to the asylum.
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Going to the lunatic asylum, the vizier heard the man shouting
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that he was the potty Shah. The vizier told him not to say
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that he was the potty Shah or it would get worse.
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Reading the tea leaves, the man went to the owner of the pub and
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said, Sir, I am a drunk and not the potty Shah.
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After this confession he was no longer insane and so he was set
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free. His first thought was to go
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home, but he had hardly set his eyes on his wife.
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Then she cried at him. Get out of my sight, you
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graceless fellow. Where have you been all this
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time? You have no doubt heard that the
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potty shop built me a new house and granted me a pension, and
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now you just want to come and share it.
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The woman would not have let him in, but the vizier happened to
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be passing by and heard the angry fighting going up to her.
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He said, Let your husband in, or I will take everything from you.
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Recognizing the vizier, the woman's courage failed her, and
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she let her husband into the house, leaving this worthy
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couple in place. We will now turn to the owner of
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the orchard. In due time a son was born to
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her. When he grew up, his mother,
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remembering the Padishah's instructions, called her son to
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her. Your father, she said, left you
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this amulet, saying that when you grow up, you were to go to
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his country and ask for Asman and Hamza.
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Upon hearing this, the youth took the amulet and prepared for
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his journey. On the way he met the farmer,
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with whom he rested for a little while.
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During their conversation, the farmer told the youth that Osman
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was his friend, and he advised him not to go alone.
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The boy agreed to take the farmer's son with him, and the
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two set out. By and by they came to a well,
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and being overcome with thirst, the farmer said to the youth, I
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will let you down first, so that you may drink.
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Afterwards you let me down. The Shahzada accordingly was
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lowered into the well. But when he had quenched his
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thirst and was ready to return to the top, the farmer's son
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called down to him. Swear that you will say that I'm
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the son of Osman, and that you are the son of the farmer, and
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promised to never reveal the truth, or I will leave you down
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there. He had no choice, so Shahzada
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promised, and was pulled up to the surface.
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They went on, and in a few weeks they arrived at the capital of
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the Padishah's Kingdom. They wandered about town asking
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for Asman and Hamza, when the Padishah heard, and then he
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ordered the boys to be brought before him.
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They were taken to the palace, and when the king asked which
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one was his son, the Shahzad appointed to the other one and
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named himself as the son of the farmer.
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So the farm boy was taken into the palace as a Prince, and the
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other was given a job in the court.
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Once in a dream, the fake Prince saw Dervish, who presented him
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with the Princess and gave him the chalice of love.
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From that time he was a changed man.
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He could not eat nor drink, sleep nor rest, and he became
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pale and weak. Physicians and hojas were called
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one after another, but none of them did him any good.
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They did not understand his illness, and so they couldn't
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find a remedy. One day the false Prince said to
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the parishah, My father, physicians and hojas cannot help
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me. My illness is a love for the
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Princess. The king was frightened at the
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youth, strange words, and feared for his reason.
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You must not think of her. It is dangerous at the monarch.
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Her love would only bring death. But the young man continued to
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get thinner and paler. The potty Shah asked him whether
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he wanted anything, but the answer was invariably the same.
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The Princess, the king, felt that his son would surely die if
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he said no, and that he would be the cause of his death.
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So trusting that Allah would have mercy upon him, he was
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about to agree to his son's travel when the fake Prince
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said, I do not want to go, let me send the farmer's son to get
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her for me. The parishah immediately sent
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for the farmer's son and told him to go in search of the
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Princess and to bring her to marry the Shahzadah.
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The next day the youth set off in search of the Princess.
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After some time he came to the seashore, where he saw a little
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fish floundering on the sand. The creature asked him to throw
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it back into the water, and he agreed.
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But first the fish offered him three of its scales, saying,
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When you're in trouble, burn one of these scales.
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Accepting them gratefully, the youth threw the fish back into
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the sea and went on his way. Coming to a great plain, he met
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an Ant who begged for his help. As it was going to a wedding, it
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would be late to join his companions.
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The young man picked up the Ant and carried it to its
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companions. Before leaving, the insect
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offered him a piece of its wing, saying, When in trouble, burn
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this piece of my wing. Dispirited and weary, the fake
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farmer's son at length reached the thick forest, where he saw a
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small bird struggling with a large snake.
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The bird asked for help from the youth, who promptly cut the
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snake in two. In return, the bird gave him
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three of her feathers, saying, When in trouble, burn one of
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these. Once more he went over the
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mountains and see until he came to a large city.
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He was now in the Kingdom of the father of the Princess.
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Going directly to the palace, he begged in the name of Allah that
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the Patishah would give him his daughter in marriage.
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First you must accomplish 3 tasks of the Padishah and then
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you may speak to my daughter. The monarch then took a ring and
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cast it into the sea and told the Prince to bring it back
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again in three days or his life would be over.
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The Prince thought deeply and recollecting the three fish
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scales, he burnt one of them. Immediately the little fish
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appeared and said, What is your command, my Sultan?
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The ring of the Princess has fallen into the sea, fetch it
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for me, replied the Prince. The fish went down after the
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ring but couldn't find it down. It went a second time without
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success, diving 1/3 time and went right down down to the
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bottom of the seventh sea and brought up a fish.
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The Prince slit its stomach and found the ring inside.
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He gave it back to the Potty Shah, who handed it to his
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daughter. In the neighborhood of the
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palace was a cave filled with a mixture of ash and Millet.
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Your second task, said the potty Shah, is to separate the ash
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from the Millet. The Prince went to The Cave and
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burnt the ants wing, whereupon all the ants in the world
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appeared and set out to do the work.
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The task was thus finished that very day, and in the evening the
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potty Shah came and satisfied himself that not a grain had
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been overlooked. One task remains to be done,
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said the Padishah, and then I will take you to my daughter.
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Calling a female slave to him, the king split her head open and
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said to the youth, Thus shall your own head be split, if you
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cannot restore her to life. The youth left the palace,
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wondering whether the bird's feather would help him.
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He burnt 1 and strayed away. A little bird appeared and
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awaited his command. With a heavy heart the Prince
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related the difficult tasks that have been set before him.
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Now the bird belonged to The Perrys, and flying up into the
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air and out of sight, it soon reappeared with a jug of water.
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Here, said the bird, this is some water of paradise which
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will restore the dead to life. Taking it to the palace, the
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Prince sprinkled some over the corpse, and the maiden arose
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immediately, as though just awakened from asleep.
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The Princess was informed of the youth's exploits, and she got
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ready to meet him. The maiden hid in a small marble
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kiosk, before which was a golden reservoir, and water poured into
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it from four sides. In the court was a magnificent
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garden filled with trees, flowers, and singing birds.
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When the Prince saw all of this, it seemed as though he were in
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the gates of heaven. Suddenly the door of the kiosk
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opened and the garden was wrapped in light.
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The Princess now appeared in all her radiant beauty.
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She approached the Prince to address him, but no sooner did
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she look at him than she fainted.
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She was carried to the kiosk, and when she came to, she said,
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O Prince, you are the son of Shah Suleiman, and you can help
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me in the garden of the Re do a pomegranate branch sings.
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If you'll bring it to me, I am yours forever.
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The youth went far away to fulfill the princess's quest.
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For a month he wandered. Oh, Allah, Creator of all
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things, he prayed, Show me the right way.
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Presently he reached the foot of a mountain.
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There he heard a terrible noise, as though the day of judgement
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had come. The rocks in the mountains
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tumbled, and there an evil darkness fell.
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As the youth bravely went toward the noise, it increased and
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became even more terrifying. All the while he was enveloped
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in a whirlwind of dust and smoke.
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He could not tell whether he was on the right Rd. but he knew
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that a six months journey should bring him to the garden of the
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Ray Dew. And that awful noise was created
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by the talismans of the dew. Continuing on his way, a little
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garden came into view On the gate there was a shrieking
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Talisman and also a guard. The Prince went to him and told
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him what he wanted. Why were you not terrified of
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the great noise? Asked the astonished guard.
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All of the talismans were on alert because of you.
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They even scared me. The Prince asked about the
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pomegranate branch. It's hard to get, said the guard
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gravely. But if you aren't a coward, you
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might succeed. At the end of a three months
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journey, you will arrive at another place similar to this
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with other talismans. There you will find another
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garden, the guard of which is my mother.
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But do not go near her, wait until she comes to you.
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Give her my greeting, but do not tell her your business until she
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questions you. The youth now took the road
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pointed out to him, and after going for three months he heard
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the awful sound that seemed impossible to describe.
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This was the large garden of the Ray Do, and the noise came from
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his talismans. The youth hid himself behind a
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rock and saw a human form, which was that of an old woman, about
18:56
90 years old. Her hair was Snow White, her
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eyelids red, her eyebrows like 2 arrows.
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Her eyes gleamed fire and her fingernails were two yards long,
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and she leaned on a staff as she sniffed the air.
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She was the guardian of the garden.
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Coming up to the youth, she demanded to know what he was
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doing there. The Prince gave her a greeting
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from her son. A little jerk.
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She wheezed. So you've met him?
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Did my miserable son think I should have mercy on you that he
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sent you to me? I'll soon end you.
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So saying, she sees the youth and shook him fiercely.
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The Prince didn't know what had happened.
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He only saw that he was on the back of something that had
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neither eyes nor ears, and was shriveled up like a toad.
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This creature was running off with him, taking gigantic
19:53
strides and springing overseas in a single bound.
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Suddenly the hideous thing set him down and said, Whatever you
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hear, whatever you see, be careful not to speak of it, or
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you are lost. In a moment it was gone as in a
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dream. The Prince now saw the endless
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garden, with streams and waterfalls and trees and flowers
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and fruit. All around was the sound of
20:20
songbirds, as though the air itself for a song.
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Looking around, the youth entered the garden and heard a
20:28
heartbreaking sound of weeping. Remembering the pomegranate
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branch, he began to look for it. In the middle of the garden was
20:37
a small Conservatory, and in it hung a number of pomegranates.
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He plucked a branch, and at once a fearful cry was heard.
20:45
A mortal is killing us. Seized with dread, the youth
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fled from the garden. Quick run shouted the nameless
20:55
thing waiting at the gate. He jumped on its back, and with
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one bound he was on the other side of the sea.
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Now, for the first time, these looked at the pomegranate
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branch. He saw that there were 50
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pomegranates, each of which sang a different song, as though all
21:11
the music of the world were brought together there.
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Next he met the old woman, who was 90 years old.
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Take good care of the pomegranate branch, said the old
21:22
woman. Never let it out of your sight.
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If you can listen to it throughout your wedding day, the
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pomegranates will love you. You need fear nothing, for they
21:32
will protect you in any trouble. Taking leave of the mother, the
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Prince went to her son, who told him to listen to the old woman's
21:39
advice. Then the youth made his way to
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the Princess. The maiden awaited him
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anxiously, for she loved the Prince so fondly that her days
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were filled with fear on his behalf lest any misfortune
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befall him. The maiden hurried to meet the
21:54
Prince, and the pomegranate branch chanted the union of
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their two hearts and such exquisite strains that they seem
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to be lifted up from this earth to the Paradise of Allah.
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Their wedding lasted 40 days and 40 nights and all the time they
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listen to the singing of the pomegranates.
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When the feast ended, the Prince said, Like yourself, I have a
22:17
father and mother. We have already celebrated our
22:19
marriage here. We will now go to my parents and
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celebrate there also. Accordingly, they set out on the
22:27
following day. When they arrived, the youth
22:30
went to the Potty Shah and reported that he had succeeded
22:32
in bringing the Princess with him.
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The king praised him for his bravery and skill and gave him a
22:38
valuable present. Then he made preparations for
22:42
the princess's marriage to the fake shahzada.
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When the maiden saw that she was intended to marry the fake
22:47
Prince, she slapped him in the face.
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He ran to the potty Shah to complain, and the monarch,
22:54
suspecting there was more than meets the eye, went to the
22:57
maiden and begged her to explain her conduct.
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The Princess implored the potty Shah not to allow the marriage
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to take place until the farmer's son had been put to death.
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So the king ordered this youth to be brought before him, and he
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was beheaded in his presence. Immediately the Princess took
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the paradise water, sprinkled the body of the youth, and once
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again he arose. Now said the Princess, you have
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died and risen again, so you were released from your oath,
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and you can tell all that is befallen you.
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On this the youth related how after leaving his mother, he met
23:32
with the farmer's son. He spoke of the incident at the
23:35
well and of everything connected in his perilous quest for the
23:38
Princess. He also established his identity
23:42
by showing the amulet he had received from his mother.
23:45
Being convinced that the youth was truly his son, the potty
23:48
shot embraced him and kissed him repeatedly.
23:51
The imposter was executed and the prince's mother was brought
23:54
to the palace in time for the wedding of her son with the
23:57
Princess. The End.
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Who? That went on for a while.
24:27
I hope you enjoy these longer stories.
24:29
I thought the story would be over when the Prince returned
24:31
and then when he found the Princess, but no, he still had
24:33
to go and get some pomegranates. Still, it's a fun story of love
24:37
and doing the right thing. And the podcast shout out is to
24:40
Spellbound and Gagged. This is a spicy podcast, just
24:43
like Sandman Stories after Dark. The host is Ellen from Just the
24:46
Zoo of Us, but she wants to balance some of that wholesome
24:48
goodness with a show of her own. So she explores topics that are
24:51
fun for her. So buckle in and give her a
24:54
listen. And the listener shout out is to
24:56
Strasbourg. Of course, when I first heard
24:59
the name, I assumed it was a Germantown.
25:01
But this is the largest city in the grand E apartment of France.
25:04
Of course, the language spoken in this town is a mixture of the
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two major languages in the area, German and French.
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And if I get a chance to go back to France, I would love to visit
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the National Library in Strasbourg as it is the second
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biggest in France. And so I say an Alsatian to my
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listener in Strasbourg, Merci vermos UN bisbar.
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Thank you and see you later.