The Bronze Ring

Sham S. Misri

A king has a big garden. But, the king's garden lays unplanted. There are no flowers and no fruitful trees in the garden. He wants it to blossom. A humble gardener is engaged. The gardener tends the Earth and it blossoms. The king wants the gardener to shift his family in the corner of the garden for better care. The gardener and his family shift to king’s garden. The gardener has a handsome son. The gardener's son and the king's daughter fall in love. Hope leaps across the great divide of class, status and power. The king wants his daughter to marry the son of his Prime Minister, but she loves the gardener's son. The princess wants to marry no one else. She refuses her father’s choice of the prime minister’s son. So the king sets a contest that only the Prime Minister's son should win:

The two men must go to a far destination and the first to return shall marry the princess. The Minister’s son is given a fine horse and gold, while the gardener’s son is given a lame horse and copper. The two suitors have to travel to a distant city and return. The winner will take the hand of the king's daughter.

Travelling swiftly, the minister’s son encounters a woman in rags. Weak and starving, she begs for his help. He refuses to help her.

The gardener’s son then encounters the woman. She is a witch. He gives her his purse and invites her to ride behind him. At the next city, an announcement is made that the sultan is sick and, whoever cures him can name the reward. The woman instructs the boy to kill three dogs, burn them, and collect their ashes, then make way to the sultan. Place the dying sultan in a metal pot over a roaring fire, and boil him right down to his bones. Finally, arrange the bones properly and scatter the dogs' ashes over them. The gardener’s son does all these things and the sultan revives. He is in full youth. The witch has suggested the gardener’s son to choose the bronze ring for his reward. This ring contains a jinni who grants any wish. Now the gardener’s son continues his journey in a wonderful sailing ship. The cargo of gems, and a hull of gold, crewed by a dozen handsome sailors, each dressed as richly as a king – all gifts of the bronze ring.

Finally he meets his rival. He has spent all his fortune. Unrecognized, the gardener’s son offers to supply his rival with a ship - on the condition that the skin of his back be branded with the imprint of the bronze ring, heated in a fire. Once that is done, the gardener’s son asks the ring to prepare a ship with half-rotten timbers painted black and ragged sails. In this ship the prime minister’s son returns, and claims his bride from the king.

As the unhappy princess’ wedding is being prepared, the king looks out on the harbour and wonders at the gleaming gold ship sailing into it. He is so taken by the sight of its captain (the gardener's son) that he invites him to the wedding. After closer inspection, actually invites him to give away the bride.

The gardener’s son agrees. When the king sees the other groom he objects. The king declares that the man is not worthy of the princess. The prime minister's son denies this, but the brand of the bronze ring on his back serves as proof of the claim. The gardener’s son marries the delighted princess that day with the king's blessing. They have a short period of happiness.

Meanwhile, a student of the black arts has come to learn about the jinni of the bronze ring. When the prince sails off for a trip in his golden ship, he persuades the princess to trade him the ring for some red fish. Once he has the ring, he wishes the prince’s boat from gold into rotten wood, his crew from princely appearing men into slaves, and the cargo of gems into ravenous black cats.

Realizing that an enemy must now have his bronze ring, the prince sails on until he comes to an island inhabited by mice. The Mouse Queen sends an envoy to ask that the ship sail away with its terrible cargo of cats. The prince agrees, on the condition that his bronze ring be found and returned to him. The Mouse Queen contacts all the mice of the world, three of whom know that the magician keeps the bronze ring in his pocket when awake, and in his mouth when asleep. The three go to retrieve the ring. One of them tickles the sleeping magician’s nose with her tail, and he expels the ring from his mouth with a sneeze. After some misadventures, the mice manage to return the ring to the prince, who restores his golden vessel and hurries home to the princess. He captures the magician and has the man broken into pieces by being tied to the tail of a savage mule.

The Three Golden Hairs

Sham S.Misri

A rich, mighty king once went hunting, and wandered himself in a great forest. In the evening he came to a hut, in which lived a poor man. The king asked the poor man his way to the city. The poor man answered, 'Sir, I cannot go with you as my wife lies sick, and this very night will bring a child into the world. Stay here for the night, and to-morrow I will guide you to the city.'

Sham S. Misri

The king agreed, and stayed there. At midnight, the poor man’s wife delivered a beautiful boy. The king could not sleep. He got up and looked through a hole into the room where the sick woman lay. He saw her sleeping in her bed and her husband was also fast asleep. The baby was in its cradle with three ladies in white standing round it.

The king heard one say, 'I wish this boy a misfortune.' The second said, 'And I grant him a means to turn this misfortune to good.' The third said, 'I will arrange for his marriage with the daughter of the king who is now in the next room. At this very moment king’s wife delivers a girl of marvelous beauty.'

The three ladies then depart. The king thought to kill t he newly born baby. Early next morning the poor man came weeping, to the king, 'My poor wife is dead. What can I do with the little child?'

The king answered, quite rejoiced, 'I am the king, and will take care for the child. Only show me the way to the city, and I will send one of my servants to fetch the child.'

The poor man guided the king to the city. When he reached the palace, the king sent a servant back with secret instructions to throw the boy into the river to drown. When the servant was returning from the forest with the child, he threw the child along with the basket and all, into the river, and told the king, 'Most gracious king, I have done as you commanded me.' The king rewarded him, and went to his wife, who the night before had delivered a girl of marvelous beauty.

The basket with the boy was seen by a fisherman. He drew it out, and took the child home to his wife. They both rejoiced greatly at the sight of this pretty boy. As they had no children they kept him and brought him up. Twenty years passed, the boy, called Nameless, grew up as a pretty lad.

Once the king passed the fisherman's hut, and saw the fair young boy. He entered the hut and asked the fisherman, 'Is this pretty young boy your son?' 'No,' said the fisherman, 'twenty years ago I fished him out of the water.' Then the king was very much terrified and said presently, I will write a letter to the queen, and this lad shall take it to her.'

So he wrote this letter: 'Dear wife, have this lad put forthwith to death, else he will undo us all.'

Nameless set out with the letter for the queen, but on his way to the city lost himself in a forest, and there he met a lady in white who said to him, 'You have lost yourself. Come to my hut, and rest a bit; then I'll take you to the queen.'

She led Nameless to her hut, and there he fell fast asleep. The old lady took the letter from his pocket, burnt it, and put another letter instead. When the lad awoke, to his great amazement he found himself in front of the king's house. He went to the queen and gave her the letter, in which stood written: 'Dear wife, at once call the pope, and let this lad be married to our daughter. I wish him to marry her; else a great ill will befall us.' The queen did as her husband, the king, desired. She called the pope, and, Nameless and the king's fair daughter became boy’s wife. When the king came home and learnt of this wedding, he had the letter brought, and saw it was his own handwriting. Then he asked his son-in-law where he had been and whom he had spoken with. When Nameless told him about the lady in white, the king knew that the fairy had aided him. The king never wanted Nameless to be his son-in-law. The king wanted Nameless to get killed. So, he said, 'Go into the world and fetch me three golden hairs from the head of the Sun-King, then shall you be king along with me.'

Sadly, Nameless set out, for he loved his young wife, and she too loved him dearly. As he wandered on he reached a black lake. He saw a white boat floating on the water. He cried to the old man in it, to ferry me over.' The old man answered, 'I will take you across if you'll promise to bring me word how to escape out of this boat, for only then can I die.'

Nameless promised, and the old man ferried him over the black water. Soon after, Nameless came to a great city, where an old man asked him, 'Which way?'

'To the Sun-King,' said Nameless.

Come, I'll take you to our king, who'll have something to say to you.'

Nameless went to the king. The king said, 'Twenty years ago there was a spring in our city. Anybody who drank water from it, grew young. The spring has vanished. Only the Sun-King knows where it has gone. You are going to him, so ask him where it is and bring us word.'

Nameless promised him to bring word on his return. Some days after, he came to another city. There an old man met him and asked, 'Where you have to go?'

'To the Sun-King,' said Nameless.

'That's capital. Come, meet our king. He may have something to tell you.'

Nameless met the king. The king said, 'Twenty years ago a tree in this city bore golden apples. Anyone who ate of those apples grew strong and healthy, and did not die. But now for twenty years this tree does not give any fruit. Only the Sun-King knows the reason why. So when you go to him, ask him about it, and bring us word.' Nameless promised him to bring word on his return.

Some days after, he reached a great mountain, and there saw an old lady in white sitting in front of a beautiful house. She asked him, 'Whither away?'

'I try to find the Sun-King,' said Nameless. 'Come in then,' said the old lady. 'I am the mother of the Sun-King. I daily fly out of this house as a little child, at mid-day become a man, and return in the evening as an old man.'

She brought Nameless into the house, and made him tell her his story. He told her of the man on the black lake, of the spring, and of the tree that used to bear golden apples.

Then, the old lady said, 'I will ask my son all about that. But come; let me hide you; for if my son finds you here he'll burn you up.' She hid Nameless in a great vessel of water. At evening the Sun-King came home, a feeble old man with golden hair on his head. When he had eaten and drunk, he laid his golden head in his mother's lap and fell fast asleep. Then the old lady took out a golden hair, and he cried, 'Mother, why won't you let me sleep?'

The old lady answered, 'I saw a dream. I saw a city with a tree which used to bear golden apples. Anyone who ate them grew well, healthy, and did not die. For twenty years now the tree has not borne any fruit. The people do not know what they ought to do.'

The Sun-King said, 'They should kill the serpent that eats the root of the tree.'

Again he slept, and after a while his mother took out a second hair. The Sun-King cried, 'Mother, what's the meaning of this? Why can't you let me sleep?'

The old lady answered, 'My dear son, I dreamed of a city with a spring. Anyone who drank of it grew young again. For twenty years the spring has stopped to flow. The people know not what they should do.'

The Sun-King said, 'A great toad is blocking the source of the spring. They should kill the toad, and then the spring will flow as before.'

Again he slept, and after a while the old lady in white took out a third hair. The Sun-King cried, Mother, let me sleep.' The old lady answered, 'I saw in a dream a great black lake with an old man rowing about it in a boat, and he doesn't know how to escape from the boat, for only then can he die.'

The Sun-King said, 'Next time he takes any one over, let him hand him the oars and jump ashore himself; then the other must stop in the boat, and the old man can die.'

Again he slept. Early next morning the Sun-King arose as a lovely child, and flew out of the window. The old lady gave Nameless the three hairs and said, 'Now go to your wife, and give the king the three hairs. I had done well for you at your birth as I promised my sisters. Farewell to you.'

She kissed Nameless, and led him go, and he started off homewards. When he came to the city where the spring had ceased to flow, he told the people to kill the great toad that blocked up the source. They found the toad, and killed it; then the spring flowed again. When Nameless came to the city where for twenty years the tree had ceased to bear golden apples, he told the people to kill the serpent that was gnawing the roots of the tree. The people dug and found the serpent, and killed it. Then the tree again bore golden fruit. When Nameless reached the black lake, the old man would not take him across. But Nameless said if he would, he would tell him the secret then. The old man took him across the black water. When he was out of the boat he told the old man to hand his oars to the next passenger and then jump ashore himself; so he would be free and at last could die, but the other would have to go rowing about on the lake.

Nameless soon got back home, and gave the king the three golden hairs. His wife rejoiced greatly. Then Nameless told of the spring and the golden apples to the king. He was delighted and cried, 'I too must drink of this spring; I too must eat of these golden apples.' He set out quickly, but when he reached the black lake, the old man handed him the oars and jumped ashore. And the king could not leave the boat, and had to stop there on the water. As he never came home, Nameless became king of the country, and lived with his beautiful bride in peace and prosperity.

Fairy Bride

Sham S. Misri

Once there was a king. He had three sons. When he grew old he did not know to whom to give his kingdom. The king thought that, his sons would fight among themselves after his death.  He called his wise men to find out what could be done. The wise men told the king that he should make a trial of his sons in shooting of bow and an arrow. The one who would throw an arrow farthest would be made the prince of the kingdom. First of all the eldest tried and shot an arrow. It went a little away and struck a bird and killed him. Then the middle one tried and shot the arrow. It went some yards away and killed his own man there. Last came the turn of the youngest son. He shot so far that his arrow was lost. He went out to find where the arrow had fallen. It took him some time to find out where the arrow was. Finally he found the arrow had stuck a door frame. He went near the house and found that house had glass windows all around it. He entered the house and found himself in the home of the Queen of Fairies. The Queen of fairies asked him to marry her. The youngest prince married her there and then. After a while he wanted to return home with his bride.

While he was returning home, an old witch who lived in the park incited the prince to ask the fairy bride to fetch him a handkerchief which would cover the whole park. The fairy bride did it. She was then asked to bring her brother, which she did. When the fairy bride’s brother entered the king’s palace, he terrified the king. The fairy bride’s brother even threatened the king. 'What did you call me for?' The king was too frightened to answer. The fairy's brother killed the king and the old witch. After this he vanished. The prince and the fairy queen then lived at the castle.