Sushmajee
Shishu Sansaar | Arabian Nights Stories-2
| Arabian Nights Stories-2 | |
| Story No 46-2/4 |
The Sultaan Meets a Young Man The fisherman, following the advice of the Genie that he would not catch fish from there more than once a day, came back and directly went to the Sultaan. The Sultaan was astonished to see those fish. He kept looking at them for quite some time admiring them, then gave them to his Vazeer to give them to the Chief cook to be cooked. The Vazeer went to the kitchen, gave them to the Chief cook to cook them and immediately came back to the Sultaan. The Sultaan asked the Vazeer to give the fisherman 400 pieces of gold, which he did immediately. The fisherman couldn't believe his eyes that he was seeing so much cash. Now the cook cleaned the fish and put them in a frying pan with oil to cook. When they were cooked from one side, she turned them to be cooked from other side. She had scarcely turned them that one of the walls of the kitchen opened up and in came a young lady. She looked like an Egyptian woman and was wearing beautiful satin dress. To the surprise of the cook she came near the pan and asked - "Fish, fish, Are you on your duty?" They replied - "Yes, yes." The lady overturned the frying pan and went away through the same opening she came there. The cook got frightened seeing this and she bent to lift those fish from the floor, but they were blacker than coal and were not in any condition to be carried to the Sultaan. She started crying wondering what she should do, and above that nobody will believe her if she told anybody what she saw there. At the same time the Vazeer came there and asked her if the fish were ready. She told everything about what happened there, but the Vazeer couldn't believe her. Still he sent for the fisherman to bring four more fish of the same kind as some misfortune fell on the previous fish. The fisherman said told him that he could bring them tomorrow. The next day, early in the morning, he went to the pond, caught the four fish and brought them to the Vazeer. The Vazeer took them to the kitchen and shut himself in the kitchen with the cook. The cook did as she did yesterday. She cleaned them and put them in a frying pan with oil. Like yesterday as she turned them over to cook from other side, one of the kitchen walls opened up and the same lady came out of the wall with a rod in her hand. She asked the same question and the fish answered the same reply to her as yesterday. She overturned the frying pan and went away through the same opening where she came from. Vazeer said - "This is really too surprising. It should not be hidden from the Sultaan. I will go and tell him everything." He immediately went to the Sultaan and told him everything. Sultaan also got very surprised to know this. He also wanted to see this wonder so he asked that fisherman to bring those fish again. He said - 'If you allow me three days time, Sir." The fisherman went there again, caught four fish, and brought them to the Sultaan. Pleased with him he gave him 400 gold pieces again. He brought them to his room and asked the cook to bring all necessary things to cook them. After cleaning, she put them in a frying pan with oil, and as she turned them over to cook from other side, a wall of the room opened and this time black man came out of the wall and did the same what the lady had done to them on two previous days. The fish had turned to charcoal. The Sultaan said - "This is really surprising, but it is sure that these fish are extraordinary." he called the fisherman again and asked him - "These fish make me very uneasy. Where did you catch these fish?" The fisherman told him the address." The Sultaan asked the Vazeer - "Do you know that pond?" "No Sir, I have never heard of that pond." The Sultaan asked the fisherman - "How far that pond is?" "Three hours far, Sir." The Sultaan and his all courtiers set off to that pond. At last they came to the pond and found its water very clean and clear. They could see all fish like the ones the fisherman brought to the Sultaan. The Sultaan expressed his surprise and wondered how they did not hear about this pond. The Sultaan said - "Since you all say that you have never seen this pond before, I will not return until I know how this pond came here and why these fish are of four colors." After this he ordered his people to pitch his tent there on the banks of the pond. When the night came, all retired to their tents to sleep. But the Sultaan was not asleep. He said to his Vazeer - "Vazeer, My mind is at unrest. The pond has appeared here, the black man appeared in my room, the fish speak; I am indeed impatient to satisfy my curiosity, that is why I am going from my tent alone and you keep my absence a secret." So he put on a suit and set off to find about this. He climbed up the hill, then came down in a plain and continued to walk till the Sun rose. Then he saw a magnificent castle made of black marble. He stood before it and looked at it attentively. Its gate had two doors, one of them was open. Although he could enter just like that, but he thought to knock first, so he knocked first softly, then harder and then several times but nobody came out. He thought, "If there is nobody in it, I have nothing to fear; and if there is somebody in it, I am fully equipped for him." So he entered. He went forward calling - "Anybody there?" but nobody appeared and he also went forward. He came to a court where a fountain was running. It had four golden lions on its four sides. They were throwing water from their mouths and the water which was coming out of their mouths was forming diamonds and pearls. The castle was surrounded by a garden on three sides. Many birds were singing in that garden. Nets were fastened over the palace so that the birds could not fly out. The Sultaan walked around for long time from one apartment to another but he found nobody there, although everything there was very grand and magnificent. He got tired of wandering around so he sat down in a room and looked outside the room in the garden. Suddenly he heard lamenting cries. He heard them attentively, somebody was crying - "O Fate, You have made me an unfortunate man. Bring my death soon so that it can end my sorrows. It is really surprising that I am still alive after so much suffering." He went towards the direction from where these cries were coming. He arrived at a hall, he opened its door and saw a very handsome young man sitting on a throne. The Sultaan greeted him bowing a little. The man could not get up so he greeted him while sitting on the throne and said - "Sir, I should have risen from my seat to welcome you but I am unable to rise because of a very sad reason, I hope you wouldn't mind." The Sultaan said - "Thank you very much. In fact I came to this side hearing your sound, so that I can help you. Please tell me about your troubles, but please tell me about the pond first which is near the palace and in which there are fishes of four colors? What is this castle? How have you come here and why are you here alone?" The young man started weeping bitterly. After a while he said - "It is only misfortune that it brings one down to whom it takes up. Fortunate are those people whose days are always good." Then he lifted his gown and showed to the Sultaan that he was human only from head to waist, below that his body was made of black marble. The Sultaan got very sad seeing the young man's condition, he said - "I am horrified to see your condition. Please tell me your story, and I am sure that the pond and the fish are the part of the same story." The man said - "I will surely tell you my story. I am sure that you have never heard such story before this."
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Created by Sushma Gupta on January 15, 2002
Contact: sushmajee@yahoo.com
Modified on
09/19/13