1. The Young Head of the Family (China)There was once a family
consisting of a father, his four sons, and his three
daughters-in-law.The three daughters-in-law, that is, the wives of
the three elder sons, were recently brought into the house, and
were all from one village a few miles away. Having no mother-in-law
with them in their new home, and being lonesome and homesick for
their former families, they constantly bothered the old man by
asking permission to visit their former village. Vexed by these
continual pleas, he set himself to invent a method of putting an
end to them, and at last gave the young women permission in this
way: "You are always begging me to allow you to go and visit your
mothers, and thinking that I am very hard-hearted because I do not
let you go. Now you may go, but only upon condition that when you
come back you willeach bring me something I want. One of youshall
bring me some fire wrapped inpaper, the other shall bring me some
wind in apaper, and the third shall bring me some musicin wind.
Unless you promise to bring me these,you are never to ask me to let
you go home;and if you go and fail to get these for me,you are
never to come back." Theold man did not suppose that these
conditions would be accepted, as theywere difficult to understand,
much less to fulfill, but the girls were young andthoughtless, and
in their anxiety to get away did not consider any of that. Sothey
made ready with speed, and in great glee started off on foot to
visittheir mothers. After they had walked a long distance; chatting
about whatthey should do and whom they should see in their native
village, the highheel of one of them slipped from under her foot,
and she fell down. Owing tothis mishap they all stopped to adjust
the misplaced footgear, and whiledoing this the conditions under
which alone they could return to theirhusbands came to mind, and
they began to cry. While they sat there crying by the roadside a
young girl cameriding along on a water buffalo. She stopped and
asked them what was thematter, and whether she could help them.
They told her she could do themno good; but she persisted in
offering her sympathy and inviting their confidence, till at
lastthey told her their story. At once, she said that if they would
go home with her she wouldshow them a way out of their trouble.
Their case seemed so hopeless, and the girl on thewater buffalo
seemed so sure of her own power to help them, that they finally
went with her toher fathers house, where she showed them how to
comply with their father-in-laws demand.
2. How can the first daughter-in-law bring back fire wrapped in
paper? How can the second daughter-in-law bring back wind in a
paper? How can the third daughter-in-law bring back music in wind?
For the first, a paper lantern would do. When lighted, it would be
a fire, and itspaper surface would encompass the blaze, so that it
would truly be "some fire wrapped inpaper." For the second, a paper
fan would suffice. When flapped,wind would issue from it, and the
"wind wrapped in paper" couldthus be carried to the old man. For
the third, a set of chimes wouldprovide music in the wind. The
three young women thanked the wise child, andwent on their way
rejoicing. After a pleasant visit to their homevillage, they took a
paper lantern, a fan and a set of chimes, andreturned to their
father-in-laws house. As soon as he saw themapproach he began to
vent his anger at their light regard for hiscommands, but they
assured him that they had perfectly obeyedhim, and showed him that
what they had brought fulfilled the conditions required.
Muchastonished, he inquired how it was that they had suddenly
become so clever, and they toldhim the story of their journey, and
of the girl that had so fortunately come to their relief. He
inquired whether the girl was already betrothed, and finding that
she was not, he engaged a go-between to see if he could arrange for
the girl on the water buffalo to marry his youngest son. Having
succeeded in securing the girl as a daughter-in-law, he brought her
home. The father told all the rest of the family that as there was
no mother in the house, and as this girl had shown herself to be
possessed of extraordinary wisdom, that she should be the head of
the household. Some happy and prosperous years passed, theyoung
wife bore many children, and all fared very well in the
household.
3. The Empty Pot (China) B Y royal proclamation, the Emperor of
China announced a contest to decide the nextheir to the throne. The
Emperor was old and had no son, and because he had been a
plant-lover for years, he declared that any boy who wanted to be
king should come to the palaceto receive one royal seed. Whichever
boy could show the best results within six monthswould win the
contest and become the next to wear the crown. You can imagine the
excitement! Every boy in China fancied himself likely to
win.Parents of boys who were talented at growing plants imagined
living in splendor at thepalace. On the day the seeds were to be
handed out, thick crowds of hopeful boys throngedthe palace. Each
boy returned home with one precious possibility in his palm. And so
it was with the boy Jun. He was already considered the best
gardener inthe village. His neighbors fought over the melons,
bokchoy, and snow peas that flourishedfrom his garden. Anyone
looking for Jun would probably find him bobbing between his
rows,pulling out new weeds, moving one sapling over to catch more
morning sun, transplantinganother to the shade. Jun carefully
carried the Emperors seed home, sealing it securely inhis hands so
it wouldnt fall, but not so tightly that it might crush. At home,
he spread the bottom of a flowerpot with large stones, covered
thestones with pebbles, then filled the pot with rich black moist
soil. He pressed the seed aboutan inch below the surface and
covered it with light soil. Over the next few days Jun, alongwith
every boy he knew and hundreds he did not know, watered his pot
every day andwatched for the telltale unfurling of the first leaf
as it burst through the surface. Cheun was the first boy in Juns
vilage to announce that his seed was sproutingthrough the soil, and
his announcement was met with whoops of excitement
andcongratulations. He bragged that he would surely be the next
emperor and practiced hisroyal skills by bossing around the
younger, adoring children. Manchu was the next boywhose tiny plant
had emerged from his pot, then it was Wong. Jun was puzzled - none
ofthese boys could grow plants as well as he! But Juns seed did not
grow. Soon sprouts emerged from pots all over the village. Boys
moved their plantsoutside so the baby leaves could bask in the
warmth of the sun. They built stone fencesaround their pots and
zealously guarded them from mischievous children who
mightaccidentally - or not so accidentally - topple them over.
Soon, dozens of sprouts in potsthroughout Juns village were
stretching out their first leaves. But Juns seed did not grow. He
was confused - what was wrong? Jun carefully repotted his seed into
a newpot with the very best and richest black loam from his garden.
He crumbled every ball of soilinto tiny particles. He gently
pressed in the seed, and kept the top moist and watched the
potevery day. Still Juns seed did not grow. Strong, powerful stalks
soon emerged from the pots cared for by other boys inJuns village.
Jun was thrown into despair. The other boys laughed at him and
started tomockingly say "as empty as Juns pot" if there were no
treats in their pockets, or if they hadjust finished their bowls of
rice. Jun repotted his plant yet again, this time sprinkling dried
fishthroughout the soil as fertilizer. Even so, his seed did not
grow.
4. Six months passed. The day approached when the boys were
supposed to bringtheir plants to the palace for judging. Cheun,
Manchu, Wong and hundreds of other boyscleaned their pots till they
shone, gently wiped the great leaves till the green veins
glistened,and prepared themselves by dressing in their finest
clothes. Some mothers or fathers walkedalongside their son to hold
the plant upright as he carried the pot to the palace, to keep
theplant from tipping over. "What will I do?" wailed Jun to his
parents as he gazed out the window at the otherboys joyfully
preparing their triumphant return to the palace. "My seed wouldnt
grow! My potis empty!" "You did the best you could," said his
father, shaking his head. Added his mother,"Jun, just bring the
emperor your pot," said his mother, "it was the best you could do."
Shame-faced, Jun carried his empty pot on the road to the palace,
while gleefulboys carrying pots tottering with huge plants strode
to his right and left. At the palace, all the boys lined up in rows
with their blossoming plants andawaited judgment. The Emperor,
wrapped in his richly embroidered silk robe, strode downthe line of
hopeful entrants, viewing each plant with a frown. When he came to
Jun, hescowled even more and said, "What is this? You brought me an
empty pot?" It was all Jun could do to keep from crying. "If you
please, Your Majesty," said Jun,"I tried my best. I planted your
seed with the best soil I could find, I kept it moist and watchedit
every day. When the seed didnt grow I repotted it in new soil, and
I even repotted it again.But it just didnt grow. Im sorry." Jun
hung his head. "Hmm," said the Emperor. Turning so everyone could
hear he thundered, "I dontknow where all these other boys got their
seeds. There is no way anything could grow fromthe seeds we passed
out for the contest, because those seeds had all been cooked!" And
he smiled at Jun.
5. The Four Friends (India)O NCE upon a time there were four
dear friends, a Crow, a Rat, a large Turtle, and a Deer.Every day
in the heat of the noontime sun, the four of them liked nothing
better than to gatherby Turtles pond in a cool shady place, and
spend the long afternoon together discussingmatters of philosophy,
poetry, art and nature, and sharing their thoughts on all matters.
One day, three of the friends -- that is, Turtle, Rat, and Crow --
gathered at the usualnoontime hour by Turtles pond, and waited for
Deer to arrive. But she did not. After awhilethey became very much
alarmed, and worried that she might have come upon some sort
ofaccident. They determined to go in search of her. Crow flew up
into the air to see what discoveries she could make. To her horror,
shesaw at a distance poor Deer caught in a Hunters net! Crow
immediately flew back to the pondto share the terrible news with
Rat and Turtle. You may be sure all three friends were
terriblyupset. "The four of us have always been friends," said
Turtle. "We cant just let poor Deerface death at the hands of some
hunter. No! There must be some way for us to save her." Crow said,
"You know, Friend Rat can chew through the net that binds her foot
andset her free! Friend Rat, I must carry you to Deer, and right
away, too, before the Hunterreturns and finishes her off!" "Yes, of
course," nodded Rat. "Why wait? Lets go at once." So Crow carried
Rat in her bill and delivered him to the place where Deer
wastrapped. Immediately, Rat started to chew upon the net that held
Deers foot, and had almostset her free by the time -- who should
arrive -- but Turtle! "Turtle!" cried Deer, "Why have you come
here? You are so far now from the safetyof your pond. Im afraid
youve put yourself in terrible danger." "Alas!" replied Turtle, "I
could not stay at home knowing that you were in danger." "Oh,
friend Turtle," said Deer, "your coming here troubles me more than
the loss ofmy own freedom. For if the Hunter should happen to come
at this very moment, what wouldyou do to escape? For my part I am
almost freed, thanks to Rat, and Ill run away; Crow will flyto
safety; Rat will dive into any hole; only you, who are so slow of
foot, can all-too-easily becaught by the Hunter." No sooner had
Deer spoken these words than the Hunter appeared. Deer,
alreadyloosened from her trap, ran away; Crow flew upward into the
sky; Rat slipped into a hole; and,as Deer had said, only the
slow-paced Turtle could find no safe place to hide. When the Hunter
arrived, he was surprised to discover his net torn and the
deergone. Annoyed, he looked about to see if he could discover who
had done him the mischief.Then he noticed Turtle.
6. "Oh!" said the Hunter, smiling at Turtle. "Very well, I am
glad enough to see youhere. It looks like I shall not go home
empty-handed after all. My deer may be gone, but heresa good-sized
Turtle, and thats worth something, Im sure." With that he took up
Turtle, dropped him in his sack, threw the sack over hisshoulder,
and trudged off. When the Hunter had disappeared into the woods,
the three friends came out oftheir hiding places. Oh, how they
cried about the unhappy turn of events for poor Turtle! At lastCrow
said, "Dear friends, our moans and groans will do Turtle no good.
We must try to think ofa way to save his life." "Well yes," said
Rat. "And perhaps theres a way after all. Crow, if you fly
upwards,youll be able to see exactly where the hunter has gone to.
Deer, if you run forward andovertake the Hunter, and then let him
see you, surely hell lay down his sack to run after you(and dont
call me Shirley!). That will give us enough time to rescue poor
Turtle." "Thats not a bad idea," replied Deer. "In fact, if I
pretend to be injured in one leg, asI easily could have been from
having worked free of his net, and then run limping by at a
littledistance before him, that will encourage the Hunter all the
more to follow me. Im sure I coulddraw him a good distance from his
sack. Then you, friend Rat, will have enough time to chewthe string
on the sack and let poor Turtle out." Everyone agreed to the plan.
Immediately Deer ran before the Hunter, limping andappearing so
faint and feeble that the Hunter was sure she would be an easy mark
to catch.Setting down his sack, he ran after Deer with all his
might. But as soon as he approached her,the cunning creature burst
into a full-fledged chase, until she had dragged him deep into
thewoods. Then out scampered Rat, who gnawed the string that tied
the sack. At last Turtle wasfree! Off he scrambled and hid himself
in a thick bush. Finally the Hunter, tired of running, gave up on
catching Deer and returned to hissack. "Well," he said, approaching
the sack, "at least I have something safe here: A Turtle isnot
nearly as fast as that stupid Deer. And even if you were," he said
to the sack, "your legscouldnt do you any good tied up in my sack."
When the Hunter found that his sack was torn, and besides that,
empty as well, hewas much amazed, and thought himself in a place of
hobgoblins and ghosts. He could notbelieve that a Deer should free
herself out of his strong nets, then by and by appear hoppingbefore
him, and make a fool out of him, and then a Turtle, a poor feeble
creature as everyoneknows, should break the string of his sack by
himself and escape! Struck with panic and fear,he ran home as if a
thousand spirits were nipping at his heels. Safe at last, the four
friends congratulated each other on their escapes and declaredanew
their everlasting friendship.
7. The Magic Horse (Iran)I N ANCIENT PERSIA, the New Year was
celebrated at the beginning of spring. At that time a grandfeast
was observed throughout the land, and at the royal palace, artists,
natives and strangers wereinvited to present their finest skills or
treasures to the king. If the king was pleased, he would grant
thema fine gift. Near the end of one of these feasts, a traveler
came before the king and presented a beautiful,artificial horse,
richly decorated. "I flatter myself, sir," said the stranger,
addressing himself to the king, "that your majesty has neverseen
anything as wonderful as this." "Any capable artist can create a
horse such as this one," frowned the king. "Sir," replied the
traveler, "it is not its decoration, but its use that makes this
horse so exceptional.On his back I can ride through the air to the
most distant part of the earth, in a very short time. I caneven
teach anyone else how to ride the magic horse." The king was
interested. "On that mountaintop over there," he said, pointing to
a mountain overten miles away, "there is a palm-tree of a
particular quality, which I happen to like. Go, if your horse isas
fast as you claim, and fetch me a branch of it." The stranger
mounted his horse. Turning a peg in the neck, away he and the horse
flew. Within 15 minutes he returned with a palm branch in his hand.
He laid it at the kings feet. The king was impressed. At once he
asked to purchase the horse. "Your Majesty," said the traveler,
"the artist who sold me this horse made me swear that I should
never part with him for money." "What would it take then?" demanded
the king. The stranger replied that he would gladly give thehorse
away if his majesty would only bestow on him the hand of the
princess, his daughter, in marriage. When the royal courtiers heard
this extravagant request, they burst out laughing. Young
PrinceFirouz Shah was enraged, even more so when he saw his father,
the king, looking thoughtful, as if hewere seriously considering
the offer. Stepping up to his father, Prince Firouz said, "Forgive
me, father, but is it possible you can hesitatea moment what answer
to make to this insolent fellow? Can you bear to think of degrading
our royalhouse by an alliance with a traveling salesman?" In truth,
the king was worried that if he refused the marriage request, then
another king could getthe magic horse. He asked his son to examine
the horse carefully, and report his opinion of it. The prince
approached the horse. The traveler came forward to show the prince
how to manage it,but the haughty young man was in too great a fury
to listen. Leaping into the saddle, he turned the peg.
8. In an instant, the horse rose into the air, with him upon
it. The stranger was terribly alarmed when he saw the prince fly
away on the magic horse before hehad learned how to manage it. He
threw himself at the kings feet, and begged the king not to blame
himfor any accident which might happen to befall the prince, since
it was his own carelessness that hadexposed him to the danger. At
once, the king realized the danger of the princes situation. He
cursed thestranger and his fatal horse, and ordered his officers to
seize him and carry him to prison. "If my son the prince does not
return safely," said he, "in a very short time, your paltry life,
atleast, shall be sacrificed to my vengeance!" In the meantime,
Prince Firouz was carried through the air with breathtaking speed.
Soon he couldscarcely see the earth at all. He tried turning the
peg the other way, but when he did, the horse only rosefurther from
the earth. He was greatly alarmed and began to regret his pride and
anger. He turned thepeg every which way but nothing worked. On
examining the horse closely, he at last discovered anotherpeg
behind the ear. On turning that peg he soon found that the horse
started to descend. As he drew near the earth, he realized it had
already become already dark. Spotting a rooftophigher than all
others, he landed the horse upon it and dismounted. Hungry and
tired, he groped aboutand found he was on the roof of some large
building. At last he came to some steps. Climbing down thesteps, he
found a door, then a light. He saw a number of guards asleep on
pallets, with their swordslying beside them. This, along with the
fact that this was the highest rooftop in the land, convinced
himthat he must be in a palace. He knew that if any of the guards
awakened he would be in great danger, sohe decided to quietly climb
the steps back to the roof, and to sleep for the night in a dark
corner, thenbefore dawn to leave on his magic horse before anyone
woke. But the princess had already been awakened by the sounds she
heard on the roof. She instructedher guards to find out what had
alighted and to bring the trespasser to her at once. The guards
roughlybrought the prince before her, and he fell on his knees.
"Forgive me, princess, for awakening you," he said. "I am the son
of a king, and one who has takenan entirely unexpected adventure,
the particulars of which I would be happy to relate to you." The
lady was the daughter of the king of Bengal. Many of her attendants
by this time wereawakened also. The princess told Firouz she would
be glad to hear all about his adventure in themorning, but for the
present asked him to withdraw. At the same time she ordered her
attendants toconduct him to a chamber, and to supply him with food
and refreshments. The next day, the prince remained a guest of the
princess. Over the next few days the two of themgot to know each
other, and it was not long before they fell in love. One afternoon
the prince said to her, "Ah, my princess, everything seems
different now. I wasthinking about that scoundrel who tried to
trick his way into the royal family. He was a no-good louse tobe
sure, but he may be in prison or even executed on my account, when
I know that I jumped on thathorse before he had a chance to show me
how it works." The princess said, "Are you thinking of going back
now?" "Will you come?" he asked. The princess of Bengal was glad to
agree. The next morning, she left a note so none would worry and
they left at daybreak to the roof wherethe horse still remained.
Prince Firouz helped the princess to alight. Turning the peg, they
were out of
9. sight before any attendants in the palace were stirring. In
thirty minutes the prince arrived at the capitalof Persia. He
landed at the prison. Indeed, the stranger was imprisoned there,
and nearly beside himself sincehis execution was scheduled to take
place the very next morning. The prince took the princess on his
magic horse to a cottage in the woods not far from the palace.
"Stay here while I go see my father," he said to the princess. "Ill
show my father Im well and urgehim to hold the execution of the
fellow who brought the horse. Most of all, I want to tell my father
allabout you, and Im sure hell prepare a suitable reception at the
palace to welcome you." He explained to her the particulars on how
to operate the magic horse, in the event she might needto flee for
safety while he was away. Indeed, danger was lurking even as they
spoke. A thief behind the bushes had overheard theirconversation,
all of it. "What luck!" he thought with glee, "a princess alone and
a magic horse! Ill takeher to the Sultan of Cashmere, who is
seeking a bride, and gain a handsome reward." The thief waited for
the prince to disappear into the woods, then sprang on the
princess, mountingthe magic horse, and holding her securely in
front of him. Overjoyed at how easy it all was, he turnedthe peg
exactly how he learned to do it, and the horse immediately rose
into the air. Astonished was theprince on the ground to hear the
alarmed cries of his lady love, circling overhead, as the magic
horsedipped and dove from inexperienced hands, and he could do
nothing about it. He cursed the kidnapperwith a thousand curses.
While the king was overjoyed to see his son, and at his request
ordered a stay of execution for theseller of the horse, he
understood why his son must leave again so quickly. The prince put
on theclothing of a dervish, and determined never to return till he
had found his princess again. The sultan of Cashmere was very
impressed with the Princess of Bengal. Her distress at
herkidnapping only added to her natural beauty. The Sultan
delivered the promised reward and escorted theprincess to his
palace. He directed his attendants to bring the horse after them.
The princess hoped the Sultan of Cashmere would prove honorable and
reasonable and wouldreturn her to her beloved prince of Persia, but
she was much disappointed. In fact, the next morning she was
awakened early by the sound of trumpets and the beating ofdrums,
which echoed through the palace and city. When she asked the cause
of this rejoicing, she wastold it was to celebrate her marriage
with their sultan, which was to take place later that day.
Desperate, there was only one thing she felt she could do. She rose
and dressed herself carelessly,and in her whole behavior appeared
to be unbalanced in her mind. The sultan was soon told of
thisstrange development. When he came to visit her, she put on the
appearance of frenzy, flew at him, andthis she did every time he
came into the room. The sultan was much disturbed, and offered
largerewards to any doctor who could cure her, but whenever any
doctors approached, the princess would flyat them, too, and beat
her fists, so that all began to lose hope for her recovery. During
this time, Prince Firouz, disguised as a dervish, had been
traveling through manyprovinces, full of grief, and uncertain which
way to go to find his beloved princess. With nearly all hopegone,
he rested on a rock. Then who should happen to pass before him but
the seller of the magicalhorse, more tattered looking than ever,
whom his father had apparently released from prison.
10. "And where, I may ask, is the magic horse?" he said with a
smile. "Has it proved as unpredictable aitem to you as it did to
me?" The two sat and shared their troubles. In the way of telling
tales, the scruffy man related a story ofa princess from Bengal had
become mad on the day of her wedding with the Sultan of Cashmere.
As hedescribed the circumstances, a flicker of hope lit the princes
heart. Could this princess of Bengal be thesame lost love he
sought? The prince determined to find out. Arriving at the capital
city of Cashmere, he put on the clothes of a doctor. Presenting
himselfbefore the sultan, he claimed that he could cure the
princess. "First," said the pretend doctor, "I must see her where
she cannot see me." So he was led into acloset, where he could
watch her through a hole in the door. She was carelessly singing a
song, in whichshe mourned her unhappy fate. "Yes!" he thought,
trying to contain his excitement. "It is my bride!" When he left
the closet, he told the Sultan that indeed the princess could be
cured, but he wouldneed to speak with her alone. The Sultan agreed.
As soon as the prince entered her room, she began to rave at him in
her usualfurious manner, at which point he held her wrists and
whispered urgently, "I am Firouz, the prince ofPersia." The
princess stopped raving at once, and the attendants withdrew,
delighted at this proof of thedoctors abilities. In more whispers,
the prince shared his plan with her. Then he returned to the
Sultan.The pretend doctor shook his head, and said, "All depends
upon a mere chance. You see, the princess, afew hours before she
was taken ill, must have touched something enchanted. Unless I can
obtain thatsomething, whatever it was, I cannot cure her." The
Sultan of Cashmere remembered the horse, which was still kept in
his treasury. He showed itto the imaginary doctor. On seeing it,
the young man said, very gravely, "I congratulate Your Majesty.This
indeed is the magic object that enchanted the princess. Let this
horse be brought out into the greatsquare before the palace, and
let the princess be there. I promise that in a few minutes she
shall beperfectly cured." Accordingly, the following morning the
magic horse was placed in the middle of the square, andthe supposed
doctor drew a large circle. He placed around it chafing dishes,
with a little fire in each.The sultan, with all his nobles and
ministers of state, watched with great interest. The princess
wasbrought out with her head covered in veils, and led to within
the circle. The pretend doctor placed herupon the enchanted horse.
He then went round to each chafing dish and threw in a certain
powder,which soon raised such a cloud of smoke that neither the
physician, the princess, nor the magic horsecould be seen through
it. At that instant the prince of Persia mounted the horse himself.
Turning thepeg, while the magic horse rose into the air, he called
down: "Sultan of Cashmere, a brides heart mustbe won, not
purchased!" The same day the prince of Persia and his beloved
princess arrived safely at his fathers court.Their wedding was
immediately celebrated with the greatest splendor that had ever
been seen in thatland and they lived happily ever after.
11. Ali Cogia& the Merchant of Baghdad (Iraq)Over a
thousand years ago, in the reign of the famous Caliph Haroun
al-Raschid, there livedin Baghdad a merchant who needed to travel
on an extended journey. He sold nearly all of hishousehold goods
and rented out his home. The only thing left for him to do was to
find a safeplace to leave his private treasure - one thousand
pieces of gold. Finally, he decided to put thethousand pieces of
gold into a large jar and cover the gold with olives. When he had
closedthe mouth of the jar, he carried it to a friend of his, who
was also a merchant, and said to him,"You know, my friend, that in
a few days I plan to depart on my journey. I beg you to takecharge
of a jar of olives, and keep it for me till I return." The merchant
promised that he would, and in an obliging manner said, "Here,
takethe key of my warehouse and set your jar where you please. I
promise you shall find it therewhen you return." Ali Cogias journey
was extended much longer than he expected. In fact, he wasseven
years absent from Baghdad, when he finally decided to return. All
this time his friend, with whom he had left his jar of olives,
neither thought of himnor of the jar. One evening this merchant was
supping with his family and the conversationhappened to fall upon
olives. The merchants wife mentioned that she had not tasted any
for along while. "Now that you speak of olives," said the merchant,
"you remind me of a jar that AliCogia left with me seven years ago.
He put it in my warehouse to be kept for him until hereturned. What
has become of him I know not, though when the caravan came back,
they toldme he had gone to Egypt. Certainly he must be dead by now,
since he has not returned in allthis time, and we may go ahead and
eat the olives, if they are still good. Give me a plate and
acandle. I will fetch some of them and well taste them." "Please,
husband," said the wife, "do not commit so base an action; you know
thatnothing is more sacred than what is committed to ones care and
trust. Besides, do you thinkthe olives can be good, after theyve
been kept so long? They must be all moldy and spoiled.Besides, if
Ali Cogia should return and find that they had been opened, what
would he think ofyour honor? I beg of you to let them alone."
Nevertheless, after supper, the merchant entered the warehouse,
found the jar,opened it and found the olives moldy. But to see if
they were all in the same condition to thebottom, he shook the jar
and some of the gold pieces tumbled out. The merchant noticed at
once that the top only was laid with olives, and whatremained was
gold coin. He immediately put the olives into the jar again,
covered it up, andreturned to his wife. "Indeed, wife," said he,
"you were in the right to say that the olives wereall moldy for I
found them so, and have made up the jar just as Ali Cogia left it.
He will notnotice that they had been touched, if he should ever
return." In the days ahead the merchant thought only about how he
might appropriate AliCogias gold to his own use, and yet escape
detection in case his old friend should return andask for the jar.
The next morning the merchant went and bought some olives of that
year, andthen secretly went and emptied the jar both of the old
moldy olives and of the gold. Then,filling the jar entirely with
new olives, he covered it up and put it in the place where Ali
Cogliahad left it. About a month later, Ali Cogia arrived at
Baghdad. The next morning he went to paya visit to his friend, the
merchant, who expressed great joy at his return after so many
yearsabsence. After the usual compliments on both sides on such a
meeting, Ali Cogia asked the
12. merchant to return him the jar of olives which he had left
with him, and thanked him for havingkept the jar safely for all
this time. "My dear friend," replied the merchant, "your jar has
been no inconvenience. Thereis the key of my warehouse. Go and
fetch your jar; you will find it where you left it." Ali Cogia went
into the merchants warehouse, took his jar, and after
havingreturned the key, and thanking his friend once again for the
favor, he returned with the jar towhere he was temporarily lodged.
But on opening the jar, and putting his hand down as low asthe
pieces of gold had lain, he was greatly surprised to find no gold
pieces in the jar. At first hethought he might perhaps be mistaken,
and to discover the truth, he poured out all the olives,but without
so much as finding one single piece of gold. For some time, he
stood motionless.Then he cried out, "Is it possible?" Ali Cogia
immediately returned to the merchant. "My good friend," said he,
"be notsurprised to see me come back so soon. I know that the jar
of olives is the same one I placedin your warehouse, but with the
olives I put into the jar a thousand pieces of gold, which I donot
find. Perhaps you might have used them in your business; if so,
they are at your service tillit may be convenient for you to return
them. Only give me an acknowledgment of my loan toyou, after which
you may repay me at your own convenience." The merchant, who had
expected that Ali Cogia would come with such a complaint,was
prepared with an answer. "Friend Ali Cogia," said he, "when you
brought your jar to me,did I touch it? Did I not give you the key
of my warehouse? Did you not carry it there yourself?And did you
not find it in the same place, covered in the same manner as when
you left it?And now that you have come back, you demand one
thousand pieces of gold. Did you evertell me such a sum was in the
jar? I wonder you do not demand diamonds or pearls! It is
easyenough for you to storm into my house, make a crazy accusation,
insult me, and tarnish mygood name. Be gone!" These words were
pronounced in such passion that those in thewarehouse started to
gather around. Neighboring merchants came out of their shops to
learnwhat the dispute was about. Ali Coglia shared with one and all
the injustice done to him by themerchant, and the merchant
continued to hotly deny any wrongdoing. Ali Cogia speedily summoned
the merchant to court. To the judge, Ali Cogiaaccused the merchant
of having stolen his thousand pieces of gold, which he had left
withhim. The judge asked him if he had any witnesses, to which he
replied that he had not takenthat precaution because he had
believed the person he entrusted his money with to be hisfriend,
and always took him for an honest man. Then the merchant made the
same defensehe had before, saying that though its true that he had
kept Ali Coglias jar in his warehouse,he had never once meddled
with it. The merchant swore that as far as he knew, the
jarcontained only olives. Once again, he strongly objected that he
should be brought to court onthe basis of such unfounded
accusations. He proposed to make an oath that he never had themoney
he was accused of taking, and to swear that he did not so much as
know such a sumever existed. The judge agreed to take his oath.
After the merchant swore his ignorance of theentire matter, the
judge dismissed the case for lack of evidence. Ali Cogia, extremely
upset to find that he must accept the loss of so large a sum of
money, returned to his lodgings and drew up a petition to seek
justice from the Caliph Harun al-Raschid himself. He forwarded his
petition to the officer of the palace, who presented it to the
caliph himself. The caliph told the officer to notify Ali Coglia
that an hour would be scheduled for the next day for the complaint
to be heard at the palace. The officer was also told to notify the
merchant to appear. That same evening the caliph, accompanied by
the grand vizier, went disguised through the town as it was his
custom occasionally to do. On passing through a
13. street, the caliph heard a noise. He came to a gateway
through which he saw ten or twelvechildren playing by moonlight.
The caliph heard one of the children say, "Lets play courtroom." As
the affair of Ali Cogia and the merchant was widely discussed in
Baghdad, thechildren quickly agreed on the part each one was to
act. The children will solve this case. How will they do it? How
would you do it? The pretend judge asked the make-believe Ali Cogia
to speak. Ali Cogia, afterbowing low, related every particular and
begged that he might not lose so considerable a sumof money. The
pretend judge turned to the merchant and asked him why he did not
return themoney. The child playing the part of the merchant gave
the same reasons as the realmerchant had done, and quite heartily,
too. Then he also offered to give an oath that what hehad said was
the absolute truth. "Not so fast," said the pretend judge, "before
you give your oath, I should like to seethe jar of olives." The
child playing the part of AliCogia bowed low, walked away and in a
few momentsreturned. He pretended to set a jar before the
judge,telling him that it was the same jar he had left with
themerchant. The supposed judge turned to the make-pretend merchant
and asked him to confirm that it wasin fact the same jar, which he
did confirm. Then thejudge ordered Ali Cogia to take off the cover,
and thepretend judge made as if he looked into it. "They arefine
olives," said he, "let me taste them." Pretending toeat some, he
added, "They are excellent, but I cannotthink that olives will keep
seven years and be so good.Therefore we must call before this court
some olive merchants, and let me hear what is theiropinion." Two
boys, posing as olive merchants, presented themselves. "Tell me,"
said thesham judge, "how long will olives keep fit to eat?" "Sir,"
replied the two merchants, "no matter how great the care taken of
them, oliveswill hardly be worth anything the third year, for then
they have neither taste nor color." "If that is so," answered the
judge, "look into that jar and tell me how long it hasbeen since
those olives were put into it." The two merchants pretended to
examine and to taste the olives, and told the judgethat they were
new and good. "But," said the judge, "Ali Cogia himself said he put
them intothe jar seven years ago." "Sir," replied the merchants,
"we can assure you they are of this years growth, andwe will
maintain that any olive merchant of repute in Baghdad will say the
same." The pretend judge pointed an accusing finger at the
merchant. "You are a rogue,"he cried, "and deserve to be punished!"
The children then concluded their play, clapping their
14. hands with great joy, and seizing the feigned criminal,
they pretended to carry him off toprison. Words cannot express how
much the caliph admired the boy who had passed sojust a sentence,
in an affair which was to be pleaded before himself the very next
day. "Take notice of this house," said the caliph to the vizier,
"and bring the boy to metomorrow, that he may appear in court with
me to try this case himself. Take care also toremind the real Ali
Cogia to bring his jar of olives with him. And bring two olive
experts aswell." The next day Ali Cogia and the merchant pleaded
one after the other at the palacebefore the boy, whom the caliph
had seated on the throne beside him. When the merchantproposed his
oath to the court as before, the child said, "It is too soon. It is
proper that weshould see the jar of olives." At these words Ali
Cogia presented the jar and placed it at the caliphs feet. The
boyasked the merchant whether this was in fact the jar that had
been left in his warehouse forseven years, and the merchant agreed
that it was so. Then the boy opened the jar. The caliphlooked at
the olives, took one and tasted it, giving another to the boy.
Afterwards themerchants were called, who examined the olives and
reported that they were good, and ofthat year. The boy told them
that Ali Coglia had said that it was seven years since he had
putthe olives in the jar. Therefore, the boy concluded, the jar
must have been tampered withsince that time. The wretch who was
accused saw plainly that the opinions of the olive merchantswould
convict him. He confessed to his crime, and revealed where the
thousand pieces ofgold were hidden. The fortune was quickly located
and restored to Ali Cogi. The caliph sternlytold the merchant that
it was good for him that he decided to confess and to return the
gold;that otherwise he would have received one hundred floggings in
addition to his sentence often years in prison. The caliph turned
to the judge who had tried the case before and advisedhim to take a
lesson from the child so that he would perform his duty more
exactly in thefuture. Embracing the boy, the monarch sent him home
with a purse of a hundred pieces ofgold as a token of his
admiration.
15. Two Grains of Sand A Valentines Day Story from IraqIt
HAPPENED THAT a great and hot wind sprang up from the west. The
very skies wereblackened with sand, and the face of the sun was
hidden fromthe world. A young traveler was making his way over the
desert,and he knew not where to go and which way to turn.
Thesandstorm was so strong he could not even see the ears of
hishorse. He thought, "My only hope is to go with the directionof
the wind. If I stop, the poisonous wind will burn my lungs, andmy
body will be covered by sand. If I go in any other direction Iwill
surely lose my way and die." So he covered his face with his
headcloth and went inthe direction of the wind. In time, his horse
found a tower. "Atlast!" he thought, much relieved. "Here is
shelter from the evil wind!" So he and his horse entered the cool,
dark shelter of the tower. As he was brushing the sand from his
eyes and hair, he heard a voice. It said, "Are you human, or are
you Genie, or are you an evil spirit of the wind?" The man, whose
name was Ali, replied: "I am human, what are you?" Then, before his
eyes there arose a young woman, moon-faced and rose-sweet, slim as
the young palm, and her glance pierced the heart of Ali. She said,
"I also am human, but I am lost in this storm. I was blownby the
wind, and I dont know where to go for fear of the poison-wind and
the dread windspirits flying in the sky." Ali said to the young
woman, "Here we have shelter until the poison-wind diesdown. But
tell me, what is your name?" The young woman answered, "As to my
name, I shall tell you nothing concerningit. As for you, I must not
talk or have conversation with you, since I am a maiden and youare
a man." Ali greatly desired to learn the girls name and to talk
with her. He led her to thedoor of the tower and pointed to the
howling clouds. He said, "The whole of the air is full ofsand, and
there is no space in which there is not a particle of sand!" The
maiden said, "Yes, it is indeed so!" Then Ali asked, "Does one
grain of sand fear another grain of sand and avoidcontact with it?
Rather, the grains of sand have no fear from one another as they
are blownabout by the wind. You and I are but grains of sand blown
together by the wind. We cannotfear one another nor can we avoid
one another, for this is our fate." The young woman saw that Ali
spoke the truth. She said, "My name is Salma,and I am daughter to
Hussein." Ali and Salma spent the day in wholehearted conversation,
while the storm blewwith the greatest of furies. The hours passed
by quickly, and it came about the Salma andAli both fell asleep.
When Ali awoke, the world was dark and Salma was gone. He rushedto
the door of the tower, and saw that the wind was still and that the
storm had passed.
16. When he tried to follow Salmas tracks in the sand, he lost
them. Ali grieved, though he was not willing to weep. He worried,
"She is a daughter ofthe Arabs, and the Arabs are as numerous as
the grains of sand in the desert. Where,then, shall I find Salma,
daughter of Hussein, amongst these millions? For she did not tellme
where she lived. Two grains of sand may come together in a storm,
but now they areparted and what shall bring them back together?"
Ali wandered throughout the land, questing and searching for the
young womanSalma. Such was his grief at her loss, that he did not
even stop to comb his hair or cut hisbeard. He asked inevery town
and village, "Does Hussein live here and has he a daughterSalma?"
Yet none answered him and his men thought him mad, for they
thought, "Thereare hundreds upon hundreds of men named Hussein and
hundreds upon hundreds ofmaidens named Salma. What can we know
concerning the maiden he seeks?" So Ali wandered from town to town
and from tribe to tribe. He could do no worknor engage in any
occupation, since he could think only of his lost love. One day, as
he wandered thin and weary, on his horse which had also becomelean
and hungry, the rain came to the world, and a river rose and burst
over its banks. Aliand his horse came near to drowning in the
floods. Seeing a mound in the distance, heswam and plunged through
the mud with his horse until he reached it. He fell forward withhis
lungs near filled with water and his stomach faint from lack of
food. He was near todeath by the mound, but a young woman plunged
into the water and saved him and hishorse. Imagine Alis amazement
to realize that the maiden who had saved him was Salma! She looked
into Alis face. She smiled and said, "When two grains of sand
areblown together by the wind, the wind only blows them apart. But
when two grains of sandcan find one another again, they stay
together forever after, nor do they ever part."
17. Two Brothers (Hebrew/Arab) ONCE THERE WERE two brothers who
inherited their fathers land.The brothers divided the land in half
and each one farmed his own section. Over time,the older brother
married and had six children, while the younger brother never
married. One night, the younger brother lay awake. "Its not fair
that each of us hashalf the land to farm," he thought. "My brother
has six children to feed and I have none.He should have more grain
than I do." So that night the younger brother went to his silo,
gathered a large bundle ofwheat, and climbed the hill that
separated the two farms and over to his brothers farm.Leaving the
wheat in his brothers silo, the younger brother returned home,
feelingpleased with himself. Earlier that very same night, the
older brother was also lying awake. "Its notfair that each of us
has half the land to farm," he thought. "In my old age my wife and
Iwill have our grown children to take care of us, not to mention
grandchildren, while mybrother will probably have none. He should
at least sell more grain from the fields nowso he can provide for
himself with dignity in his old age." So that night, too, he
secretly gathered a large bundle of wheat, climbed thehill, left it
in his brothers silo, and returned home, feeling pleased with
himself. The next morning, the younger brother was surprised to see
the amount ofgrain in his barn unchanged. "I must not have taken as
much wheat as I thought," he said,bemused. "Tonight Ill be sure to
take more." That very same moment, his older brother was also
standing in his barn,musing much the same thoughts. After night
fell, each brother gathered a greater amount of wheat from hisbarn
and in the dark, secretly delivered it to his brothers barn. The
next morning, thebrothers were again puzzled and perplexed. "How
can I be mistaken?" each onescratched his head. "Theres the same
amount of grain here as there was before I clearedthe pile for my
brother. This is impossible! Tonight Ill make no mistake - Ill take
thepile down to the very floor. That way Ill be sure the grain gets
delivered to my brother." The third night, more determined than
ever, each brother gathered a largepile of wheat from his barn,
loaded it onto a cart, and slowly pulled his haul through thefields
and up the hill to his brothers barn. At the top of the hill, under
the shadow of amoon, each brother noticed a figure in the distance.
Who could it be? When the two brothers recognized the form of the
other brother and the loadhe was pulling behind, they realized what
had happened. Without a word, they droppedthe ropes to their carts
and embraced.
18. Yuuki& the Tsunami (Japan)F OR AS LONG as people can
remember, the shores of Japan have been sweptfrom time to time by
enormous tsunamis. These awful sudden risings of the sea arecaused
by earthquakes or by underwater volcanic action. The story of the
boy Yuukiis the story of such a calamity. Yuuki lived with his
family in the village. His grandfather, who had passedaway several
years before, had taught Yuuki much about raising rice crops,
solvingdisputes, and a great deal about the ways of the world. His
grandfather had beenthe most respected and wealthiest resident of
the village - its headman. Now Yuukisfamily cultivated the enormous
fields of rice that his grandfather had passed on tothem. Yuukis
village was nestled by the shore below a small mountain. Oneday,
Yuuki was playing on top of the small mountain, watching the
preparationsbelow for a festival that was going to take place very
night to celebrate an wonderfulrice crop. All of a sudden, Yuuki
felt an earthquake beneath his feet. It was notstrong enough to
frighten anybody, but Yuuki, who had already felt dozens ofshocks,
thought it was odd - a long, slow, spongy motion. The houses below,
by thesea, rocked gently several times, then all became still
again. Soon after, Yuukinoticed something even more strange. The
sea darkened all of a sudden and itseemed to be rushing backward,
toward the horizon. The sea was actually runningaway from the shore
very fast, leaving behind wide stretches of beach that hadnever
been exposed before. With a gasp, Yuuki suddenly remembered the
words of his grandfather.His grandfather had told the boy how his
own fathers father had told him that justbefore a terrible tsunami,
the sea suddenly and quickly rolls backward. Yuuki, hisbreath
heavy, ran down the mountainside to warn the people of the
impendingdanger. Already many had run to the beach to witness the
spectacular new stretchof ribbed sand. "Get back, get back!"
shouted the boy. "There is terrible danger!" "What are you talking
about, Yuuki?" laughed one person. "Look at all thegreat new shells
on the beach!" "No, no! You dont understand!" cried Yuuki. "You
must run away! Up tothe mountain! Everybody!" But no one would
listen to him. They all laughed in his face and carried onromping
in the new sand and watching the sea roll backward even more.
Desperate, Yuuki could think of only thing to do. He lit a pine
torch andhurried with it to the fields. There hundreds of
rice-stacks stood golden and dried inthe sun. He touched the torch
to the edge of each one - hurrying from one to theother as quickly
as his legs could carry him. The sun-dried stalks instantly
caughtfire; the strengthening sea breeze blew the blaze forward.
Soon the stacks burst into
19. flame. Yuuki, terrified, ran after his friends and family
calling, "Fire! Fire! Everyonerun to the mountain! Quick!" The
people hurried from over the beach, like a swarming of ants,
thoughto Yuukis anxious eyes the moments seemed terribly long to
him. All the while, thesea was fleeing even more quickly toward the
horizon. The whole village was moving up the mountain now. The
growingmultitude, still knowing nothing, looked horrified at the
flaming fields and at thedestruction of their homes and their
livelihood. "Yuuki is mad!" cried one of the boys when they had all
reached the top."He set fire to the rice on purpose: I saw him do
it!" "Yuuki, is this true?" said Yuukis mother and father, frowning
deeply. Yuuki hung his head. Just then, someone cried, "Look!" At
the edge of the horizon a long dim line like the shadowing of a
coastwhere no coast had even been - a line that thickened as they
gazed, that broadenedin the way a coast-line broadens when one
approaches it, yet much more quickly.For that long thin line of
darkness was the returning sea, towering like a cliff, andraging
swiftly toward them. "A tsunami!" shrieked the people. Then all
shrieks and all sounds and allpower to hear sounds were annihilated
by a nameless shock heavier than anythunder, as the colossal swell
struck the shore with a weight that sent a shudderthrough the
hills, and with a burst of foam like a blaze of sheet lightning.
Then for aninstant nothing could be seen but a storm of spray
rushing up the slope like a cloud,and the people scattered back in
panic from the mere menace of it. When theylooked again, they saw a
white horror of sea roaring over the place of their homes. Itdrew
back, tearing out the land as it went. Twice, three times, five
times the seastruck the land and ebbed, but each time with surges
less strong. Then finally, thesea returned to its normal place and
stayed there, though still raging, as the sea willdo after a
hurricane. On the mountain for a long time no word was spoken. All
staredspeechlessly at the desolation below, at the wreckage and
debris that was scatteredover what was left of their village. "Im
sorry I burned the fields," said Yuuki, his voice trembling.
"Yuuki," said his father softly. "You saved us all." And the
villagers swept up Yuuki and raised him into the air. "We weregoing
to celebrate our rice harvest tonight," said one, "but now well
celebrate thatwere all still alive!" And they cheered with relief
and admiration at the brave Yuuki, who thatday had saved over four
hundred lives.
20. The White Tiger (Korea)Long ago in a village near the
Kumgang Mountains in Korea there lived a young boy. His fatherhad
been missing since he was a baby, and the boy knew very well the
reason why. Anenormous White Tiger still lived in the Kumgang
Mountains who had tormented the village foryears, coming down to
prey not only on horses and cattle, but even on the human beings
wholived there. Years ago, his father, who had been the finest
hunter and gunman in the land,ventured into the Kumgang Mountains
to shoot the White Tiger and to save the village. He hadnever
returned. When the boy was still small he already decided deep in
his heart that when he grewup, he would be the one to shoot down
the tiger that had overpowered his father. As soon as hewas
allowed, he trained rigorously with the gun and became almost as
good a gunman as hisfather had been. When he was fifteen years old,
the boy went to his mother and said, "Mother, Imready now to set
out for the Kumgang Mountains to find the White Tiger and defeat
him. Please,let me go." The mother did not want to lose her son,
too. With tears in her eyes, she said, "Evena famous marksman like
your father was lost to the terrible White Tiger. Please, son,
quitdreaming about such nonsense and stay safe here at home." "Dont
worry, Mother," the son cried. "I shall find the White Tiger, I
know it!" Finally the mother said, "Very well, as you wish. But
first let me ask you one thing.Your father used to have me stand
with a water jug on my head. Then he would shoot off thehandle of
the water jug from one mile away without spilling any water. Can
you do the samething?" When he heard this, the young son
immediately tried to match his fathers skill. Hehad his mother
stand one whole mile away, with a water jug on top of her head. He
took carefulaim, but missed. So he gave up his idea of going to the
mountains and instead, practiced threemore years with the gun.
After three years, he tried again. This time he succeeded in
knocking off the handle ofthe water jug on his mothers head without
spilling a drop of water. Then the mother said,"Actually son, your
father was able to shoot the eye out of a needle from one mile
away. Canyou do this?" The son asked his mother to place a needle
in a tree trunk. Then he walked back forone mile. Taking careful
aim, he let go a shot, but missed. Once again, he gave up the idea
ofgoing to the Kumgang Mountains and settled down to another three
years of practicing evenharder. At the end of three years, he was
21 years old by that time, he again tried the sametrick. This time,
with the crack of his gun, the eye of the needle fell to the
ground. Now in fact, what the mother had told her son about the
amazing feats his father usedto be able to do, were all lies. The
mother had thought that if she told him impossible tales aboutthe
father, that the boy might give up his crazy idea of seeking the
terrible White Tiger. But nowthat he had actually succeeded in
performing each of the feats she told him her husband coulddo, the
mother could not help being impressed with his determination. So
she gave permissionfor him to leave for the Kumgang Mountains. The
son was thrilled. He immediately set out. At the foothills he came
across a smallinn. An old woman, who was the innkeeper, asked the
young man why he had come. He toldher that his father had been a
victim of the White Tiger years ago and that he had practiced
formany years to avenge his death.
21. The old innkeeper then said, "Ah, yes, I knew your father.
He was the greatestgunman in all the land. Why, he stopped here at
this very inn, many years ago, before venturinginto the Kumgang
Mountains. Can you see that tall tree over there in the distance?
Why, yourfather used to turn his back to that tree and then shoot
down the highest leaf on the highestbranch from over his shoulder.
If you cant do the same thing, how can you expect to defeat
theWhite Tiger?" The hunters son, when he heard this, said he also
would try. He placed his gun overhis shoulder and took aim and
shot. But he missed. He knew then that he still wasnt ready, andhe
asked the old innkeeper to let him stay with her a while. From that
day, he kept practicingshooting over his shoulder at the tree.
After three more years, he was finally able to shoot downthe
highest leaf on the highest branch. Then the old innkeeper told the
hunters son, "Just because you can do that, it stilldoesnt mean you
can outshoot your father. Why, your father used to set an ant on
the side of acliff and then, from a distance of three miles away,
he would shoot that ant off without evenscratching the surface of
the cliff. No matter what a fine gunman you may be, certainly you
cantmatch that." The young man then tried to do what the old
innkeeper said his father had done.Again he failed at first and had
to practice three more years. Like the young mans mother, itturns
out that all that the old innkeeper had told him had been made up
because she, too, onlywanted to save his life. But the hunters son,
not questioning her once, had practiced until hecould do the tasks
she said his father had done. The old innkeeper was filled with
amazement. "With your skill now, surely you will avenge your
fathers death." So saying, the oldinnkeeper prepared a bag with
many rice balls for him to eat along the way. The hunters
sonthanked her and started out along the path leading into the
heart of the Kumgang Mountains. The young man pressed deeper and
deeper into the mountains. For days and days hewandered through the
wilderness. After all, the Kumgang Mountains have twelve
thousandpeaks and stretch over a vast area, and he had no means of
knowing just where the White Tigerwas hidden. So he wandered on
through the vast mountain ranges. One day, while the hunters son
was seated on a big rock nibbling a rice ball, a raggedold woman
stumbled up to him and said, "Excuse me, sir. Could you spare an
extra rice ball forme?" The hunters son handed the old woman
several rice-balls, which she ate ravenously.Then the old woman
said, "We dont see many strangers this deep into these mountains.
Whatbrings you here?" When the hunters son explained, the old woman
shook her head vigorously from sideto side. "Nay, good fellow," she
said. "Forget about shooting the terrible White Tiger. He is
tooquick. As soon as the tiger desires to pounce, his next prey is
gone. From one day to the next,we never know whether we are going
to survive to see the morrow. You are a young man. Youought best to
leave these mountains at once and go back home while youre still
alive!" Then the hunters son replied that no, he would not be
persuaded to leave. Hedescribed how hard he had practiced for so
many years, and that now, with his skill, he knew hecould smite the
White Tiger after all. "Well," sighed the old woman, "if you are so
sure, then youshould know that the only way to shoot the White
Tiger is to shoot him when all you see is but awhite dot on the
horizon. If you wait a single moment too late," here she shook her
finger, "or ifyou miss your first shot, believe me, all will be
will be lost for you." The old woman left. The hunters son
immediately took to scanning the horizon untilhe was entirely
familiar with every curve and shadow on each mountainside far and
wide. Thushe waited for hours, his gun at readiness. While the sun
was setting, a single white dotappeared in a fraction of a moment
on a distant mountainside. No dot had been there themoment before,
the young man was certain of that. Instantly, he fired at the white
dot. His heartpounding, he raced toward the mountainside where he
had aimed his shot. And there he came upon the felled White Tiger,
nearly as big as a mountain itself. It
22. had collapsed with its mouth open, ready to swallow its
next prey -- him! Astonished by its sizeand thrilled that he had
actually defeated the legendary beast, the son stepped into the
deadtigers throat. Inside the tigers mouth, he followed a black
tunnel. Eventually, he came to a vastroom as large as a fairground.
This was the giant White Tigers stomach. Then the young man came
upon an unconscious girl who lay huddled in a heap. Theyoung hunter
took the girl in his arms and nursed her until she awakened. The
girl looked intohis face and thanked him with all of her heart. She
then revealed that she was the daughter ofthe kings highest
advisor, who was famous in the capital city. The young girl told
him how justthe night before, the great White Tiger had stolen her
away while she was washing her hairoutside on the veranda of her
home. Suddenly, the two of them heard what sounded like a human
voice. Puzzled, theygroped in the dark toward it. When lo! The
voice belonged to an old man crouched in the corner.Who was it but
none other than the boys father! He had survived all these years
inside theWhite Tigers stomach on the prey swallowed by the great
beast. The father and son rejoiced inhaving found one another at
last. Then together with the young girl, the three of them
escapedthrough the tigers mouth and found that they were in the
middle of a large field. The young manskinned a portion of the
tiger, for he wanted to take home as a remembrance the beautiful
whitetiger-skin. Taking the young girl by one hand and his father
by the other, he proudly returnedhome, where his mother was waiting
for him. Words cannot describe her joy to see not only herson come
safely back home, but her long lost husband, too! Then the young
hunter took the maiden to her home in the capital city. Her
fathercried tears of joy to see his daughter returning safe and
sound. In gratitude, her fatherwelcomed the young hunter into his
family to become his daughters husband and to be heir tohis name
and fortune. The young mans mother and father proudly attended
their sons wedding day. Andthe young man and his bride lived
happily ever after in the grand mansion of the kings
highestadvisor.