Thousand & One Nights: 65th Night:

The young man seated me by his side. His face was as beautiful as full moon. From head to feet he was blessed with beauty. In normal time he should have captivated me, but the dead silence of the city frightened my heart. I eagerly waited for his story. "This city is the capital of my father," said he, after a long silence, "the king you must have seen, turned into black stone inside this palace. The queen you must have seen inside the net. They and all the people of the city were Magians.[1] They worshipped fire. My father was blessed with my birth in his late years. I was born and brought up in affluence. There was an old woman who resided with us. She was very learned, and taught me Quran. "You should worship none, but God the Almighty." She used to say. This, I never told my father or anyone else of my family. One day we heard a mighty voice, "O people of the city, leave your fire worship, and worship only the Merciful God." But they refused to obey. After a year came the voice again, and it repeated the following year. Suddenly, one morning the city turned into stone, but none except I was escaped. Here, I sit up to worship God. But I am weary of loneliness."

I said to him, "Come with me, to my city, the city of Baghdad. I am the head of my family, mistress over my servants and slaves. I am a businesswoman, and my ship, after straying, now anchors outside your city, by the will of God."

He consented to come with me after my persistence. I spent that night, hardly believing my fortune, asleep at his feet. At dawn, we rose, took from his father's tresure chambers whatever light in weight and great in worth, and left the castle. I found the captain, my sisters and my servants looking for me. When I related to them the story of the young man and the city, they were amazed.

But my two sisters, these very bitches, when they saw the young man with me, they envied me and harboured ill feelings towards me. We went aboard, all of us feeling happy at our gain, most of all I, because of the young man, and sat waiting for the wind to blow.

The End of the Night.







Notes:-
1. Magians: Different sources give different accounts of Magians. Some say that they were Zorastrian priests, while some others say that they were Zorastrians. According to Google AI they were involved in religious rituals, administrators, and advisors to royal courts. The word Magian is derived from magi which means wise men or priests in Persian and Greek. They performed religious rituals, interpreted dreams and omens, and played a role in the administration of Achaemenid and Parthian rulers. Some of them were fire kindlers and maintained the fire in temples. Some of them held administrative and military positions and served as judges. In Bible Magi are three wise men, who visited infant Jesus. ( The New Testament says Three wise men, and there is no reference of Magi.)

According to Wikipedia Magi or Magus is the term used for Zorastrianism and early Iranian religion. We do not have any clear cut view of earlier Iranian religion. According to oral Iranic traditions Magians were Median Tribes.

According to Robert Charles Zaehner, a British academic (08/04/1913 to 24/11/1974) challenged the Median origin of Magians. According to him Magians were found in Persia, Parthia, Bactria, Chorasmia, Aria and Media, and among Sakas. They are also found in non Aryan lands like Arabia, Ethiopia and Egypt. Their influence was also widespread throughout Asia Minor. So, it is construed that they were earliest tribes widespread throughout the  world who practised belief based rituals, healing, sorcery and witchcraft.

In India, Sakaldwipiya Brahmin or Bhojaka Brahmins are considered Maga Brahmins 

2. The sisters and servants accompanied the Mistress, but it was revealed at the end of the story.

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