Classics Retold

The following night Shahrazad said: The time of Harun al Rashid, the Commander of the Faithful.  Baghdad City. Sindbad the porter was a man of poor circumstances.  One day he bore a heavy burden.  The day was excessively hot. The heat was violently oppressing him. The load was heavy.  He was passing by the door of a merchant. The ground before it was swept and sprinkled with rose water, which steamed up from the hot pavement, within the space he heard some music, coming from many instruments, and the melodious warble of nightingales and other birds.  The appetizing smell of tasty dishes came.  Some banquet and merry making were going on.  He had never noticed such a magnificent house.  Who may be living here? To satisfy his curiosity he approached some of the well dressed servants who stood at the door, and asked them the name of the master of the house. "What!" replied the servant, "Do you live in Baghdad, and not know that here lives the noble S...

The Persian Princess Jauhara was influenced by Magi Culture.  Magian faith usually refers to the religion and world view of Magi, a priestly class in ancient Persia closely associated with Zoroastrianism. Originally Magi were members of  primitive tribes, who eked out their living through rituals, astrology, interpreting dreams to find out future events in the life of an individual remedying the evils, if any according to the forecast, through rituals and sacrifices.  The word Magian was originally related to a Median tribe in western Iran.  Herodotus mentions them as performing sacrificers and singing incantators.  Later, in the Hellenistic and Roman world, the term Magus expanded to mean anyone practising  occult art and witchcraft. Greeks and Romans often described Magians as sorcerers.  Early Christians knew of the Magi from the East who had prior knowledge of the birth of Jesus, they later visited infant Jesus. Jauhara was a clever girl who realis...

The tale of the Jullanar ( Gulnare )of the sea is one of the later added stories in the collection. The Arabic title of this renowned tradition is Alfa Layla Wa Layla.  Though the paper was available by second century CE, printing came into existence by fifteen century CE,  these stories were popular even before the invention of paper and the knowledge of printing. This was made possible by professional story tellers.  In the Arab world the professional story tellers were called Hakawatis.  They were highly skilled performers who drew large crowds in the markets. Hakawatis were not just reciters of poems, but performers, who used gestures, wit, and expressive language to breath life into characters. Such performers in Iraq were  called Qaskhun and their tradition was known as al-Qaskhun.  Manuscripts guided them in the performance.  It was like the story board of a modern film maker. al-Qaskhun were based at Baghdad  The story, Jullanar of the Sea...

The following night Shahrazad said: King Badr has said to his mother, "None will satisfy me, save princess Jauhara, the daughter of King al-Shamandal, for she is like her name a jewel." His mother replied, "She  is yours." She sent at once for al-Shamandal. He came and kissed the ground before her. King Badr was called. He came and bade him welcome, and demanded her daughter Jauhara in marriage.  al-Shamandal replied, "She is your servant and at your disposal." Then he sent officers to bring her to the presence of Jullanar.  Jauhara came, and embraced her father.  He said to her, "O my daughter, I have given you in marriage to this gallant king and valiant lion, king Badr. None is worthy of him  but you, and none is worthy of you but him." She replied, "O my father, I cannot disobey you.  Do as you wish."  Legal witnesses were summoned to drew up the marriage contract. Then the marriage celebration was begun and continued for ten days. ...

The following night Shahrazad said: King Badr said to his mother, "Mother, nothing remains except that I should marry to unite us all.  Jullanar said, "Son, this is a good idea. But wait, we will see who is a match for you."  His grandmother Farasha, his uncle Sayih and his cousins agreed with mother, and all of them endeavoured to find out a suitable match for king Badr. Then each of them went out to search throughout the world, while Jullanar sent out her waiting women on the backs of demons, saying to them, "Leave not a province, or a city, or a King's palace without noticing every beautiful girl there." When king Badr noted these efforts, he said to his mother, "Mother, stop this, for none will satisfy me."  But morning overtook and Shahrazad lapsed into silence.

The following night Shahrazad said: King Badr dismounted from the she-mule and delivered her to the old woman, who, as soon as she received her, removed the bit from her mouth, took water in her hand, and sprinkled it on the she-mule with some words of incantation, followed by "O my daughter, leave this form and return to your human form."  The queen was at once restored to her original form.  The two women embraced and kissed each other.  King Badr realised that the old woman was queen Lab's mother and that he had been tricked, and he saw the danger lurking behind.  He wanted to escape, but there was not a way.  The old woman gave a loud whistle, and there appeared before her a huge demon. It stood like a huge mountain and its shadow fell over the entire premises.  The old woman mounted on its back, followed by her daughter.  The demon picked king Badr and put him on its shoulder and flew off and landed at the palace of queen Lab. While queen and her ...

The following night Shahrazad said: King Badr said to the queen of Magi, "As long as you love me, nothing will change me towards you, for I love even more than you love me.  Eat of my barley meal." She took a mouthful and ate it. No sooner had it settled down in her stomach than she began to convulse.  King Badr took water in his hand, and threw it in her face, and said, "Leave this form and turn into a dappled mule.  When she saw herself in this condition, tears rolled down her cheeks, and she began to rub her head against his feet. He tried to bridle her; but she would not let him, so he left her and went to the old man and gave an account of the happenings.  The old man took a bridle, saying, "Bridle her with this, for when she sees this, she will submit and let you bridle her.   King Badr took the bridle and returned to the queen.  She came up to him.  He set the bit in her mouth, mounted her, and rode to the old man.  The old man said to...