AN Because of the dialogic format you'll have to do a bit of voice acting in your head if you want to enjoy the story to its fullest. No warnings apply. Written for contest. Enjoy, Milly.
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one thousand and one nights in the darkness
taphoshipping mother ishtar x father ishtar
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"A story?"
"Yes."
"Which one? The story about the seven djinns, or the fisherwoman and the date tree-"
"A story about you, mommy."
"A story about me."
"Yes."
"Sweetie, there are no stories about mommy. But I can tell you about the sultan's daughter."
"It's always about the sultan's daughter."
"But this story is different. I haven't told it to you yet."
"Why?"
"Because... it's very difficult to understand."
"I can understand!"
"I know you can, sweetie. Oh!"
"What?"
"He's kicking."
"Kicking?"
"Inside. Give me your hand."
"I can feel him. Maybe he wants to hear the story, too."
"Maybe he does. It's going to be a long story. Are you ready?"
"Yes."
"Alright, blow off the candle.
Good.
Once upon a time...
Once upon a time there was a sultan who was fair and loved. His name was praised in all the kingdoms across the desert and beyond the sea. And what he loved above all-"
"Dates!"
"Yes, sweetie, dates. He loved dates. They were his favorite thing in the world. The sultan ate them everyday but he was never satisfied, and he always wanted more. So when he ate the very last date of the very last tree in the kingdom, he sent his son, the prince, to travel outside the kingdom, and look for more dates for his father.
Before the prince left, his sister, the sultan's daughter, gave him a single black feather for his voyage.
Take it with you; it will lead you to treasure.
The prince did not know what to make of the gift, but he did not question his sister, for he knew she was as wise as she was beautiful, and her beauty was unmatched in the whole kingdom. He thanked her, kissed her, and left.
In the kingdom by the sea the prince was welcomed by a merchant, a bitter old man who hadn't laughed since his wife died, many many years ago. Whenever he moved to speak his cheeks hurt him, and so he remained silent whenever the prince asked him where he could find some dates to bring back to his father."
"Why did it hurt?"
"Because he had forgotten how to smile. His face was a mask, stiff as a rock.
The prince spent the whole night in the old man's house, and he still didn't know how to find more dates for his father. He wished he could ask his sister what to do. Carefully, so as not to wake the old man, the prince opened his satchel only to find her three gifts and drew the feather out.
He looked at the sleeping old man and had an idea. He began to tickle the old man, who laughed and laughed in his sleep until he woke up, and then he laughed some more. When he regained control of himself he thanked the prince, because he hadn't laughed like this since his wife died. He told the prince that he did not have dates himself, but that he had heard of a djinn living in the middle of the desert, and who owned a magical tree that could never run out of dates.
Well, it looks like we'll have to continue the story tomorrow.
Good night, sweetie.
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"Mommy how do you know it's a boy? How do you know it's not a girl?"
"Because it has to be a boy. Lower your hand a little. There. Do you feel him?"
"He's kicking again."
"He is. Maybe he wants to hear the rest of the story?"
"Maybe. I don't remember the story, mommy."
"I can start over again. Blow the candle - good.
Once upon a time...
Once upon a time there was a sultan who really loved dates. He ate them at every meal, everyday of the year. His love of dates was so great that soon he had eaten all the dates in the palace, in the city, and even in the kingdom. He had bared every tree except for one: the tree that belonged to the djinn who lived in the middle of the desert.
The sultan sent his son to go look for the magical tree."
"He has to visit the merchant first."
"Not this time. This story is a little different, sweetie."
"Why?"
"Because stories are like life, and life always changes. Every day is different, nothing stays the same.
The prince found the lone date tree in the middle of the desert. It was full of big clumps of delicious looking dates. The prince began to climb it, to taste one of its dates. The tree was taller than any of the date trees he'd ever climbed in the palace gardens, and it took quite a bit of effort to get up there. He thought of how happy his father would be, and how his sister would be proud of him.
Then, the moment he plucked the fullest, ripest date from the tree, the djinn appeared."
"Oh no!"
"Yes. The djinn wasn't too happy about the prince climbing up in his tree, picking his dates.
If you eat one of my dates, prince, you'll have to pay me with a life.
But it was too late. The prince had already brought the plump, sweet date to his mouth, and had eaten everything, even the pit.
I don't want to die, the prince said, sincerely regretting what he'd just did. He immediately thought of his sister, and how he wanted to see her. They both loved each other very much, and she would be very sad if he died.
The djinn was upset, but he was able to control his temper.
Here is my offer, human prince. In the dark mountains at the edges of the desert, there is a ghoul with whom I have unfinished business. If you can bring me back his only son before sunset, I will let you live. If you fail to do this, you will have to bring me your sister instead.
The prince thought of her and paled. But he accepted the djinn's offer, for he had no other choice. The djinn left and the prince was alone at the top of the date tree. How could he make it to the dark mountains before sunset?
He waited and waited, looking at the horizon, looking at the empty skies, until a large, black bird appeared, flying in the prince's direction.
The crow approached the tree very fast, opening its beak to pluck one of the large dates while flying. The prince warned the crow not to eat the dates, for they belonged to a djinn. The crow didn't eat any dates, and he thanked the prince, for he knew the djinn would have been rather upset.
Ask me anything, and your wish shall be my command.
Take me, o magical bird, to the dark mountains at the edges of the desert.
The crow gracefully bowed, allowing the prince to climb on its back, spread its wings and flew away.
Eventually the prince fell asleep, and we will find out what happened to him tomorrow.
Good night, sweetie.
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"How come we never see the princess? You said it was a story about a princess, mommy."
"Tonight we can talk about the princess more. Tonight this is going to be her story."
"Are we going to finish the story about the sultan who loved to eat dates before that? What happened to the prince?"
"It's also their story. And her story. But we're not going to finish their story tonight, either."
"Because it's like life?"
"Yes. Because we all know when life began, but we never know when it ends.
Are you ready? Good.
Once upon a time...
Once upon a time there was a sultan who loved dates, so much that he had eaten up every single date in his kingdom, borrowed money to buy out every date growing in the neighbourhood kingdoms, and was so poor that his wives all left him.
He sold his son to a djinn living in the desert, and lived alone in the palace with his daughter, the princess. The sultan had no bride money to marry out his daughter, who was both very fair and very wise, and thus very close to his heart. He would be very unhappy to see her leave, but he also knew that she would become very unhappy if she were to live unmarried."
"If he stopped eating dates... Everyone would be happy."
"You're right. But nobody's perfect. The sultan wasn't perfect. He couldn't help himself. In a way... it wasn't his fault."
"But it isn't the prince's fault. Or the princess's fault. It's not fair."
"It is not. You are right. Sometimes life isn't fair.
The sultan became famous for being poor, and his friends deserted him. No one visited the palace anymore. No one came to the sultan to ask for help or advice. The sultan only heard from his son once a year, and so he became lonely.
When one of the few remaining servants announced that someone wanted to visit the sultan. Visitors were very rare, so the sultan was intrigued. He was so eager to be a good host, like was before, that he had his very last camel slaughtered and roasted for the stranger.
The visitor was strange indeed. He wore a suit made of black feathers, which covered him from head to toe, and we could see nothing except for his eyes. With the sultan and his daughter he sat, drinking freshly boiled coffee while they waited for the camel to roast. The foreigner spoke with a low, deep voice.
I wish, o sultan, to ask for your kinship.
The sultan was confused."
"What does kinship mean, mommy?"
"It means the stranger wanted to marry the sultan's daughter. And the sultan didn't want that.
You must know that I am rather poor, and cannot afford to let my daughter go.
The princess looked at the stranger carefully, wondering who was hidden beneath the black plumage. When his eyes met hers, she did not look away. The stranger's eyes looked like honey.
When the sultan began to explain that he could not accept the offer, the stranger told him of the djinn that took his only son away from him, and how his wife was long dead, and how much he wanted an heir. The stranger was also very lonely, living alone in the dark mountains at the edges of the desert.
The princess, who was moved by the foreigner's story and who really wanted to make her father happier, accepted his offer."
"Why would it make him happier if she left?"
"Because the princess knew how much her father worried about her. Marriage is very, very important. It is the most important thing for a girl. The princess knew that if she married the stranger, then her father wouldn't feel so guilty.
Teary eyed, the sultan bid his daughter farewell, and together with the stranger she marched on towards the dark mountains.
They walked in silence, him leading the way, while she was walking behind, following him. All along she wondered how her new husband really looked like under its dirty disguise. One by one, the feathers fell. And when they finally reached the dark mountains the last feather fell, and the mysterious husband turned to face the princess.
He was a ghoul.
Tall, hairy, with teeth sharp enough to devour an infant, and mean eyes that can see in the dark. The princess now knew he was not the bird-like creature he once appeared to be; therefore there might be a kind-hearted soul, rather than a cold-hearted monster, underneath his hideous appearance.
Follow me, princess, and I will show you treasure.
The sun was setting in the West.
The princess knew she could go back, but she was not afraid.
I am your wife, and I will give you an heir.
The ghoul looked at her until the sun disappeared beyond the dunes, and when he was satisfied, he began climbing the dark mountains.
When morning came and the sun rose in the East, they had reached a valley, and at the bottom of the valley, the ghoul lead her to the entrance of a cave. It was scary and uninviting, but the girl felt like there was something inside waiting for her.
Follow me, princess, and I will show you treasure.
The sky was paling again, hints of lavender and blue - how the princess wished to see the sun one last time before she was to be engulfed in the darkness!
The princess knew she could go back, but she was not afraid.
I am your wife, and I will give you an heir.
She followed the ghoul into the cave and never came back.
There was no kind-hearted soul underneath the ghoul's hideous appearance.
But in the caves she did find treasure; one in the shape of an abandoned boy, whom she adopted; then one in the shape of a beautiful, blue-eyed little girl; then maybe, God willing, one in the shape of a healthy baby boy.
Good night, sweetie.