The Soap Seller's Son
Once upon a time, in the wonderful city of Meshed, lived a young man named Ahmed. The beautiful mosque in Meshed, with its golden dome, was the proud jewel of the Persian kingdom.
Trade was flourishing, and people were happy. But not Ahmed, for his father's soap business was not doing well at all.
Business Troubles
"Brothers, buy my pure soap! It's the best in the city, you know it!"
But the people of Persia didn't use much soap for washing themselves or their clothes, for sand was used for everything, even for cleaning pots and pans. And so, many times Ahmed and his father didn't sell enough soap to buy food.
A New Path
Days passed, and soon Ahmed realized he had to leave his father's business and try something else.
"Father, we're not selling the soap. And so, I've decided to go to the market and look for work there."
Work at the Market
At the market, Ahmed worked hard for merchants, traders, and vendors, and in return, he received rice, bread, or a few dried fruits, which he took home and ate with his father.
Meeting the Princess
One day, Ahmed was passing through the jungle as usual to get to the market, and as the sun was burning very hot, he thought he would stop by the lake to drink some water. There, some women were filling their pots with water, while others were washing clothes.
Just then, Ahmed saw a procession led by a royal minister. The procession stopped in front of Ahmed, and a beautiful maiden stepped out of the palanquin. This was Princess Roxana.
"I am thirsty. May I drink some water?"
The Lion's Attack
A maiden went to her with a carafe of water, and just as she was about to give it to her, a lion leaped from the bushes, roaring furiously.
"Oh! Mmm! Bah!"
Ahmed, the Savior
As people fled, the lion turned towards the princess. It pounced on her and knocked her to the ground.
"Help!"
Seeing the princess in danger, Ahmed immediately grabbed a lit torch nearby and aimed it at the lion. Ahmed struck the lion with all his might, and the lion fled.
The Princess's Gratitude
Ahmed smiled and turned to Princess Roxana, who was trembling with fear. He immediately gave her some water to drink.
"Thank you, brave man! You saved my life!" "Princess Roxana, we must leave immediately!"
Princess Roxana nodded and smiled at Ahmed, then got into the palanquin.
"Ah, how beautiful she is!"
The Merchant's Advice
The next day, when Ahmed was at the market, a merchant came up to him.
"Son, you work hard. Do you make enough money, hmm?" "Hmm, no, sir, no, but at least I earn some food for myself and my father." "Why don't you go to the capital? Business is much better there, and someone like you could earn good money."
The Road to the Capital
Ahmed thought for a moment, then said:
"Well, then that's what I'll do. Tomorrow, my father and I will leave for the capital."
The merchant wished him luck and left. And so, the next day, Ahmed and his father departed.
The Tiring Journey
They traveled at night and rested during the day to avoid the scorching rays of the sun. They kept going, sometimes climbing winding mountain slopes, other times walking through the desert, with tired feet.
The Desert Dervish
One day, when his father was sleeping under a tree, Ahmed heard a sound. Curious, he left his father sleeping and headed in the direction from which the sound came.
Immediately, he found a miserable dervish lying on the sand. He had a scarf on his shoulders, and next to him was a staff inlaid with a marble eagle's head.
A Drop of Water
"In the name of the pitchers, give me some water!"
Ahmed immediately gave him his pitcher, although the water was a little salty. The dervish drank the water down at once.
The Magic Gift
"Mmm, how good it is! Thank you, young man! I am the old man of the desert, and I am grateful for your help. Here, take this small crystal cup. Every morning, when you wake up, put a drop of pure water in the cup. Then look at it carefully. If you or your loved ones are in danger, you will see everything there! Yes! That's right!"
The Dervish's Transformation
At that moment, a cold wind blew, and the old man of the desert's body transformed into hundreds of rose petals that took flight. Ahmed was speechless.
"Wow!"
Trying the Cup
He returned to his father and told him everything. Starting the next morning, Ahmed did as the dervish told him, but for days he saw nothing.
Reencounter with the Lion
Time passed, and Ahmed and his father were three days away from the capital when suddenly a lion attacked them. It was the same lion, with a scar on its face. It leaped at Ahmed.
"Help! Help! Someone save my boy!"
The Princess Saves Again
Suddenly, a beautiful young woman appeared with a lit torch. It was Princess Roxana.
"Ha!"
She aimed the lit torch at the lion, which fled from there.
Now We're Even
"Are you the princess?" "Well, now we're even." "Hmm, yes, thank you, but what is a princess doing here?"
Princess Roxana pointed to the royal convoy.
"My father, the king, and I are returning from a pilgrimage, and we heard someone screaming. But, but where are you going?" "To the capital." "Well, we are also going to the capital. You can come with us." "Thank you very much!"
To the Capital with the Royal Entourage
And so, Ahmed and his father joined the royal convoy and soon arrived in the capital.
Royal Hospitality
Seeing the state Ahmed's father was in, the princess advised him to stay in the palace for a week before looking for work. The king also insisted.
"Yes, stay in the palace until you find work."
Ahmed agreed, as he would have more time to find a job.
Danger in the Crystal Cup
However, after escaping the lion's attack, he tried, as every morning, to put a drop of water in the crystal cup and look carefully. On the seventh day, he saw an image of the king sleeping, and next to him was someone with a dagger, ready to strike him.
Ahmed's Warning
He quickly went to the king.
"My King, a great danger lurks for you. Someone is trying to kill you. You must be careful."
The Unbelieving King
"Ha ha ha! Ahmed, my soldiers are well-prepared and trustworthy. Rest assured." "As you say, Your Majesty."
The Old Man of the Mountains
Having said this, Ahmed left the palace, but he thought about who would want to kill the king. Some distance from the capital, the lion transformed into an evil man. This was the old man of the mountains, and unlike the old man of the desert, he was a very wicked man.
He wanted to kill the king and the princess and conquer the capital. And he wanted to kill Ahmed, because he had saved Princess Roxana.
"Tonight you will die, King! Ha ha ha!"
The Night Attack
Meanwhile, Ahmed was determined to keep a close watch. Darkness had fallen, and the palace was in complete silence. The soldiers were sleeping, but not Ahmed. He waited and waited until he noticed a strange shadow creeping into the wing of the palace where the king slept.
Silently, the shadow entered the king's room, when Ahmed leaped at it and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Attack! Attack! The King is under attack!"
Transformation Back
Then, the king, the soldiers, and the guards woke up. They quickly came into the king's room with Princess Roxana, but the old man of the mountains changed back into a lion.
The Lion's Threat
"Young man, you have caused me much trouble. I will deal with the king later, but now I will deal with you!"
The Desert Eagle
The lion leaped at Ahmed, and the crystal cup fell from his pocket. From it emerged a giant desert eagle.
"Oh, no! It's the old man of the desert! No!"
Victory
Suddenly, the lion turned into dust and flew out the window. The king, the princess, and the soldiers were amazed. The desert eagle looked at Ahmed, smiled, then disappeared.
Ahmed, Prime Minister
Overwhelmed by the situation, the king turned to Ahmed and said:
"Ahmed, you are a brave man. From this day forward, you will be the prime minister of the kingdom."
Ahmed's Gratitude
Ahmed was very delighted and bowed.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
A New Life
And so, Ahmed became the prime minister of the kingdom. Now they no longer worried about food, and Ahmed and his father lived happily.
The Princess's Love
Princess Roxana was delighted, for, secretly, she liked Ahmed and was very happy that he would no longer leave the palace.
In Love
Soon, the two began to spend a lot of time together and fell in love.
The King's Blessing
When Princess Roxana told her father how she felt, he was very happy.
"Well, Ahmed is very dear to me, and I would be happy to welcome him into the family, if he also wants to marry you."
The Marriage Proposal
Ahmed was summoned to court.
"Ahmed, my daughter says she is in love with you and wants to spend the rest of her days with you. What do you say to that?" "Your Majesty, I am also in love with her."
The Royal Wedding
"Wonderful! Then I will speak with your father and we will plan the wedding. Ha ha ha! Let the celebration begin!"
Happy Ever After
The two had a grand wedding. Ahmed and Princess Roxana were married. Both the king and Ahmed's father were happy.
The Moral of the Story
Ahmed's story taught us that, no matter who you are or what you do, kindness is a gift that can be offered by anyone.
