Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Pari Banou
A Sultan's challenge, three magical treasures, and a love found in an enchanted land
Page 1
Long ago, in the magnificent land of India, lived a wise and powerful Sultan, whose palace walls gleamed with gold and whose grand audience hall was always scented with jasmine. He had three sons: Prince Houssain, Prince Ali, and Prince Ahmed. Each was brave and clever, but the Sultan wished to choose one to be his heir and marry the beautiful Princess Nouronnihar. He called his sons before him, the air thick with anticipation from the gathered court. "My sons," he declared, his voice echoing with regal authority through the vast, ornate room, "I will choose the one who brings me the most extraordinary treasure, a treasure never seen before in all the world. You shall each journey separately for one year, seeking far and wide, and then you shall return to present your unique finds to me."
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The three princes set out, each taking a different path to search the world for a truly unique treasure. Prince Houssain traveled north, Prince Ali went west, and Prince Ahmed journeyed towards the distant east, where the sun first rises. After many months of travel, seeing countless wonders and bustling cities, Prince Ahmed found himself in a particularly lively bazaar, far from his home. He walked through the crowded market, where merchants called out their wares in singsong voices, and the air was filled with exotic smells of spices, incense, and freshly baked bread. Among the many stalls displaying silks, glittering jewels, and fine pottery, he saw a humble dervish selling an ordinary-looking apple. This seemingly simple apple, the dervish claimed with a twinkle in his eye, held extraordinary power: it could cure any illness with just its sweet, healing scent. Ahmed, sensing its true magic, bought it, believing in its hidden power.
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After a year had passed, as they had promised, the three princes met at a large caravanserai, a bustling stopping place for travelers and their animals on the edge of a great desert. They were weary from their long journeys but full of excitement, with much to tell each other about their adventures and discoveries. Prince Houssain proudly presented a magnificent magic carpet, which he claimed could instantly carry anyone anywhere in the world. Prince Ali, with a flourish, revealed a long, polished brass optic tube, a spyglass that could show him anything he wished to see, no matter how far away. Prince Ahmed, in turn, gently showed them his plain-looking apple. His brothers were not as impressed with his simple fruit as they were with their own grand wonders, but Ahmed assured them of its true, potent power. They gathered in the caravanserai's lively courtyard, eager to test their magical finds.
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Curious to see if their treasures truly worked as claimed, Prince Ali raised his polished optic tube. "Let us see what Princess Nouronnihar is doing," he suggested, eager to test its far-seeing power. He looked through the tube, adjusting it carefully, and his face instantly turned pale, creased with shock and deep worry. "Alas!" he cried, his voice trembling with alarm. "The beautiful Princess Nouronnihar lies upon her royal bed, desperately ill! She is at the very point of death!" His brothers rushed to his side, their hearts sinking with dismay as they peered over his shoulder. This was not the happy sight they had expected to see, but a dire emergency that called for immediate and swift action.
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There was no time to lose, for every moment counted. Prince Houssain quickly unfurled his magnificent magic carpet, and the three brothers stepped onto its soft, woven surface. In a blink, with a silent whoosh, the enchanted carpet whisked them across the vast distances, carrying them straight to Princess Nouronnihar's opulent bedchamber in the Sultan's palace. They found her exactly as Ali had described, frail, pale, and barely breathing beneath a silk canopy. Prince Ahmed, without hesitation, immediately took out his special, plain-looking apple. He held it close to the Princess, letting its sweet, healing scent gently fill the air around her. Before their very eyes, a miraculous change occurred: a faint flush of color returned to her cheeks, her breathing eased, and slowly, she opened her eyes, cured by the apple's magic.
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The Sultan, overjoyed and relieved to see his beloved daughter well and vibrant once more, gathered his sons in the grand throne room to declare his choice for Nouronnihar's hand. He spoke of each treasure, praising Houssain's carpet for its incredible speed, Ali's optic tube for its far sight, and Ahmed's apple for its astonishing healing power. Though each magical item was truly remarkable, it was Ahmed's simple apple that had directly saved Princess Nouronnihar's life. Therefore, with a firm and clear voice, the Sultan declared that Prince Ahmed would marry the princess. Houssain, consumed by bitter jealousy and festering anger that he had not been chosen, could not bear this decision. He secretly vowed in his heart to take Nouronnihar for himself, no matter the treacherous cost.
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True to his jealous vow, Prince Houssain acted swiftly and cruelly. He used his magic carpet to abduct Princess Nouronnihar, flying her away to a remote, hidden castle far across the lands. Ahmed was left heartbroken and desolate. Though he was to be the Sultan's heir, he felt he had lost everything that truly mattered to him. Overwhelmed by sorrow, he decided to leave the palace and wander the world, seeking solace and peace for his troubled heart. One day, while hunting in a secluded garden path just outside the bustling city walls, deep in thought and heavy with sadness, he came upon a wise and serene Dervish. The Dervish, sensing Ahmed's deep sorrow, greeted him kindly and offered him counsel, speaking softly of a powerful Fairy Pari Banou who lived in an enchanted land far to the east.
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Guided by the Dervish's wise words, Prince Ahmed bravely journeyed to the enchanted land where the Fairy Pari Banou held court. His path was filled with magical trials and challenges, but with courage and a pure heart, he overcame them all. Finally, after a long and arduous quest, he arrived at her shimmering, ethereal castle, surrounded by gardens unlike any he had ever seen. Flowers glowed with soft, inner light, and fountains sang melodic tunes that filled the air. There, amidst this wonder, he met the Fairy Pari Banou herself. She was a being of incredible beauty and grace, with delicate, iridescent wings and an aura of gentle, ancient power. Ahmed, captivated by her kindness, wisdom, and radiant presence, soon fell deeply in love with her, and she, sensing his noble spirit, reciprocated his feelings.
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When Ahmed, with a heavy heart, told Pari Banou about Princess Nouronnihar's cruel abduction by his brother, the Fairy Queen was deeply moved by his sorrow. With her vast magical powers, she vowed to help him bring the princess back. She summoned her loyal genies, powerful beings of spirit and magic, who appeared with a silent shimmer. "Go," she commanded them with resolute grace, "and bring Princess Nouronnihar safely back from Prince Houssain's desolate, hidden fortress, wherever it may be." The genies flew swiftly and silently to the remote castle where Houssain had kept Nouronnihar captive. They rescued the princess without a sound, leaving Houssain alone and utterly bewildered in his empty stronghold, his treacherous scheme utterly undone. He had lost everything he had hoped to gain, left only with his folly.
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Prince Ahmed returned to the Sultan's palace, not only with the safely rescued Princess Nouronnihar but also with the magnificent Fairy Pari Banou, his new beloved wife. The Sultan, overjoyed by Nouronnihar's safe return and utterly enchanted by Pari Banou's grace and kindness, welcomed them all with open arms and a heart full of happiness. The grand audience hall, once a place of challenge and tension, was now transformed and filled to the brim with vibrant music, joyful laughter, and fervent celebration. Prince Ahmed, with his unwavering courage and true heart, had brought joy and lasting peace back to the kingdom, marrying both the princess he saved and the fairy queen who loved him, ensuring a future of happiness and prosperity for all his people.
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)
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