The Tale of King Ajib
Once upon a time, in an ancient realm, there lived a king named Ajib. He had an insatiable love for travel, often traversing to far-off lands, which sometimes led to his neglect of royal duties. One day, King Ajib organized a grand sea voyage along with his entourage. The first forty days of their journey were peaceful and uneventful, but soon a fierce storm erupted, tossing their ship upon turbulent waves.
Fortunately, the storm eventually subsided, but luck was fleeting. The captain soon spotted an approaching mountain called the Magnetic Mountain, which was known to attract ships and their components, causing them to break apart and sink.
Powerless against the looming danger, the ship tragically sank with all aboard. However, King Ajib managed to cling to a wooden plank and was washed ashore to the Magnetic Mountain. Upon reaching the mountain, he discovered a path leading upward and, after a long trek, he succumbed to fatigue and fell asleep. In his dreams, he envisioned himself digging into the earth, uncovering three bows and arrows adorned with intricate engravings.
Suddenly, an imposing figure appeared before him, informing him that he must seize these weapons and battle the sea knight residing atop the mountain to rid the world of his malevolence. The figure warned that should the knight fall into the sea, his magical powers would dissolve.
Afterward, the king returned the bows to their place and learned that as the sea rose to the summit of the mountain, a boat bearing a magical statue would appear to take him back home. However, he was cautioned not to invoke the name of God, as doing so would nullify the spell. Upon nearing the shore, joyous yet forgetful of the warning, King Ajib glorified God—instantly rendering the spell powerless and causing the boat to capsize. In desperation, he cried out for divine assistance, and his pleas were heard, as he was soon swept to a nearby island.
The next day, Ajib noticed a vessel approaching the island. Climbing a tree to hide, he watched as a group of ten men, an elder, and a young boy disembarked to unload their cargo. They subsequently returned to the ship but left the boy behind.
Driven by curiosity, Ajib approached the hidden area and discovered it was a luxurious underground chamber. As he explored, he was startled to find the boy inside the room.
The boy calmed Ajib, and as they conversed, Ajib inquired about his presence in the chamber. The boy revealed that on the day of his birth, his father had a dream that a king named Ajib would one day kill his son at the age of fifteen, after throwing a magical statue into the sea. Fearing this prophecy, the boy had been hiding.
King Ajib chose not to reveal his identity and the two quickly became close friends. The boy then requested Ajib to slice a watermelon for them to eat, but as he did so, the knife slipped from Ajib’s grip and fatally injured the boy.
In a state of shock, Ajib fled the chamber, terrified of what the boy’s father might do and began searching for a way to escape from the cursed island. After several days of wandering, he stumbled upon a magnificent copper palace and, upon arrival, encountered ten strangely shaped men.
He sought to inquire about their unusual appearance but was met with a warning: “Those who meddle in affairs that do not concern them shall face dire consequences.” The men suggested he could discover the answers he sought by riding a great bird to the wondrous palace, where he would find the truth.
When he reached the astonishing palace, he was captivated by its beauty and the treasures within. One of the servants greeted him and handed him forty keys, allowing him to unlock all doors except for one, which, she warned him, housed something perilous. Disregarding the warning, Ajib opened the doors one by one, revealing rooms of exquisite elegance.
Upon unlocking the final door, he discovered a flying horse, which he mounted, launching him into the sky and then back to the copper palace. The horse struck Ajib on the head, imparting a crucial lesson about the dangers of meddling in affairs outside his own. Ultimately, King Ajib managed to return to his homeland aboard a ship that passed by the enchanted island.
The Adventures of Sinbad the Sailor
In a place called Baghdad, there lived a young man named Sinbad, the son of a wealthy merchant who had lost his fortune. Sinbad possessed a great love for the sea and decided to embark on a maritime journey. After an extensive voyage, he finally came upon an island where he and his crew could rest. However, as they prepared to dine, the island began to shift beneath them.
The island turned out to be the back of a colossal whale, upon which it had settled during its long slumber. As Sinbad struggled to reach his ship, he fell into the sea, but his companions managed to board the vessel. Sinbad swam until he finally reached dry land.
Upon arrival, he found himself in a foreign kingdom, where royal soldiers took him to the palace to recount his extraordinary tale to the king. The king was intrigued by his story and offered him a position in charge of recording goods. However, Sinbad soon grew weary of a life devoid of oceanic adventure. By chance, he was cataloguing the merchandise of a trader returning to Baghdad and asked to accompany him back.
Upon his return, Sinbad sought to engage in trade once more by venturing across the seas. He indeed set sail again and, while exploring an island, he dropped anchor to rest. Unfortunately, after a brief exploration, he returned to find that his ship had departed without him. Disheartened, he discovered a giant egg and as he was examining it, a massive bird appeared.
Sinbad tied himself to the bird, hoping it would return him to Baghdad. However, when the bird landed, he fell into a pit where venomous snakes lurked. Fortunately, the snakes feared the bird, allowing Sinbad to escape. Looking around, he noticed that the area was filled with precious gems.
Later, he observed a large piece of meat being thrown into the pit, and a clever idea struck him. He planned to tie himself to the bird again, knowing it would take the food back to its nestlings. Once his scheme succeeded, he found himself at the nest of the bird, where the meat thrower—a ruby trader—was present. Grateful for the assistance, Sinbad thanked the trader for rescuing his life in that moment, gifting him some of the precious rubies he had collected.
The Story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
Once upon a time in Baghdad, there lived a boy named Aladdin, the son of a poor tailor. Aladdin spent his time joyfully playing with a monkey at the market. When Aladdin turned sixteen, he lost his father and began working to support his family. While at work, a mysterious man approached him and informed him about a hidden cave containing a magic lamp.
Aladdin descended into the cave, discovering a paradise resembling a beautiful garden with an orchard filled with delicious fruits. He was warned not to touch anything. After retrieving the magic lamp, the man tried to seize it while Aladdin was still in the cave, but Aladdin refused, fearing abandonment. Angered, the man placed a large stone over the cave’s entrance.
Aladdin wished to exit, rubbing the lamp, and to his astonishment, a remarkable blue genie appeared, capable of granting wishes. He found himself instantly at home, where he summoned the genie to prepare a feast for him and his mother. One day, Aladdin saw the princess and was immediately enchanted by her, aspiring to marry her. He approached the king with his mother, but the king stipulated that Aladdin must present an extravagant collection of jewelry.
Aladdin sought the help of the blue genie to gather the treasures needed. Pleased with the gifts, the king insisted on another condition: Aladdin must possess a palace. Aladdin again requested the genie, who granted him a magnificent palace right across from the king’s.
When Aladdin rode to the royal palace on a splendid steed, donned in fine garments, he impressed the king and gained approval to wed the princess. Preparations for the wedding soon began.
News of Aladdin’s fortune spread throughout the city, and the man who had originally led Aladdin to the cave learned of his newfound status. Disguised as a lamp merchant, he approached the princess, persuading her to exchange Aladdin’s old lamp for a new one. Upon obtaining the old lamp, the wicked man commanded the genie to whisk Aladdin far away into the desert, separating him from the princess.
As soon as the king sought out Aladdin, he threatened dire consequences if Aladdin did not return to his previous state of life. Yet Aladdin had a clever idea—he rubbed the magical ring given to him by the genie, effectively allowing him to wish to reunite with the princess, learning that she had been taken to the sorcerer’s palace.
Aladdin urged the princess to place a sleeping potion in the sorcerer’s food to facilitate their escape and retrieve the magic lamp. Aladdin made a final wish to restore everything back to its original state, ensuring the sorcerer was confined in a place from which he could not escape. Henceforth, Aladdin lived happily and peacefully.