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ڪتاب: لوڪ ڪهاڻيون -1

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صفحو :25

 

شهزادو ۽ شهزادي

 

 هڪڙو هو بادشاهه، جنهن کي فقط هڪ پٽ هو. هڪ ڏينهن، بادشاهه کي اچي خيال ٿيو ته ”پٽ جي شادي اهڙي هنڌان ڪرايان، جنهن بادشاهه کي به فقط هڪ ڌيءُ هجي، ۽ اُها منهنجي پٽ وانگر سدا ملوڪ هجي.“ اها ڳالهه ڳڻي ۽ پٽ جي تصوير ڪڍائي، وزير کي ڏنائين ته ”وڃي چڱيءَ طرح جاچ ڪري، شهزادي لاءِ ڪٿان سڱ ڇڪائي اچ.“ وزير سفر جو سامان ساڻ ڪري، شهزادي جي تصوير کڻي، روانو ٿيو، ۽ ٿوري گهڻي ڏينهن، هڪ اهڙيءَ بادشاهيءَ ۾ وڃي پهتو، جتان جي بادشاهه کي پڻ هڪ ئي شهزادي هئي، ۽ هو پاڻ اهڙي شهزاديءَ لاءِ ڳولائو هو. وزير پوءِ ان بادشاهه سان ملاقات ڪري، شاديءَ جون ڳالهيون پڪيون ڪيون ۽ مڱڻي جا سؤڻ ساٺ پورا ڪرائي، هن سان شاديءَ جو ڏينهن ٻڌي، موٽي پنهنجي ملڪ آيو، ۽ اچي بادشاهه سان حال احوال ڪيائين.

شهزادي کي خيال ٿيو ته ’شاديءَ ۾ ڪجهه وقت دير آهي، تنهنڪري پنهنجي ڪنوار اڳواٽ ئي ڏسي اچان ته چڱو.‘ تنهنڪري ٻه چار نوڪر، سامان ۽ خزانو کڻي اوڏانهن روانو ٿيو. آخر وڃي اُن بادشاهيءَ ۾ پهتو، جتي سندس سهرو هو. شهزادو سفر جو ٿڪ لاهي، شهر جو واءُ سواءُ لهي، ۽ فقيراڻو ويس ڪري، گداگر بڻجي، هڪ ٻن درن تي صدا هڻي، اچي انهيءَ محلات جي ڏيڍيءَ تي صدا هڻي بيهي رهيو، جتي سندس ڪنوار رهندي هئي. ٻانهيءَ خيرات کڻي آئي، پر هن چيو ته ”آءٌ خيرات شهزاديءَ جي هٿ جي وٺندس.“ آخر انهيءَ گهه پيهه ۾ سج لهي ويو. سج لٿي کانپوءِ، هن پنهنجي گودڙيءَ مان ٻه لعل ڪڍيا، ۽ ڪڍي پنهنجي آڏو رکي ويهي رهيو. انهن لعلن جو شعاع ۽ لاٽون وڃي ماڙيءَ تائين پهتيون. شهزاديءَ، جو مٿان ڏٺو، سو ٻانهيءَ کي چيائين ته ”انهيءَ فقير کان انهن ٻنهي لعلن جي بها پڇي اچ.“ ٻانهيءَ جڏهن لعلن جي بها پڇي، تڏهن هن چيو ته ”هنن جي بها فقط اها آهي، جو شهزادي پنهنجي هٿن سان پاڻ اچي اهي کڻي.“ ٻانهيءَ وڃي سموري ڳالهه شهزاديءَ کي ڪري ٻڌائي. شهزادي لعل ڏسي انهن تي ڇڪن ٿي پيئي هئي، سو نه ڪيائين هم نه ڪيائين تم، انهن جي شوق ۾ ماڙيءَ تان هيٺ لهي آئي. فقير ڇا ڪيو، جو لعلن جو چوڌاري ليڪو ڪڍي ڇڏيائين. شهزادي، جا آئي، تنهن هڪدم ليڪو لنگهي اچي لعل کنيا، پر کڻڻ کانپوءِ شهزادي تي جو نظر پيس، ته ڏٺائين ته هي ته فقيريءَ جي ويس ۾ منهنجو گهوٽ آهي. پوءِ ته گهر وڃي ڏاڍو پڇتايائين، ۽ ان سوداءَ ۾ پئجي ويئي ته ”آءٌ ته هن جي اڳيان هميشه لاءِ مياردار ٿيس- چڱو ائين آهي ته آءٌ به  ڀيس بدلائي ڪنهن نموني سان هن جي ڳوٺ وڃي کيس به مياردار ڪري اچان.“ ان ڪري، پيءُ کان شڪار جي بهاني موڪل وٺي، ستر سهيلين سان گڏ، پاڻ به مردانو ڀيس ڪري، اوڏانهن رواني ٿي.

ڪهندي ڪهندي، آخر وڃي انهيءَ شهر جي ٻاهران تنبو ۽ تولان کوڙائي، پڙهو گهمارايائين ته ”اڄوڪي رات ناچ ۽ گانو ٿيندو، جنهن کي ٻڌڻو هجي، سو تنبوءَ ۾ اچي ٻڌي.“ اهو پڙهو ٻڌي، ڪئين شوقين اچي ڪٺا ٿيا، ۽ شهزادو به اچي سهڙيو. هن هڪ ٻانهيءَ کي ڳائڻي بنائي، هڪ تنبوءَ ۾ ويهاريو ۽ ان سان لڳ ٻئي خيمي م پاڻ ڏاڍا هار سينگار ڪري، تيار ٿي ويهي رهي، ۽ ماڻهو موڪلي شهزادي کي پاڻ وٽ آڻائي، يڪدم پڙهو ڏياريائين ته ”نرتڪيءَ جي طبيعت خراب هئڻ ڪري، ناچ ۽ راڳ سڀاڻي تي ڪبو.“ اهو ٻڌي، سڀ ماڻهو هليا ويا. هيءَ شهزاديءَ جي ڏاڍي خوشامد ڪرڻ لڳي، ۽ نهايت سهڻي ۽ شاهاڻي نموني هن جي خاطرداري ڪيائين، ۽ شهزادو به هن جي صحبت ۾ گفتگو ۾ مست ٿي ويو. ڪجهه وقت کانپوءِ، اُتي ئي پنهنجي نوڪرن کي گهرائي، حڪم ڪيائين ته ”ڪتي جو گُلر ڪُهي، شهزادي ۽ منهنجي ماني تيار ڪريو ته اسين ٻيئي گڏجي کائينداسون.“ نوڪرن کي اڳ ۾ سمجهائي ڇڏيو هئائين ته ”اوهان کي حڪم ملي، ته گلر جي بجاءِ هرڻ ڪهجو.“ خير ماني تيار ٿي ۽ گڏجي ويهي کاڌائون. ماني کائڻ کانپوءِ، شهزاديءَ ڳجهه ڳوهه ۾ نوڪرن کي چيو ته ”اوهان ٽپڙ کڻي، اڳتي هلو، آءٌ پاڻهي ٿي اچي اوهان سان ملان.“ اشاري ملڻ سان نوڪر چاڪر رمندا رهيا. شهزادي پوءِ هن کي اندر ويهاري، ٻاهران در بند ڪري، کسڪي هلي ويئي. پويان شهزادي گهڻي ڳولا ڪئي، مگر هوءَ پنهنجي اٽالي سميت جيئن آئي هئي، تيئن خيرن سان وڃي پنهنجي ملڪ پهتي.

ڪجهه وقت کانپوءِ، هنن جي شادي ٿي ۽ پهرينءَ رات، شهزادو پاسو ورائي، ڪاوڙ ۾ ويڙهجي سيڙهجي سمهي رهيو. شهزاديءَ پڇيو ته ”ڇو، اوهان ناراض آهيو ڇا؟“ چيائين ته ”ڪاوڙ بس ڪيئن نه؟ ماڻهو ٻن لعلن لاءِ ليڪو  لنگهيو اچن!“ تنهن تي شهزاديءَ چيس ته ”ٿوريءَ لالچ تي ماڻهو ڪتي جي گلر جو گوشت به کايو وڃن... هو ته آخر لعل هئا!“ اها ڳالهه شهزادي کي به دل سان لڳي- ۽ پوءِ پاڻ ۾ کلي خوش ٿي، ٺهراءُ ڪري، سڄي عمر سکيا گذارڻ لڳا.

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ضميمو

ڳالهين جي روايتن جا ماڳ مڪان

[هن ڪتاب  ۾ جيڪي ڳالهيون شامل ڪيون ويون آهن، تن جون روايتون سنڌ جي مختلف ڀاڱن ۾ ملن ٿيون. هيٺ انهن روايتن جي ماڳن مڪانن جو تفصيل ڏنو وڃي ٿو. ]

”گل انداز بادشاهه (1-29): هن ڳالهه جو مدار اُتر (قنبر ۽ روهڙي تعلقن) ۽ وچولي (ٽنڊي الهيار ۽ حيدرآباد تعلقن) مان مليل چئن روايتن تي آهي. تعلقي قنبر ۽ تعلقي ٽنڊي الهيار مان روايتون عنوان کانسواءِ مليون. تعلقي روهڙيءَ مان ”ننڊ ولايت“ جي عنوان سان ۽ تعلقي حيدرآباد مان ”گل انداز بادشاهه“ جي عنوان سان ملي، جنهن کي بنيادي روايت ڪري رکيو ويو آهي.

”گل بادشاهه، شوق شهزادو“ (30-39): هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي ميرپورماٿيلي) مان ملي.

”محمود شاهه“ (40-53): هن ڳالهه جي روايت ٿر (تعلقي ساماري) مان ملي.

”ڊول شهزادو“ (54-64): هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي اوٻاوڙي) مان ملي.

”شهزور بادشاهه“ (65-64): هن ڳالهه جو مدار اُتر (تعلقي پني عاقل)، وچولي (تعلقي حيدرآباد)، لاڙ (تعلقي بدين) ۽ ٿر (تعلقي مٺيءَ) مان مليل چئن روايتن تي آهي. لاڙ واري روايت ”انصاف ڪنهن جو“ جي نالي سان، ۽ ٿر واري روايت بنا نالي ملي.

”لال ملوڪ بادشاهه“ (85-99): هن ڳالهه جي روايت ٿر (تعلقي ساماري) مان ملي، هن ڳالهه جا ڪي واقعا ”امير حمزه ۽ ڪڻڪ راڻي“ (100) ۽ ”محمود شاهه“ (40) ڳالهين جي واقعن سان ملن ٿا.

”امير حمزه ۽ ڪڻڪ راڻي“ (100-121): هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي اُٻاوڙي) مان ملي.

”سونن وارن واري شهزادي“ (221-135): هن ڳالهه جي روايت لاڙ (تعلقي بدين) مان ملي.

”ڪرمان ۽ ڪوري بادشاهه“ (631-641): هن ڳالهه جي روايت لاڙ (تعلقي گوني) مان ملي.

”ڀاڳوند بادشاهه“ (741-351) هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي اوٻاوڙي مان ملي.

”بادشاهه ۽ ٻڪرار“ (451-461) هن ڳالهه جو مدار اُتر (تعلقي قنبر) ۽ وچولي (حيدرآباد ۽ ٽنڊي الهيار تعلقن) مان مليل ٽن روايتن تي آهي.

”اُميدن ڀريو بادشاهه“ (561-671): هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي وارهه) مان ملي.

”نور شاهه بادشاهه“ (771-188): هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي وارهه مان ملي.

”جُمڙو بادشاهه“ (189-199): هن ڳالهه جي روايت ُاتر (تعلقي وارهه) مان ملي.

”چوٻول راڻي“ (200-224): هن ڳالهه جي روايت (تعلقي حيدرآباد مان ملي.

”اَنٻولهه راڻي“ (225-632): هن ڳالهه جي روايت ٿر (تعلقي ساماري) مان ملي.

”لال شهزادو“ (237-244): هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي ميرو خان) مان ملي.

”ڪوڙهيو بادشاهه“ (245-256): هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي قنبر) مان ملي.

”ڪدو شهزادو“ (257-262) هن ڳالهه جي روايت وچولي (تعلقي حيدرآباد) مان ملي.

”سج شهزادو ۽ چنڊ شهزادو“ (263-267): هن ڳالهه جي روايت  اُتر (تعلقي ميرپورماٿيلي) مان ملي.

”شهزادو ۽ فقير“ (268-274): هن ڳالهه جو مدار اُتر (تعلقي ميرپورماٿيلي ۽ لاڙ (تعلقي بدين) مان مليل ٻن روايتن تي آهي.

”فقير ۽ شهزادي“ (285-279): هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي شهدادڪوٽ مان ملي.

”آفيمي بادشاهه“ (280-282): هن ڳالهه جي روايت وچولي (تعلقي ڪوٽڙي) مان ملي.

”سياڻو بادشاهه“ (283-286): هن ڳالهه جي روايت ٿر (تعلقي ڇاڇڙي) مان بنا نالي جي ملي.

”ولايت شاهه“ (287-292): هن ڳالهه جي روايت لاڙ (تعلقي ٺٽي) مان ملي.

”سورم راجا ۽ بيکٽ راجا“ (293-316): هن ڳالهه جي روايت ٿر (تعلقي ساماري) مان ملي.

”شاهي شاهه به جنڊڻ ماري“ (317-331): هن ڳالهه جو مدار وچولي (تعلقي شهدادپور) ۽ لاڙ (تعلقي بدين) مان مليل ٻن روايتن تي آهي. لاڙ واري روايت ”بادشاهه چنڊ پيٺو“ جي عنوان سان ملي، وچولي واريءَ روايت کي بنيادي قرار ڏنو ويو آهي.

”لعل بادشاهه ۽ هيرا راڻي“ (332-339) هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي ڪڪڙ) مان ملي.

”شهزادو لال ملوڪ“ (340-357) هن ڳالهه جو مدار اُتر (تعلقي وارهه)، وچولي (تعلقي حيدرآباد) ۽ لاڙ (تعلقي ٺٽي) مان مليل ٽن روايتن تي آهي. اُتر واري روايت ”لال بادشاهه“ جي نالي سان، وچولي واري روايت ”لال ملوڪ بادشاهه“ جي نالي سان ۽ لاڙ واري روايت بنا نالي جي ملي. وچولي واريءَ روايت کي بنيادي قرار ڏنو ويو آهي.

”گنگل راڻي“ (359-363): هن ڳالهه جي روايت وچولي (تعلقي شهدادپور) مان ملي.

”غيبي راڻي (364-383): هن ڳالهه جي روايت وچولي (تعلقي شهدادپور) مان ملي.

”شهزادو تاج الملوڪ“ (370:283): هن ڳالهه جي روايت وچولي

”شهزادو ساعت ملوڪ“ (384-401): هن ڳالهه جي روايت وچولي (تعلقي شهدادپور مان ملي.

”گنجو فقير ۽ گلشن شهزادي“ (402-408): هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي شڪارپور مان ملي.

”عقلمند شهزادو“ (409-416): هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي اُٻاوڙي) مان ملي.

”شينهن مار شهزادو“ (417-422): هن ڳالهه جي روايت وچولي (تعلقي نوشهري) مان ملي.

”ڏتڙيل شهزادو“ (423-428): هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي قنبر) مان ملي.

”شهزادو لعل ۽ شهزادي لعلان“ (429-433): هن ڳالهه جي روايت اُتر (تعلقي ميرپورماٿيلي) مان ملي.

”شهزادو ۽ شهزادي“ (434-436): هن ڳالهه جي روايت وچولي (تعلقي شهدادپور مان ملي.

 

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PREFACE

This is the Twenty-first book compiled under the Sindhi Adabi Board”s Folklore and literature Project. In 1956, the Board had approved this 5-year research project (1957-1961) for the collection, compilation and publication of Sindhi folklore and literature. The devoted mainly to the collection of material. The compilation and publication work commenced from 1959.The material for the project has been collected both from the oral tradition of the village folk and the written record. The oral tradition was reduced to writing through a network of the field-workers, one stationed in each Taluka.

The project aims at publishing representative work pertaining to the following  selected segments of Sindhi folklore and literature: (a) Fables and Fairy-tales, (b) Pseudo-historical Romances, (c) Tales of historical nature, (d) Folk-poetry, (e) Folk-songs, (f) Marriage-songs, (g) Poems pertaining to ware and other events, (h) Riddles, (j) Wit and humour, and (k) Folk Customs and Superstition. It is expected that forty basic works will be compiled under the above categories by the end of 1961.

The scheme has been deliberately named as “Folklore and literature project'. At the present stage, a considerable body of verse and tales is current through oral tradition among the village folk with which the educated and the intellectuals are not familiar. All this material in verse and prose is “folklore” in the sense that it is popular and is preserved with the village folk; yet, a considerable part “part of it is standard literature”, and will be recognized as such after it is published.

Of the Seven books planned under the project to incorporate different varieties of folk-tales, legends and other stories, this is the first book pertaining to what may be called “the tales of the kings and queens, princes and princesses”. This is a board classification for convenience sake. The village folk call all kinds of tales and legends kahanyoon (tales) or galhyoon (stories), more often qualifying them as Badshahan jun kahanyoon or galhiyoon, the tales or stories of kings, because most of the tales open with the mention of a king. This may be considered as the general name for folk-tales, though individual tales may be called by the name of the king or an other person who figures an the tale. Often times, a tale is called after the name of the central or significant character in it, who may be a fairy. a demon, a minister, a merchant a thief, a shepherd etc.

The plots of the folk-tales are not logical; they are natural, revealing the simple rambling folk-mind at work. The Sindhi folk-tales may be classified as “simple” or “unitary” and “complex” or “unitary” and “complex “ in the “simple” tales, the narration follows a straight course, each event being of a small description and each event following the previous one, taking the story further to its ending. In the complex, type, an event in the narration is lengthy, even to the extent of being a Tale in miniature. The succeeding event may not take the narration further on a straight course towards the ending but might be located on a side track, being as offshoot of the main tale. thus in a ,complex, tale. there may be the main tale and the side tales: there is the foundational or the framing story to which are linked other subsidiary tales. the 15th {p.217} the 18th {p.265} and the 35th {p. 445} tales in the collection are ,complex, ones, the 15th story being a combination of the framing story and nine other subsidiary stories.

The plot of the folk-tale usually consists of an initial opening story and the main story. In the opening story the birth of the hero takes place- he is actually born or comes into the lime light. The opening story, usually mentions a king who has more than one wife but no son. He is blessed by some one and the son is born of the youngest wife. the child and the mother suffer due to the jealousy of the other queens. In case his mother dies the, the young prince suffers because of his step- mothers and is usually exiled. his adventures then constitute the second or the main part of the tale.

The fulfillment of a conditions a more common cause for the adventure undertaken by the hero. Besides his own valuar, the success of the hero in his adventures is either due to the help he receives from his associates or due to certain extraordinary objects which he comes to possess. the following are some of the typical objects contributing to the success and safety of the heroes that figure in this collection of the folk-tales: a string or an amulet given by a stain; the bow made of the fairy hair; the manu (the magic stone carried by the king cobra); the sphinx which flies the hero out of danger; the udand khatoli (the Flying Cot); the magic ring; the club and the accepter which beat to order; the kerchief which drops jewels on waving; the cap which makes one invisible; a fruit which on eating transforms one into an animal.

 Though the Sindhi folk-tales have no pre-conceived plot or purpose, the substance of each tale underlines central ideas as follows:

Adventure: Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 15, 20, 25, 35, 36, 37, & 38.

Individual velour & bravery: Nos. 5, 6, 7, 36

The goat-herds wisdom: No. 24.

The Ministers admonition to, The King: No. 23.

Truly fairy tales: Nos. 12, 13, 19, 22222228, 29 & 30.

Magic: 20, 21 & 22.

Step- mothers, jealousy: Nos. 1, 2, 3, 13, 17, 26, 31 & 34. Cruelty of the step- mother: NO. 17.

Characteristics of women: No. 18.

Woman’s wisdom, self confidence and success: Nos. 30 & 34.

Wife’s wisdom and help to husband: Nos. 29, 31, 32.

Wife teaching a lesson to husband: Nos. 14, 16, 27 & 29.

Wit and homour: Nos. 9 & 10.

Four types of characters figure in these folk-tales:  (a) demons, fairies and genii;  (b) witches, sorcerers, magicians, and dhootis (old evil women); (c) reptiles birds and animals; and (d) kings, queens, princes,   princesses,

vezeirs merchants and other human characters.

Demons, fairies, and genii (spirits) are the reminiscent of the early memories of childhood of human race when supernatural and superstition ones dominated mans life, Due to, the lack of maturity and ability to understand the natural phenomena, man attributed floods, fires, thunders, storms and other calamities to, the demons, and some other less momentous but inexplicable events and experiences of sprits and the fairies. Witches, sorcerers magicians and the dhootis belong to the next stage of development when more intelligent among human beings devised techniques consisting of rituals and ceremonies to ward off attacks of the supernatural forces. They also splice those , Methods, as magic or black magic, against the less intelligent among the human beings. The witches tend to be imaginary characters, but in Sindhi folk-tales they are represented as women who wield almost supernatural powers through the exercise of magic and sorcery. the reptiles birds and animals as they figure in the folk-tales performing all human functions, seem to belong to a much earlier stage when man was truly the son of  the mother earth, living side by side witch other creatures. Snakes, parrots, crows, deers and other animals were his early associates whose memories have lived through the folk-tales in which they play a vital part in the life and adventures of the heroes and the heroines.

the kings, queens, princes, and veziers, belong to the later, stage of human settlement and civilization, the stage which is coming to and end during this twentieth century. Five hundred years hence, king and queens will, perhaps, be relegated to the past and their memories may, then, appear as fanciful as those of the demons and the4 fairies today.

these rales included in this volume were collected from different parts of Sindh. The field worker was instructed to reduce the tale to writing exactly as the heard it from the village folk. these original versions were finally read in the central office. The common versions of the same tale, were collected and significant differing points, if any, were incorporated in the final complete version for the purpose of this text. if there was only one version it was retained with such verbal modification as was necessary to make it readable and intelligible

The habited of each tale has been indicated in the appendix (pp. 477-480) given at the end of the text. Contents of the tales have been summarized into English for the benefit of the general reader.

University of Sindh,

Hyderabad, Pakistan.

December 12, 1960.

N. A. Baloach,

Director

 

An Abstract of the Contents

1. gul Andaz Badshah (pp. 1-32): A king having no issue from his six queens, at last married the seventh wife on the advice of a derwesh. After a few months the first six queens bore him six sons, and the king was so much pleased that the ignored the seventh queen. After some time she also bore him a son and called him Gul Andaz, but being displeased with the king she did not inform him about his birth.

Thereafter, the king had a puzzling dream. His first six sons set out to seek its interpretation but they were looted and held by the robbers.

The same derwesh came again and told the king that no one but him seventh son, gul Andaz, could solve the riddle. The king was surprised at this news, discovered gul Andaz in the palace and sent him hour in quest of the interpretation. He was also attacked by the same robbers; but the defeated them, freed his brothers and went on his own. On the way he met a derwesh who gave him an amulet and said that the would achieve his objective at a certain dwelling of demons and fairies after crossing the sea, and that he would not be hurt by the demons by virtue of the amulet. Another derwesh gave him three flowers to break the sorceries of the demons.

After enduring hardships and fighting with the demons, he discovered the secret of his father's dream. There he married the daughter of the king of fairies, and set out for his own country with his fairy wife and her three friends, who demonstrated before the king, the interpretation of his dream.

 

2. King Flower and Fond Prince (pp. 33-43): The six wives of king Flower conspire against the seventh who is expecting a child. They tell the king that she is responsible for killing his horse. She is exiled by the king, gives birth to a son in the jungle, and is given shelter by another king who funds her there. Her son, prince fond, grows up and goes to see his father who is till. His cute lies in the blood of a “Sea-Horse”.  His six sons from the six queens set out in search of the horse and Prince Fond follows them. After adventures with demons he finally secures the 'Sea-Horse'. While returning, he meets his six brothers who being penniless, have become wood-cutters. He treats them kindly but they conspire against him, cut his arms and legs, steal the Horse and present it no their father. By the magic of the fairies, Prince Fond regains his lost arms and legs, is rescued by his fairy wife, and comes to his father to tell the true tale. He is honoured along with his exiled mother, while the other six queens and their sons are punished and exiled.

 

3. King Mahmood (pp.44-59): A king's only son, who has already two wives, falls in love with a poor man's daughter. The girl dislikes the prince and kills his horse. The prince finally marries her. The two wives conspire against her and she is exiled while she is pregnant. She takes refuge with a merchant, gives birth to a son, and calls him Mahmood.

Mahmood grows up and accompanies the merchant on his business trips. Once he rescues a fairy and marries her. The merchant becomes dishonest, takes away his fairy wife, and leaves Mahmood in a helpless condition. He is rescued by a holy man who gives him two magic flowers, and with their help he comes to his father's court, exposes the merchant who comes to his father's domain, and gets back his wife. He there informs his father who he is, and lives with his father and mother in peace.

 

4. Prince Dhol (pp. 60-71): There was a king who used to go out for hunting. One day he saw a deer and shot it with an arrow. The deer changed into a beautiful boy. On hearing his cries, and old man came out of a cave and cursed the king saying 'You will live on the fortunes of your son.”

Thereafter the king's palace was reduced to ashes and he had to leave his country together with his wife. After enduring sorrows and suffering he took refuge in a friend's kingdom. His wife as well as his friend's wife promise to marry their children if one of them got a son and the other a daughter.

The king then returned to his own kingdom. A son was born to him and he named him 'Dhol'. When Prince Dhol was of age, he became an expert deer-hunter. A she deer ran away to the country of the king's friend and gave birth to a male deer. The king's daughter brought up the young deer and when it grew up she sent it to lure Dhol to her.

The deer came to Prince reached the palace of the Princess. There he fell in love with her married her and returned home after many sufferings. He defeated the minister who had usurped the throne in his absence and ruled his country in peace and prosperity.

 

5- King Champion (pp,65-84): King champion daily shoots arrows to pass through the nose-ring of his wife and asks weather there could be any man stronger than he, is the world. Her answer always is, “No”. But she fears that the arrow might kill her one day. Her mother advises her to tell the king that there may be a more strong man than he. The daughter follows the advice. Hearing this, the king sets out in search of such a man and meets on his way six strong men, one after another, who join him in his adventures. they face trail situations in which king champion surpasses all. At each trail, he bestows favours on one of his friends, marries him to a princess and settles him there, till he is left with only one friend.

At last they reach a place where a princess is imprisoned by a demon. King Champion kills the demon by killing his 'life parrot' which he finds in a cage placed in a well. He marries the princess, but is deceived by an evil woman, who throws is 'life sword' into fire and he falls dead benumbed. His wife and domain are usurped by another king.

Hearing this, his friends come to his rescue. They defeat the usurper. The sword is polished and king champion is brought to life again, and he returns to his homeland with his wife.

 

6. King Lal Malook (pp. 85-99): A man and his wife migrate from their village due to famine. On the way, they become, very hungry and decide to kill their baby and cat its flesh. The father takes the baby in the bushes where he finds the carrion of a deer. He leaves the baby there to carry the deer. A lioness takes away the baby and brings her up together with her cubs. The boy grows up, roars like a lion, and goes out hunting with the young lions. Once he is caught by a king and is given away to a merchant who has no issue of his own. The merchant and his wife bring him up as their son and call him Lal Malook.

When Lal Malook attains youth, the merchant's wife falls in love with him but he refuses her overtures. The women set her husband against him, and in order to see him dead the merchant sends Lal Malook to bring them milk of a lioness. Lal Malook brings milk from the mother- lioness and the lions accompany him on his way back to the town. The merchant being afraid, asks Lal Malook to leave his house.

On his way, Lal Malook meets a hunter, a swift runner, a carpenter, and a demon who have already been longing to meet him. They accompany him and reach a ruined town where a beautiful grill is imprisoned by a demon. The demon is killed by his demon friend and Lal marries the girl. As the friends say farewell to him, he gives a flower to each one of them to watch it for his safety. The carpenter gives Lal Malook the sword which contains the latter's life.

Lal Malook's wife loses her shoe while taking bath, and a fish swallows it. The fish is caught and brought to a rich man's son, who seeing the shoe falls in love with her. He sends an evil woman to search her who finds her and throws the 'life sword' of Lal Malook into water. Lal Malook falls seriously ill and his wife is beguiled and delivered to her lover by the evil woman.

Lal Malook's friends see the flowers withering and come to his rescue. They recover the sword, polish it, and he becomes quite alright. His dog and cat lead the way to his wife who is also rescued, and Lal Malook and his wife live the rest of their life in peace.

 

7. Amir Hamza and Kanak Rani (pp. 101-121): A king wants to marry his seven sons to seven sisters of royal lineage. His minister sets out in search of such sisters, finds them and the date of marriage is fixed. The king sets out to the would-be-bride's country together with his six elder sons leaving Amir Hamza, the youngest and the wisest of the seven, to look after his kingdom. Amir Hamza asks him father to marry his bride to his arrow and also warns that on their return journey, they should not halt at a certain place.

After the marriage, they pass the night at the forbidden place and are held by a demon in the shape of a dragon, who detains Amir Hamza's wife and tells them to send Amir Hamza himself to rescue her.

Amir Hamza comes to that place and the demon asks him to Resce. Kanak Rani , the beloved of the Demon, who has been imprisoned by Daphail demon. He sets out on his way and meets a shepherd, a buffalo keeper an ironsmith, and an archer. All of them show their own valour but become his friends and accompany him. There after, the friends are deceived and captured by an old demon, who is defeated by Amir Hamza and he becomes his friend. The Demon-friend then defeats three kings and the three friends are married to the daughters of those kings and are left with their wives. Amir Hamza gives each one of them an arrow to watch it for his safety. Only the demon accompanies with Amir Hamza.

Amir Hamza then reaches the palace of the Daphail Demon, kills him and frees Kanak Rani but is involved into trouble by an evil woman who takes away Kanak Rani and delivers her to a king who is in love with her. the friends see the arrows rusted, come to Amir Hamza’s rescue, defeat the enemy and get bask Kanak Rani. Amir Hamza returns to the dragon, kills him, and returns home safe with Kanak Rani.

 

8. The Princes with golden Hair (pp-135): A King sands his son exile due to his ill manners. Three friends -a Brahmin, a goldsmith and a Carpenter accompany the prince.  The Brahmin says “ I can bring back to life a dead body my prayers”; the goldsmith says, “I can recognize the voice of a person who has ever talked to any one of my friends”; the Carpenter says “icon make ,Udanad Khatoli, (Flying cot) from wood”; and the price says, “I am a warrior and will fight anything that attacks one”. They find the dead body of a lion and on the Prince's insistence; the Brahmin brings the lion back to life. The lion attacks them and the friends run away but the Prince fights it and puts into fligle left all alone, the price spends the night on a tree, killers a serpent and secures its manu. Following the track of the serpent, he comes to well full water; the water dries up by the power of the manu and he goes down into the well and finds a beautiful princes with golden hair who had been imprisoned by the serpent. He informs her that he had killed the serpent and both of them marry and live together happily.

The princes had a parrot to with she used to talk when she felt lonely, But after meeting the prince, She ignored the parrot.

Once both the prince and the princes go to the river to take bath and there she loses a hair which is swallowed by a fish. A fisherman catches the fish and presents it to a king who is one-eyed. The king falls in love with the ' Princes with the golden Hair' and said an evil woman to beguile her and her to him. The evil woman comes to live with the princess, and though the parrot talks against the woman the princess ignores its remarks.

One day the woman takes the princess the river and puts her in a boat; She also secures the manu from her, comes to the well and the water dries up. She descends it and enters the palace, and kills the prince who is asleep. She then takes the princess to one-eyed King who wants to marry her. She seeks one year's postponement from him, and before marriage She spends her time in alms giving and charity.

By chance, the prince's three friends come to the capital of One-eyed King. First the goldsmith meets the princess and she then summons all the three and they inform her that they are friends of the prince and they plan to rescue her.

She then tells One-eyed king to make preparations for the marriage. The carpenter the udand khatoli (flying cot) and on the wedding night, the prices sits on it with three friends and they fly to the dead prince whom the Brahmin brings back to life. All of them then return to their own country. The prince asks his father's pardon and they al live there in peace and prosperity.

 

9. King Kori and King Kirman (pp126-146): King Kori having no issue, sets out from his palace together with his retinue, to visit a holy man living in a cave. At his lamentations, the holy man prophecies that he would have a son and a daughter, but after the daughter is grown up he would be attacks by a neighboring king, but would finally emerge victorious.

After some time his two wives give birth to a son and a daughter.

When the daughter grows up, King Kirman and other kings ask her hand in marriage but King Kori turns down their requests. Consequently King Kirman sends a huge army which overawesKing Kori's army. Finally King Kori himself comes to the battle field.

His horse runs amock and, in order to save himself from falling down, he catches hold of a tree. There hose is so rash that the tree is rooted out. When King Kirman soldiers see King Kori coming with a tree in arms they get frightened and start running away. He throws the tree upon King Kirman, Kills him, and lives the rest of his life in peace.

 

10. King Bhagwand (pp. 147-163): King Bhagwand (lucky) while chasing a deer loses his way in a forest. He reaches a lake and lives there fore some days but finally finds his way to a town. He catches a deer and takes it to the town to sell it and buy food and clothes. As he enters the town, a carpenter calls him 'friend and he gives away the deer to him gratis. the carpenter promises to help him when needed. Successively for three days, he gives away three deers to a derwesh, a merchant and the prince of that place who all promise to help him in need.

After some time King Bhagwand is accused of murder and is ordered to be executed. The four friends come to see him in the prison and promise to help him. As they talk, the king of this town hears their conversation in hiding. The carpenter “if the king does not set you free, I will destroy his palace by talking out a chip from the pillar on which it rests. he derwash says, “if you are not freed, I will destroy this kingdom by curse”. The merchant says, “I will offer two fine horses and even my wife with whom the king is in love to ransom you”. The prince says “if you are executed I will revolt against my father”.

The next day all the four of them request and threaten the to set King Bhagwand free. As the king is already aware of their conspiracy he sets Bhagwand free, gives him his daughter in marriage and finally Bhagwand returns to his own kingdom.

 

11. The King and the shepherd (pp154-164): A King's only son continues to be in friendship with a shepherd against the wishes of his father. Once, both the friends see a princess in a boat, and the prince and the princess fall in love with each other. The princess sails away giving the prince hints of her dwelling place etc. in the form of a riddle.

Due to separation the prince become love sick and the king blames the shepherd for this, Coming to know the real cause, the allows the prince to seek his love but no one is able to solve the riddle. Finally the shepherd is called and he explains the riddle and accompanies the prince to seek the princess.

After the long search they meet the princess, who is already in love with the prince, and agrees to marry and accompany him. The shepherd hears a magician woman telling her servant that the prince would be threatened by death at lease three times, but if the person who saves him reveals the secret, he would be transformed into a stone slab. He will come back to life if the blood of the prince's son is sprinkled on the stone.

On their return journey, the Shepherd saves the prince who insists to know the secret.  the shepherd has to tell it and is transformed into a stone. Both the price and the princess become grieved. After some time, she gives birth to a son whose blood is sprinkled over the stone and the shepherd comes back to life again.

 

12. Umedun Bharyo Badshah (King Hopeful) (pp.165-176): The ugly queen of King Hopeful daily asks her parrot whether there’s any woman more beautiful than she. To Pease her, the parrot's answer is always ,No,. But one day being feed up with her questions, is says ,Neena Bai, is the most beautiful woman that ever lived in the world. King Hopeful hears this and sets out with the parrot to seek ,Neena Bai,'

After a long journey they reach her palace. King Hopeful sees here and both of them fall in love with each other. The king brings her his own kingdom, leaves her in the garden and goes palace to make arrangements for the marriage. In the mean while an evil woman throw her into a well and she turns into a flower. The king is deceived and is married to the evil woman's daughter. After some time, the flower becomes a rose bush giving sweet fragrance. The king daily sits under the bush, and preserves the flowers falling from the bush in his pocket without smelling them. His wife (evil woman's daughter) fears that Neena Bai is alive in the shape of thee rose bush which the king looks so much. She manages to get it uprooted. The King's shepherded takes away the withered bush to burn it………..

 

 

All of them reached princess chaobol’s town and the king informed her father about his intention. But he would give her hand to one who would make her talk four times. The four friends, who knew magic, told the king that one of them would enter into the necklace of the princess, the other into the pillow, the third into the candle and the fourth onto the pillar, and thus help him to make the princess talk. When the king came to chaobol and tried to make her talk she kept num. the king then asked her necklace to tell a story, The necklace related a story and asked the king’s decision about some of the points. The king gave his decision but as chaobol held a different view she gave her own decision. In the same way the candle, the pillow and pillar related their own stories one by one and asked for the king’s decision, but princess gave her own decision each time. So princess chaobol talked four times and was given in marriage to the king.

 

        16-unbolh Rani (queen mum) (pp.225-236): two birds nest in a tree which catches fire. The male bird flies away but the female remains with her young ones. The fire is extinguished by chance and she is saved. Then the male bird returns to the nest but she refuses him admission. Both of them quarrel each claiming the young ones, and go to the king who gives the young ones to the father. The female bird goes away disappointed. Dies in separation, and is reborn in the house of a Hindu who calls her Kasumba.

a clot is born to the king’s mare from the horse belonging to kasumba’s father. She tells him not to return the colt to the king because according to the king’s own judgment children belong to the father, as the king had decided in case of the birds, the king had to keep quiet, but the prince in order to avenge the insult planned to marry Kasumba and then divorce her. The marriage took place and, thereafter, when the prince told Kasumba that he was going to divorce her, she replied, “Divorce me in case you succeed to marry princess Unbolh”.

        The prince set out to marry princess Unbolh and after a toil some journey he reached her palace. She put the condition that she would marry the person who would make her talk, and in case he failed, he will have to live as a slave. The prince tried his luck, but failed to make her talk and was made a slave.

After waiting for a long time, Kasumba set out herself in the guise of a man, reached the town of princess Unbolh, where a yogi gave her some dust to rub on the finger of Unbolh to make her talk. Talking up the challenge, Kasumba went to Unbolh and tried to make her talk but she kept mum. Kasumba then rubbed the dust upon her finger and Unbolh at once began to converse with Kasumba. Both of them got “married”, and after some time they set out of the bridegroom’s own country together with the slave. When they arrived there, Kasumba went to her father-in-law and told him the whole story. The king went out to welcome Unbolh, and them informed his son what Kasumba had done. The prince was ashamed of himself and asked Kasumba to forgive him.

 

17-Prince Lal (pp.237-244): Prince Lal’s mother at the time of her death makes her husband promise not to marry another woman after her death. For some time the king keeps his promise, but at the persuasions of his ministers and courtiers he marries again. The step-mother of Prince Lal so conspires against him that the king orders his men to kill him and bring his eyes to the queen. The executioners take pity on him, kill a deer instead and take its eyes to the queen and let the prince go his own way.

By chance a royal marriage procession passes by, and as the groom is one-eyed and ugly, prince Lal is hired to be the groom for the wedding night. After the marriage, when the party is on their way back, prince Lal is offered some money and is asked to leave, but when the bride comes to know of the trick played on her, she runs away with prince Lal and returns to her father the king who treats them well, entrusts his kingdom to prince Lal, and retires.

After some time prince Lal comes back to his father, exposes his step-mother, and she is condemned to death.

 

18-korihiyo Badshah (The leper king) (pp.245-256): A king suffers from leprosy and is sick of his wife. His parrot takes pity upon him and sets out to seek a cure for him.

After flying for several days the parrot is endangered by heavy rain and storm. He hastens to a hole for shelter, but there a maina bird refuses to take him in unless he marries her daughter, the parrot promises to marry her daughter after he has found the medicine for the king. The maina says that the king would be cured by taking bath in the water with her. The parrot flies back with the flower without fulfilling the promise. The king takes bath in the water of mar flower and is cured.

The maina follows the parrot, find it with the king and complains against him. The parrot tells a story to prove that females are unfaithful. The maina relates another story to refuse the parrot’s statement. The king decides against the maina and she goes away disappointed.

 

19-Prince Kaddu (Pumpkin) (pp.257-262): Once while walking on the bank of a river, a princess found a beautiful flower, she swallowed it and became pregnant. When her father came to know about it, he sent her into exile. She took refuge with an old man and his wife.

There she gave birth to a pumpkin and threw it away in disgust. But pumpkin returned to her every time she threw it. So she let it remain with her. As Pumpkin grew up, it used to go out with the cattle and do other house hold work.

Once it went for a bath when it took off its outer skin, it turned into a very beautiful boy. A princess saw him and fell in love with him. She persistently told her father that she would marry none else but Pumpkin and requested him to allow the marriage. The king married her to Pumpkin with grief and sorrow. While all alone with his wife, pumpkin used to take of its skin and turn into a handsome prince. None but the princess knew the secret.

Once the king threatened by an enemy and he sent Pumpkin  with an army to fight. pumpkin defeated the adversary and returned victorious. The  princess, there after burnt the outer skin of her husband while he was sleep. When he woke up and came to know what she had done, he became very angry transformed himself into a pigeon and flow away leaving the princess in a miserable condition.

 

20-Prince sun and prince Moon (pp.263-267): A king had two sons, called sun and moon. The magician by whose charms both were born, took away prince moon. At the time of departure, prince moon gave a ring to his brother saying “When this ring is rusted, I will be in danger”.

Prince noon finally killed the magician and came to a town, where a princess fell in love with him. She forbade him to go in the fourth direction of the country. For some time prince moon went in three directions only, but one day he set out in the forbidden direction, where he was captured by two evil women. He gambled with them, lost the game and was imprisoned by them.

Prince sun finding the ring getting rusted, set out the help his brother. He found him, gambled with the women, won the game, and rescued prince moon. Both the brother then returned to their kingdom.

 

21-prince and Derwesh (pp.228-274): A king having no issue seeks blessings of a Derwesh who takes promise from him that when sons are born to him he would give one of them to him. The seven sons are born to the king, but he is unwilling to give away a son to the Derwesh, who finally steals away one of them.

When the prince grows up, he kills the Derwesh finds a pearl in his house and runs away with it. On the way, kites inform him that if he put the pearl in his mouth he would be transformed to whatever shape he liked.

After sometime, rain fall over the dead body of the Derwesh who comes back to life, sets out in search of the prince and finds him. Both of them change their forms several times and fight with each other. Finally the prince defeats the Derwesh, breaks his neck, marries a princess and comes back to his own country.

 

22- The beggar and the princess (pp.275-279): The son of a bagger falls in love with a princess. The king promise to marry her to the boy provided he demonstrates something wonderful to him.

The boy sets out to prepare him self, meets a magician and learns magic from him for one year. The magician wanted to kill him in  the end, but the boy is saved by the magician’s daughter and runs away. The magician follows him. Both of them compete in the presence of the king. Finally the boy defeats the magician, kills him and marries the princess by having demonstrates his magic skill.

 

23- King opium Eater (pp.280-282): A king was addict to opium, his minister said, “an opium eater cannot differentiate between a friend and a foe”. The king did not agree with him and the minister promised to prove it.

Once the king went out hunting. He chased a deer, caught it but lost his way. He took rest under the shade of a tree, and being very thirsty, collected a few drops of water falling from above in a leaf in order to drink it. As the king was about to drink water, his parrot turned the leaf upside down. In his wrath the king at once killed the parrot. At that time, the minister also arrived. He found that it was not water. But poison drops falling from the mouth of a dead dragon lying on the tree. Thus, the minister provide his statement to be true and the king gave up opium eating for ever.

 

24- A Wise king (pp.283-286): A rich man on his death bed told his four sons to dig the ground under his cot and share the buried wealth, after his death, the sons started digging. One of them found a vessel full of jewels and pearls, another a vessel full of gold and silver, the third one a vessel full of bones, and the fourth a vessel full of dust. The last two quarreled with the first two to divide the riches equally amongst them. All the four then set out to place their case before the king. On their way, they meet the they prince who told them that the king was insane, the princess said he was blind and the queen informed them that the king died over a year ago.

When, they came to the court they found the king safe and sound. The king decided that the son who had the vessel full of bones was to be the owner of the cattle left by his father, and the one with the vessel if dust was to hold the landed property. The brothers were satisfied were also amazed at the king’s wisdom. They informed him of what they had heard and asked for an explanation, the king replied: “The prince wants to marry but I want him to acquire knowledge and complete his education first, therefore he thinks that I am insane the princess is grow up and she thinks I do not know about it but I am in search of groom worthy of her, being busy with the affairs of the state I have no been able to see the queen for the whole year, hence, I am dead for her”.

 

25-Vilayat Shah (pp.287-292): A king sends his queen into exile due to a petty quarrel, while she is pregnant. She takes refuge with a king and gives birth to a son whom she names “Vilayat  Shah”. The king’s minister fall in love with Vilayat Shah’s mother and conspires to get Vilayat shah out of his way.

Once he takes Vilayat shah on a journey. Vilayat shah finds a dice in a well and delivers it to the minister, who present it to the queen. She insist that the minister should bring seven more dices for her girl friend.

The minister again sets out with Vilayat shah, and when they reach the same place Vilayat shah goes down into the well, and finds a beautiful lady who is imprisoned by a demon. He kills the demon, takes with himself the demon’s riches together with dices and also the lady. The minister usurps all the things, takes away the lady, and throw Vilayat shah into the well.

At last Vilayat shah is rescued by some nomads. He goes back to the king, and expose the minister who is executed by the king’s orders. Vilayat shah them marries the lady. his father also realizes his mistake, comes to Vilayat shah and his mother, and takes them back to his own kingdom.

 

26-Raja Suram and Raja Bekhat (pp.293-316): A king and queen died leaving their infant prince with his step-mother, When the boy grew up she exiled him and he took refuge with raja Suram. A Raja named Bekhat, in order to test the wisdom of Raja Suram, sent him three riddles to solve but no one could explain them, Finally, the young Prince gave Suram the correct solution.

Then Raja Bekhat challenged Raja Suram to come and take away a golden brick and a candle buried under his cot. The youth under took to accomplish this, where upon Raja Suram accepted the challenge. The youth reached Raja Bekhat’s town and succeeded in taking away the candle and the brick by deceiving the watchmen. When Raja Bekhat came to know that it was the youth’s wisdom and shrewdness, he summoned him to his court and gave his daughter to him in marriage. As Raja suram had no male issue, he also married his daughter to the youth. After the demise of suram and Bekhat, the youth became the king of both the states.

Due to the bad administration of his step-mother, an enemy had attacked, and defeated her, she ran away and took refuge in Raja suram’s capital. When the young king learnt this, he set out to his father’s kingdom, killed the young king the usurper and freed the country. He then forgave his step-mother and lived the rest of his life in peace and prosperity.

 

27- Shahinshah bi Jandan mare (the greatest king grinds grain) (pp.317-331): A king once hears a girl saying to her sister, “if the king marries me I will make him grind grain”. The king marries her and insist that she should fulfill. What she had said to her sister.

To achieve this, she manages to reach hunting ground of the king and settle down three. The king chasing a deer loses his way, comes to her house and asks for water. She meets him in disguise and acts so gracefully that the king falls in love with her. Thereafter he continues to visit her and she becomes pregnant.

she then leaves that place, return to her palace and gives birth to a son. When the boy grows up, she by his help harasses the king, his minister and soldiers several times. Finally, she purchases a house in the street through which the king usually passes.

Once on a dark night, her son wears the clothes of a girl and grinds the grain. When the king passes by that house, the boy cries for help. The boy pretends that a man is around to outrage her modesty. The king in order to capture the notorious character wears the clothes of the boy and sits to grind the stone. At this moment his wife appears on the scene and informs the king of what she has done to him. The king feels ashamed and is pleased to see his son.

 

28-Prince Lal and Princess Hira (pp.332-339): A wood cutter is once attacked by a snake and throw his burden of wood upon it. Then, instead of snake the wood-cutter finds a ruby under the wood. His wife sells the ruby to the queen, and there the ruby is transformed into a beautiful boy: As the king and the queen have no issue, they adopt him as their son and call him ‘Lal’ (ruby).

When prince Lal grow up, he vows to marry a woman as beautiful as he is and rejects the offer of several princesses. There upon a one eyed woman in order to tease hi says that prince Lal would marry none else than princess Hira who at the other end also makes up her mind to marry prince Lal. Finally, both of them meet and get married.

The jealous one-eyed woman plots against prince Lal. She induces princess Hira to ask prince Lal his caste. Princess Hira inquires from prince Lal who avoids to answer her question several times, but she insist upon getting an answer. Finally he takes her to the bank of river, dives into the water, re-appears as a snake and swims away. She regrets her mistake and laments his departure.

A fairy friend of princess Hira comes know about it and tells her that prince Lal is the son of the king of snakes and as he was not on good terms with his father, he ran away and adopted the human form. His father is very fond of music and dance and listens to musician every Friday night in human form. If she would visit his father and sing and dance before him and if he is pleased with her art, he would grant her anything she asks, she should then ask for prince Lal.

Accordingly, she goes to the king of snakes, sings and dances for three Friday nights and request, prince Lal takes human form, and both the loves go back to their original place and live together happily.

 

29-Prince Lal Maluk (pp.340-358): A poor wood-cutter sets out with some friends to seek livelihood in some other country. One night while on the way, he puts his bag upon a bush and falls asleep. When he wakes up, he finds that his friends have a departed and a snake has crept into his bag. He returns home with the bag and shuts up the snake in the flour pot so that when his quarrelsome wife puts her hand in it, she is bitten by the snake and he gets rid of beautiful necklace. She sells it to a jeweler and gets an enormous sum of money which makes their living comfortable.

The jeweler sells the necklace to the queen, and it is transformed there, into a beautiful baby boy. as the king and the queen had no issue, they adopt him as their own son and call him Lal Maluk.

When lal Maluk grow up, the king sends his Vezier to find a worthy bride for him. The minister sets out in his quest and engages the prince with a beautiful princess. In the mean while the king dies and lal Maluk is crowned as king by the people.

One day a Derwesh informs him that the vizier has rebelled and wants to usurp the throne and marry lal maluk’s fiancée to his own son. Lal Maluk at once leaves his capital, comes to his fiancée’s town, sends her his picture informing her of the dishonesty of the vizier, learning this, the princess joins him and they both hasten back to the capital.

After a long journey they halt at a place for rest. Prince lal Maluk goes to the town to buy food, leaving behind, the princess disguised in man’s attire. In the town, an evil woman ties a thread around his neck his neck and he is transformed into a lamb.

His wife dressed as a man sets out to find him, joins in a feat of arms and surpasses other in shooting her arrow to reach the king’s palace. The king marries her daughter to him (her) on his achievement. But the minister doubts weather he (she) is actually a man. After many tests the minister fails to prove his point, and engage his own daughter to him (her) to find out the truth.

In the mean while, she purchase the lamb, takes off the thread from its neck, and lal Maluk comes back to his human form. Then inform him of the situation she is in, and he is married to the minister’s daughter instead of her.

Thereafter, his real mother (snake) comes, in human form, to  his wives and asks the caste of lal Maluk. They express their ignorance and she goes away. Then they persuade lal Maluk to tell them his caste. He takes them to the bank of the river, dives into the water and goes away swimming as a snake.

His first wife after a long search meets a snake which is actually lal Maluk who tells her to play the drum before his spiritual guide at a certain place, and when he is pleased, request him to give her the hand of lal Maluk. She goes to that place and acts accordingly. The spiritual guide of lal Maluk becomes pleased with her in human form.

 

30-Queen Gangul (pp.359-363): the sons of king marry seven princess. The eldest princes, through very beautiful, is deaf and dumb. Her husband dislikes her and wants to leave her. His mother-in-law says, “why do you hate my daughter? Except Queen Gangul, none else is more beautiful in the world than my daughter”. Hearing this, the prince makes up his mind to marry Queen Gangul.

He sets out in search of Queen Gangul and meets a demon who sends him to an other demon to show him the way to Queen Gangul. The second demon sends him to a third one and in this way he comes to the seventh demon who finally tells him to dive into a certain well, search for an egg, take it to his own home break in there, and the Queen Gangul would come out of it. The prince goes to the well, dives into it, finds the egg, returns to his palace, breaks the egg and queen Gangul comes out of it. He marries her and lives in peace with both of his wives.

 

31-The Ghaibi (Unseen) Queen (pp.364-367): A farmer finds a beautiful girl from inside a water melon. He and his wife bring her up as their own child, “When she grow up, the king of the country falls in love with her and marries her.

The king passes all of his time with the new queen. Therefore, his first two wives conspire to get her out of their way. They send a dhooti ( an evil woman) to find out who she is. The evil woman comes to know that the new queen’s life depends upon a pearl in her necklace which she ( the evil woman) manage to the take into her own custody, and then delivers it to the first two queens who wrap it up in an old blanket and throw it in some corner. The young queen who is now pregnant, feel suffocated and tells the king that when she is dead. He should keep her dead body safely in a room, instead of burying her.

Soon after, she dies of suffocation and the king places her body in a room. It is the custom of the queens to take out the necklace at night, and again wrap it during the day time. So the young queen becomes alive at night and remains dead during the day. After some time she gives birth to a son and nourishes him during nights.

Once the king comes to the room and find a baby playing beside the queen’s body. He is amazed and passes the whole day there. When the sun sets, the queen comes back to life and tells the king what has been done to her. Thus, she is restored to normal life again. The king then divorces the first two wives and lives with the young queen and the prince in peace.

 

32-Prince Taj-ul-Muluk (pp.370-383): a king sends his son, Taj-ul-Muluk (Crown of the kings) into exile, due to the conspiracy of his two wives, the prince’s step-mother, Taj-ul-Muluk arrives in a kingdom where a demon eats up a man daily. The king had announced that he would give his daughter in marriage to one who killed the demon. Taj-ul-Muluk kills the demon and marries the princess.

After some time he goes away with his wife to settle down in another country because she is disgusted with her two step-mothers. They come to the town and Taj-ul-Muluk becomes a guard of the king’s palace. He works so honestly that the king makes him his prime minister. Another minister then conspires against Taj-ul-Muluk and he is about to be executed but is saved by the sagacity of his wife. The king forgives him and keeps him as his prime minister.

Thereafter, Taj-ul-Muluk returns to his own country, meets his father and exposes his step-mothers. The king sends them both into exile and lives with his son and his family in peace and prosperity.

 

        33-Princess sa’at Muluk (pp.384-401): A king marries his daughter to a paralytic and sends her into exile, because she would always says that every done lives on his own fortune.

        She departs carrying her paralytic husband on her back, and becoming extremely tired halts at a ruined place where she falls sleep. In the mean while, her hungry husband eats the leaves of a flower and is cured of his illness. Then they proceed further and halt on the bank of a stream. Her husband takes bath and picks up stones from the bottom of the stream. His wife recognizes them to be the rubies. They take the stones with them, sell a few in a town, buy a beautiful palace and settle down there, she now calls her husband sa’at Muluk (The Lucky One).

        sa’at Muluk, does not actually know that the stones are rubies, takes a few of them and uses them as dices while playing with some friends. The king’s minister passes by  and seeing the rubies takes one of them from him and present it to the princess who insists that the minister should bring one more such ruby for her. The minister comes to sa’at Muluk and requests him for another stone, but his wife refuses to give it to the minister.

        sa’at Muluk then sets out alone for the same stream to fetch more stones, and reaching the stream he goes further up to see from where the rubies came. He reaches a palace in which he sees his a woman hanging upside down in a well. Drops of her blood falling into the water below, change into rubies. He touches the side of the well and she comes back to life and informs him that she has been imprisoned by a demon. Soon the demon arrives and sa’at Muluk kills him. He than takes the woman as his wife, returns to his palace and gives a stone for the princess who again asks for another ruby.

        His second wife then tells him that he would get the ruby from “Moti Jan Fairy”, and tells him how to reach there, he gets out and meets three Derweshes, one of them gives him a cudgel which automatically beats any one when ordered; another present him a cooking vessel from which an unlimited number of persons could be feed and the third one gives him an Udand-Khatoli (flying cot).he takes them and reaches the place where Moti Jan fairy is imprisoned by a demon. He kills the demon with the cudgel and returns with Moti Jan who gives him rubies for the princess.

        The princess then asks for a suit of flower-clothes. Moti Jan guides sa’at muluk how to get them from Gulun Pari (flower fairy) . he reaches a lake where Gulan Pari comes to take bath with her friends, and sa’at muluk steals her flower-clothes she enters him to give back her clothes but he refuse to do so fairly he takes her to his own palace and delivers clothes to the princes.

        The princes then demands one hundred she-buffaloes of the same color and age. Sa’at muluk goes to the cousin of Gulun Pari who is also imprisoned by a demon. He beats the demo with the cudgel until he gives him one hundred buffaloes. He then kills the demon, takes the fairy back to hid palace, and delivers the buffaloes to the princess.

        The princes finally marries sa’at muluk, and when her father dies, sa’at muluk becomes the king. Than he and his first wife along with others returns to her father, the king and inform him of their adventures and fortuitous circumstances. The king repents for what he had done and requests his daughter to forgive him.

 

34- Ganjo Faqir  and  princess Gulshan (pp.402-408):   A king refuse to marry his two daughter to any one. Princess Gulshan, the younger one, request to him for her marriage and the king in his wrath marries her to an ugly old Ganjo Faqir (Bald head bagger) and turns her out of the place.

        She goes and lives with her husband in a hut. After some time the bagger enters the service of a merchant, gets six months salary in advance which he gives to his wife, and goes with the merchant on a business trip.

        At a halting place, Bald head goes to fetch water from a well, and finds a fairy in his bucket who is importuned by her energy father, The fairy presents him two pomegranates  and asks him to marry her, He promise to do so after getting consent from his first  wife to whom he sends these pomegranates.

        The merchant proceeds further and they halt near a town. Bald-head goes to see the town, loses his way in the woods and passes the night there. He sees some persons burying a box, and when they leave, he digs out the box and finds a beautiful baby sleeping in it. The baby was the only son born to the king of that country and was buried alive due to the jealousy of his step-mother. In the morning, Bald-head took the baby to the king who rewarded him with abundant wealth.

        He then returns to his original home with all the wealth and the fairy. Here he finds his wife living in a beautiful place instead of the hut, She informs him the pomegranates were full of pearls with which she built the place. She than permits him to marry the fairy. When her father comes to know about their fortune, he makes amends for his past deed and asks his daughter to forgive him.

 

        35-prince Wise (pp.409-416) A king has seven sons, the youngest of whom is called prince wise. Once, all the seven go out hunting and cross the border of their country. They reach a place where seven beautiful sisters meet them and they marry them.

        The youngest girl and prince wise are very fond each other, she tells him that all the seven sisters are witches, and as a rule, they would eat away all the seven brothers after they have spent some days, she then tells him how to run away.

        The next morning Princes Wise informs his brothers and all of them flee back to their country. Prince wise is so much love with his wife that he again sets out on a journey to meet her, his oldest brother also accompanies him.

        They halt at a place and Prince Wise finds a beautiful girl in a well with a demon sleeping in her lap. He takes the girl away, marries her and abandons the idea to go to his witch wife.

 

        36- Prince Lion-Killer(pp.417-422): A king marries his daughter to a prince, who keeps away from his bridge after the marriage.

        Once he takes his wife to visit her parents. On the way a lion attacks them but the princes cuts it into two halves with one blow of his sword. When they reach the princess’s parents she tells them that her husband is an extraordinary man.

        Her father, in order to eliminate him, sends prince Lion Killer, for hunting in an area inhabited by a dangerous dragon. In the mean while the king arranges for her marriage with another man who is so and coward that she dislike him. She leaves the place secretly to meet her husband in the woods.

        When she reaches there and finds the dragon killed and her husband standing by, she informs him what she had told her parents and what they wanted to do. Prince says that he had heard about, this dragon and had vowed that he would not touch a woman until he killed the dragon. Them both of them return to their own kingdom and there in peace and pleasure.

 

        37-Prince Bewildered (pp. 423-428): A king dies leaving a son and a daughter from his two wives. His ministers enthrone a shepherd as a reagent to the young prince. The shepherd marries the step-mother of the prince and exiles him and the queen mother. They take refuge with an old woman her three wood-cutter sons.     When the prince grows up, he goes to cut wood to earn him living. One day, he finds three locked rooms in the jungle. He breaks open the lock of one and finds a drum in it. As he beats the drums, a demon arrives at once and says, “My life depends upon the safety of the drum. I am slave of a princess but I would do whatever you command”. The prince commands him to bring the princess which the demon does, and the prince marries her But when the prince falls a sleep, the demon takes away the drum and the princess.

        The prince then breaks open the second room and finds a hand-kerchief from which jewels fall when he swings it. He then go, in search of his wife and finds her, but she manages to secure the hand kerchief from him and turns him out of her house.

        The prince then breaks open the third room finds a cap. As he wears it he becomes invisible. He again goes to his wife but she snatches the cap from him as well. The prince then returns disappointed and wanders in the country.

        Once he eats fruit of a tree and is transformed into a goat. Then by eating the fruit of another tree he comes back to his human form. He again goes to his wife who is ill. He pretends to be a physician and gives her the fruit which she eats and becomes a goat. He then gives her an other fruit by which she regains her human form. He repeats this several times and finally she repents and promises to be faithful to him. He then takes his mother goes back to his original home. He gives the fruit to his step-mother and the shepherd and both of them turn into goats. Thus he gets back his kingdom and lives happily.

 

        38-Prince Ruby and Princesses Ruby (pp.429-433): Prince Ruby requests his father to marry him to princesses. The king refuses the requests because she lives far away, Prince Ruby sets out alone, and after a long search finds Princess Ruby and marries her.

        Once Prince Ruby goes out hunting with his father-in-law who follows a game and leaves him under the shade of a tree from where a demon carries him away. The king returns home and tells his daughter what had happened.

        Princess Ruby then goes to that tree where she meets a fairy and seeks her help. The fairy who is wife of the demon, takes pity upon the princess and gives back Prince Ruby to her in the absence of the Demon. Again, Prince Ruby goes out for hunting with his father-in-law and again the demon carries him away. The fairy again takes pity on Princess Ruby and sets him free for the second time.

        Thereafter, Prince Ruby returns to his own country with his wife and they live there happily.

 

        39-The Prince and the Princess (pp.434-436): A king’s only son is engaged to a princess. The prince wants to see his fiancée before marriage and comes to her palace disguised as a bagger and asks for charity. He insist that he would take alms only from the princess, but she refuses to come out. He than stays there, and in the evening places two bright rubles on the ground and draws a circle around them. Seeing the radiant light of the rubies the princess comes out, enters the circle and takes them away. But when she comes to know that the bagger is actually her would-be husband to shame in turn.

        She goes with her maid servants to the prince’s town in the guise of a dancing party. The prince sees her and falls in love with her. At the time of meals she tells him that the meat he is eating is of a dog, but the prince continues to eat as he is in love with her. There after, she returns to her home secretly.

        When they are married, the prince reproaches her for her bad manners whereupon she also reminds him of the dog’s meat and the prince is ashamed of his own manners. Thereafter, both of them continue to live happily.

نئون صفحو --  ڪتاب جو ٽائيٽل صفحو
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