United States or Senegal ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
One day, when his father sat brooding over his lost children, Almās came before him and said: 'O father mine! the daughter of King Quimūs has done my two brothers to death; I wish to avenge them upon her. These words brought his father to tears. 'O light of your father! he cried, 'I have no one left but you, and now you ask me to let you go to your death.
The prince sent back word that he had no thought of war, but he wrote: 'Learn and know, King Quimūs, that I am here to end the crimes of your insolent daughter who has tyrannously done to death many kings and kings' sons, and has hung their heads on your citadel.
Like his brothers, he made the long journey to the city of Quimus the son of Timus; like them he saw the citadel, but he saw there the heads of Tahmasp and Qamas. He went about in the city, saw the tent and the drums, and then went out again to a village not far off. Here he found out a very old man who had a wife 120 years old, or rather more.
King Quimūs now sent for his daughter and for her mother, Gul-rukh, and talked to them. He said to Mihr-afrūz: 'Listen to me, you cruel flirt! Why do you persist in this folly? Now there has come to ask your hand a prince of the east, so handsome that the very sun grows modest before the splendour of his face; he is rich, and he has brought gold and jewels, all for you, if you will marry him.
One day, when his father sat brooding over his lost children, Almas came before him and said: 'O father mine! the daughter of King Quimus has done my two brothers to death; I wish to avenge them upon her. These words brought his father to tears. 'O light of your father! he cried, 'I have no one left but you, and now you ask me to let you go to your death.
By stage after stage, and after many days' journeying, he arrived at the city of King Quimūs. What did he see? A towering citadel whose foot kept firm the wrinkled earth, and whose battlements touched the blue heaven.
In this way I will bring her and her suite, and I will give her to you to be your solace. But if King Quimūs is unwilling to give her to you, I will pour a whirlwind of soldiers upon him, and I will bring to you, in this way, that most consequential of girls. But the prince said that this plan would not be right, and that he would go himself, and would answer the riddle.
'Now, when my son heard this tale, he fell in love with that unseen girl, and he came to me lamenting and bewailing himself. Nothing that I could say had the slightest effect on him. I said: "Oh my son! if there must be fruit of this fancy of yours, I will lead forth a great army against King Quimūs.
King Quimus now sent for his daughter and for her mother, Gulrukh, and talked to them. He said to Mibrafruz: 'Listen to me, you cruel flirt! Why do you persist in this folly? Now there has come to ask your hand a prince of the east, so handsome that the very sun grows modest before the splendour of his face; he is rich, and he has brought gold and jewels, all for you, if you will marry him.
There was great rejoicing in the court and all through the country over the solving of the riddle, and because now no more kings and princes would be killed. King Quimus made over his daughter to Prince Almas, but the latter refused to marry her, and took her as his captive. He then asked that the heads should be removed from the battlements and given decent burial. This was done.
Word Of The Day