Long ago, in the vibrant lands of India, a wise king ruled with fairness and foresight. He had three sons: Ali, Houssain, and Ahmed. All three young princes had fallen in love with their beautiful cousin, Princess Nouronnihar. To ensure justice and avoid favoritism, the king devised a challenge: whichever son could bring back the most extraordinary and useful treasure in the world would earn the princess’s hand in marriage.
The princes set out on separate journeys, each determined to succeed. After a year of travel, they returned with three astonishing treasures. Houssain brought a flying carpet that could travel thousands of miles in an instant. Ali returned with a telescope that could see anywhere on Earth. Ahmed carried a magical apple, whose scent could cure any illness. Using the combined power of these three treasures, the princes discovered that the princess was gravely ill and rushed to save her. Since all three had contributed equally to her survival, the king arranged a final contest: a test of archery to decide the winner. Ahmed’s arrow flew so far that it could not be found, and in a twist of fate, he lost the contest despite his skill.
Refusing to accept defeat, Ahmed pursued his lost arrow alone. Deep within a hidden cave, he discovered the arrow lodged in a rocky wall and a secret passage leading to a magnificent underground palace. This palace belonged to Peri Banu, a powerful and radiant fairy who revealed that she had redirected Ahmed’s arrow to bring him to her, having admired him from afar. Love blossomed instantly, and Ahmed and Peri Banu were soon married, living happily together in her enchanted realm.
Yet challenges awaited beyond their paradise. Remembering his father, Ahmed returned to visit the king, only to face jealousy and deceit from a cunning sorceress and envious courtiers. They convinced the king that Ahmed possessed dangerous magic and demanded that he perform impossible tasks to prove his loyalty. The first task was to provide a tent large enough for an army yet small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. The second was to bring water from the perilous Lion’s Well. The third required him to find a man just one and a half meters tall with a fifteen-meter-long beard who wielded an iron staff of incredible weight.
With the aid of Peri Banu, Ahmed overcame every challenge. She gifted him a magical tent of fairy silk that could expand and contract at will. She guided him in taming the ferocious lions of the well. She summoned her brother, Schaibar, a dwarf giant of unmatched strength with a mighty beard and iron staff. When Schaibar accompanied Ahmed to the palace and saw the king’s guards preparing to harm him, he used his enchanted staff to punish the treacherous sorceress and the scheming courtiers, restoring justice.
In the end, Ahmed ascended to the throne as a wise and fair king. He cared for his aging father and ruled alongside Peri Banu, surrounded by loyalty, love, and the blessings of supernatural forces. His journey demonstrated that perseverance, courage, and virtue could overcome adversity, and that true love and devotion could provide the strength to triumph over envy, deceit, and danger.
This story embodies timeless lessons and symbolism. Perseverance: Ahmed never gave up, and his determination led him to discover a true treasure. Reward of love and loyalty: The genuine love between Ahmed and Peri Banu gave him the power to overcome every human scheme and claim justice for all.