The story of the magic carpet

THE STORY OF THE MAGIC CARPET

A sultan of India had three handsome sons, and they all fell in love with their pretty cousin, Princess Fatima. One day their father called them together and said:

"You know how fond I am of curious objects- Well, I will grant the hand of the Princess to whichever of you brings me the most wonderful thing." ,.

After arranging to meet at an inn at the end of that year, the three brothers set out on their travels-Prince Houssain, the eldest, one day met a merchant, in a distant town, offering a carpet for forty purses * of gold,

"That's a lot of money for a carpet," he said.

"No, it isn't," said the merchant. "Just sit on it, and wish yourself in some other place."

Prince Houssain sat on the carpet, and wished himself in his house and immediately ha found himself in his bedroom. So he returned to the merchant and gave him forty purses of gold for the carpet.

"I'm sure I shall win Fatima with the carpet," he said.

Prince Ali, the second brother, went to another big distant town aid he saw there an old merchant offering a hollow ivory tube for forty purses of  gold.

"That's a lot of money for a tube," he said.

"No, it isn't," said the. merchant. "Just look through it, and wish to see somebody."

Prince Ali looked through it, and wished to see the Princess, and, immediately he saw her far away in his father's palace. So he gave the merchant forty purses of gold, saying:                      *,

"I'm sure I shall win Fatima with this ivory tube."*

Prince Ahmed, the youngest son, also went to a big town in a foreign country and there he met a merchant who offered him an apple for forty  purses   of   gold.

"That's a lot of money for an apple," he said.

"No, it isn't," said the merchant, "Just let the man who is dying in the house across the street smell the apple."

The Prince did so, and the dying man at once recovered his health. After paying the forty purses of gold, Prince Ahmed went to the inn and showed his brothers his apple and they in turn showed him their magic   carpet   and   ivory   tube.

Houssain  looked through it, and wished to see Princess Katima.

"Oh, no!" he cried. "What's this I see? She is lying pale and motion­less on a bed.  Oh, she's dying!"

"Quick, jump on the carpet!" said Prince Ahmed. They all jumped on it, and wished themselves in the Princess's bedroom. When they arrived there Prince Ahmed let her smell his apple, and she regained perfect health.

"Now, which of us has won Fatima?" said the brothers.

"You all had an equal share in curing her," said the Sultan. ."I'll tell you how to settle the matter. Take a bow and arrow each, and go out on to the great plain outside the city. He who shoots his arrow farthest shall marry the   Princess."

The three princes went out on to the great plain and Houssain sent his arrow a good way; Ali sent his still farther; Ahmed shot so well that his arrow went out of sight! As nobody could find it the Sultan decided that Ali had won Fatima.

But Ahmed was determined to find his arrow. After wandering for weeks about the plain he found the palace of a fairy queen and there he learned that it was the fairy queen who had sent the merchants with the magic carpet and the enchanted tube and the miraculous apple. But she did not want Prince Ahmed to marry Fatima so she had taken his arrow away, because she wanted to marry him herself. Ahmed fell deeply in love with her, and married her, and with her help he succeeded in becoming the Sultan of India.