After many days of sailing, they landed on a large island that rose from the eastern horizon.  Marble steps led to a gate, which opened when they knocked.  The prince entered, the sailors close behind him.  He found himself in the garden of a splendid palace.  The garden was even more beautiful than his father’s.  There, surrounded by blossoming trees, he saw a lovely lady sleeping on a bed of flowers.  Suddenly an old woman pounced on the princess, who promptly changed into a golden bird, and placed her in a glittering cage.  Zebuluni seized the cage from the old woman and ran to his ship.  His men quickly hoisted the sail, and they traveled home in safety.

Zebuluni went to his father’s throne room and presented his prize.  The sultan was overjoyed and placed the cage with the beautiful bird on his table.  From then on, the tree was left in peace and bore more fruit than ever.  The sultan gave the dates to the golden bird, as this was the only food it would eat.

A short while later people began to mysteriously disappear, one here, one there.  Soon, complaints reached the sultan that there was a man-eating nunda (dragon) in the forest.  The sultan ordered the best hunters in his kingdom to go out and shoot the nunda, but it was all in vain.  The monster always escaped unhurt to a place where no one could find it.

Finally, Zebuluni offered to kill the nunda, and the sultan consented.  The golden bird was seen to whisper something to the prince.  That night Zebuluni went to the tree in the king’s garden and collected some of the wondrous fruits.  Then he went into the deepest part of the forest.  Eventually he saw the nunda.  As the monster attacked, Zebuluni threw one of the fruits at it, with deadly effect.  The nunda changed into the old woman as it died.  Zebuluni returned home.  There he found that the golden bird had changed back into the princess.  They were married and lived happily ever after.

The woodcutter and the demon princess

Ali’s mother was very poor.  She wanted Ali to find employment, but he could not.  “Let me become a woodcutter instead,” he asked obediently.  So she agreed.  She gave the youth his father’s ax, and Ali set out into the bush.  Eventually he came upon a big tree.  Ali swung his ax, but after three blows a thunderous voice demanded: “Who is disturbing the peace of my home?”

An enormous djinn emerged from the tree.  Ali dropped his ax in terror: “I am sorry, Mr. Demon, Sir, I did not mean to disturb you.