Reunited at last
The prince was very sad when he learned that his fourth wife
had died. He perceived that his first wife, the lion's
daughter, had a mystery which he had to know before he could
win her back, for he still loved her. So he consulted a
sage, a very learned old man, who listened to all that the
prince had to say.
"The lion's daughter possesses great magical power," he
explained to the prince. "Now, to make her friendly do not
marry another wife, for that won't help. Endeavor to
discover her secret name. Go and hide in her palace and
listen carefully. Perchance you will hear one of her
servants pronounce her secret name."
So the prince entered his wife's palace, making sure that
nobody saw him. There, from a hiding place behind a curtain,
he heard her talking to someone, though there was no one to
be seen. "Come on, girls! The floor has to be cleaned
thoroughly!" the princess said. She seemed to be talking to
some servants, but apart from Lalla herself the room was
empty.
Suddenly the prince saw the broom sweeping vigorously
without anyone to hold it, and the mop began mopping the
area by the bucket, which had itself brought water from the
well, while the sprinkler sprinkled it. Then something went
wrong: the heavy pail hit the sprinkling can, which was made
of copper, so a big dent appeared in it.
"Look! Now I am dented! Now I am ugly for life!" the
sprinkler lamented.
"So what! You're only made of copper! No wonder you're so
sensitive!" the pail retorted.
It became quite a quarrel, and the mistress of the house had
to intervene: "Quiet, girls! I want to hear no more
quarreling!"
"But, Lady Sun-of-Moons, is it my fault that this stupid can
is made of copper?" protested the pail.
"Silence!" exclaimed the lion's daughter and started
reprimanding her staff. While this was going on, the prince
slipped away. He had heard enough.
That evening after sunset, the prince ordered his gardener
to bring him a vase full of roses. He took some other
presents and went to the door of Lalla's bedroom. When she
opened it, he gave her the flowers and presents, saying:
"Good evening, Princess Sun-of-Moons. I have come back to
you."
The princess smiled
and answered: "Good evening, Prince Emhammed, I have heard
you. Welcome! Come in."
The next morning they decided to visit the lion king in his
palace. The prince was going to order horses for the
journey, but the princess said it was unnecessary. "We can
travel more quickly and comfortably," she told him. "Please
sit on my carpet in the courtyard."
They seated themselves on cushions on the large but simple
carpet, together with their three sons. The princess talked
to the carpet in a secret language and lo! It rose straight
up into the sky, then flew toward the lion king's country.
As they flew along, the princess taught her sons about all
the countries they saw below.
Finally, they came to the towers of the lion's castle. It
was surrounded by a wall of steel without a gate. The
carpet, on a word from Sun-of-Moons, began to descend. It
alighted on the roof of the inner court, with its white
marble pillars. Haidar greeted his daughter, grandsons, and
son-in-law with great affection. They all sat down to a
sumptuous meal, after which they were shown to private rooms
with soft beds.
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Princess Lalla is finally reunited with her human
parents.
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The next morning
the lion arrived in their quarters, wanting to see Princess
Sun-of-Moons. "My dear daughter," he said to her. "I must
tell you that I am not your real father. Your true parents
were very poor woodcutters. When I saw you as a baby lying
on the moss in the forest, I took you with me so that you
could have a proper upbringing. Now you know things that you
would never otherwise have known. Here is a ring that has a
spirit in it. Put it on your finger, then turn it, and tell
its servant what you wish."
The princess did as the lion king told her. When she turned
the ring, a jinn appeared asking her: "What is your wish, my
lady?"
"I want to see my true parents," answered the princess.
"Please bring them here."
At once the jinn disappeared. A few moments later it
returned, accompanied by an elderly couple. They were, of
course, overjoyed when they saw their long-lost daughter.
She was now a lady of great beauty, a princess, and the
mother of three sons, so they could forgive Haidar for
taking her away. In turn, the lion king built a palace for
them nearby. The reunited family lived happily together
thereafter, and Princess Sun-of-Moons would bear her husband
three more children. |
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