48-2 - The Sage and the Scholar (2 of 2) : 
The Scholar Marries Sultaan's Daughter

The boy brought the Sultaan to those ruins where the Sage had told him. As he came near it, he found not the ruin, but a royal mansion with graceful guards standing around. When he saw this change, he was so confounded that he could hardly keep his senses. he said to himself, "An instant ago I left this place in a mess, how this place got changed as if it belongs to a Sultaan? But I should keep this secret to myself."

The king was also surprised to see such a magnificent building in the city. The more closely he looked at it, the more magnificent it looked to him. They came to a big hall and there was Sage sitting to receive them. The Sultaan greeted him, "Salaam", The Sage replied his greetings by raising his hand but he did not rise to his feet. They talked for a while, and during that time the Sultaan appreciated the palace.

The Sage asked the boy to knock on a certain door and ask to  bring the breakfast in. The boy rose and called at that door, "Bring the breakfast." Immediately the door opened and came out a hundred women, each carrying the breakfast in precious metal dishes. The boy himself was surprised to see all this. He also came forward along with the Sultaan and his courtiers and ate that breakfast. After eating they drank coffee and Sherbat. When the noon time came, the Sage asked the boy to knock on the door and to order for the noon day meal. The boy rose, knocked the door and asked to bring the lunch. Immediately the door opened and another hundred servants came in bringing lunch dishes on their heads. They spread a beautiful costly cloth before the Sultaan and arranged the dishes before him. Both the boy and the Sultaan were equally surprised to see such glory.

After the lunch was over, and all had washed their hands, the Sage asked the Sultaan - "How much have you valued the dowry of your daughter?" The Sultaan said - "The dowry is in our hands." The Sage said - "Marriage is invalid without dowry." Then the Sultaan presented the Sage with a mint of money and the tie of wedlock was tied. After that the Sage brought a cloak of furs for the Sultaan such as the Sultaan had never had before and gave rich robes to all courtiers according to their status.

The Sultaan then took leave and went back to his palace along with the boy, but he could not forget that day's incident. When the night fell, he got his daughter ready for her husband. The boy was taken to the apartment, decorated with costliest things, but surprisingly the bride was absent. He thought that she would come by midnight, while her parents were thinking that their daughter was with her husband. The boy waited for her the whole night.

As the day came, the mother came with the expectation of seeing her with her husband, but there was no trace of her. She asked the boy about her, but he told that he had not seen her since he had entered the apartment. At this the queen shrieked loudly calling her name, because she was her only child. The Sultaan was also worried, "Where she could go?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But what happened, as the princess was ushered in her room, a Genie of the Mareed who often used to visit the Sultaan's Harem, took her away from there. He came to a pleasant place of trees and flowers - some three months journey from the city. He kept her very nicely and showed her trees and flowers. This Genie had changed his shape to a handsome youth lest the princess got frightened. She lived there for 40 days.

The Sultaan made no delays and came to the Sage along with the boy in his home. He was mad because of the loss of his daughter. Hearing this, the Sage meditated for an hour and then asked him to bring a charcoal fire. He cast some incense into that fire and pronounced some incantations. Dust clouds covered the earth, winds started blowing shrieking, and troops descended with standards and colors. In the midst of them were three Sultaan of Genies, they cried at once, "Labbaykaa, Labbaykaa, Adsumus, we have come here to obey you."

The Sage said - "Immediately bring that Genie who has taken away the bride of my son." They commanded 50 of their servants to bring the Princess to her room. They instantly disappeared and reappeared after an hour with the Genie, and ten of them took Sultaan's daughter to her room. Then the Sage asked the three Sultaan  of the Genies to burn the Genie who took the princess, which they did instantly.

All this was done in front of the Sultaan. He was surprised to see the Sage's command over them. Then Sage asked the Sultaan to take the youth to his daughter. The boy was so happy that he did not leave the harem for seven consecutive days. On the eighth day the Sultaan arranged for marriage banquet and invited all the city folks for the whole month. The boy wore the royal robes till the marriage feast continued. No citizen, whether be rich or poor, lit the fire or trim the lamp in his own house, all ate at royal feast for one month. Thus was the feast of the boy's marriage to the Princess of the Sultaan.

End of Story No 48