Post by donq on Nov 20, 2013 2:12:56 GMT
Tonight one of our friends talked about the help of the angels
and another friend talked about compassion. Strangely,
I came across this story after that. Normally I don't like long
story but somehow I could read it with non-stop. So I want
to share it with you and hope you will enjoy it, too. :-)
Once there was an ancient King of Egypt who lost his
eyesight. His doctors could not cure him. Then a physician
from the East arrived. After examining the King, he said he
could prepare an ointment, made from a golden-headed
fish swimming somewhere in the sea, that would restore
the King's eyesight.
Every fishing vessel was pressed into service and many
fishes were caught. But none had a golden head. Then, on the
final day before the physician must leave, the King's son
decided to cast his net into the water once more. To his
amazement, in his net he saw a fish with a golden head.
"Quick," he said to himself, "I must take this fish to the
palace before the physician returns to his home." But as he
was placing the fish in a bowl of water, the fish looked up
at him with sad, pleading eyes. Suddenly, he knew that he
must spare the fish's life. He threw it back into the sea.
When the King heard of this, he was angry and condemned
his son to death. But the Queen decided she must save the
prince's life. Dressing him in ordinary clothes, and filling
his pockets with gold coins, she put him on a ship that was
sailing to a distant land.
As he was leaving, she gave him one last piece of advice:
"Do not employ any servant who wants to be paid every
month."
The prince thought his mother's advice strange, but long
experience had taught him that what she advised always
proved sound.
At last the ship arrived at its destination—a beautiful
land with forests, fields and neat houses. The prince fell in
love with the place and bought one of the houses.
Many servants offered their services, but all asked to be
paid monthly. Then, one day an Arab came, imploring the
prince to hire him.
"I do not seek money," the Arab said. "Please wait until
the end of the year and then decide what my services have
been worth to you." The prince knew he must hire him.
On the other side of the mountains that bordered the
land, there was a desert ravaged by a sea monster. The
ruler of the land had many times sent soldiers to ambush
and kill the monster, but they had always fallen asleep
before the monster had appeared. Punishing the soldiers
had not solved the problem.
Eventually, the ruler proclaimed a large reward for
anyone who killed the monster. So the Arab went to the
ruler and asked, "If my master slays the monster, what
reward will you give him?"
"Whatever he desires," answered the ruler.
That night, the Arab covered himself with an ointment
that made his skin itch so severely that it was impossible
for him to go to sleep. He waited, hiding behind a huge
rock. In due course, the monster appeared out of the sea.
It was hideous—part bird, part beast and part serpent. It
moved steadily forward, passing over the rock where the
Arab was waiting. At just the right moment, the Arab
jumped up and plunged his dagger into the flesh behind
the monster's ear, wounding him fatally. He cut off the
monster's ears and took them to his master.
"Take these to the ruler and tell him that they are the
ears of the monster who was terrorizing the land on the
other side of the mountain," he said.
"But it was not I that killed the monster," said the prince.
"It was you."
The prince did not like taking credit for what he had not
done, but the Arab prevailed upon him to do so.
The ruler was delighted and even offered the young man
his daughter's hand in marriage. The prince declined,
asking instead for a ship to take him to see the world. The
prince and his servant visited many lands. At length, they
reached a great Kingdom. The prince learned that the
King's daughter was the most beautiful princess in the
world and resolved to ask for her hand in marriage.
Taking with him some of the fine jewels the ruler had
given him, he sought an audience with the King. With his
faithful servant behind him, he presented the King with the
jewels and made his request, which the King granted.
"But I must tell you," the King said, "that my daughter
has already been through over one hundred marriage
ceremonies and not one of the men she married lived for
more than twelve hours."
The prince thought of withdrawing his request, but his
trusted Arab servant prevailed upon him not to do so.
"Do not be concerned about what the King says, but take
his daughter for your bride," his servant told him.
So the prince told the King, "Luck must change some
time, and who would not risk his life for the hand of one so
perfect as your daughter?"
The wedding took place that very evening. After the
marriage, the prince and his bride retired to their chamber.
It was a clear, moonlit night and the prince walked over to
the window. Suddenly, he saw a shroud lying on the
ground. On it were embroidered his initials and beside it
two men were digging a long and narrow hole. Suddenly
the prince realized what it was—it was his grave!
Speechless and afraid, the prince turned slowly towards
his bride. At that moment, a small black snake darted out
of the princess' mouth and wriggled towards him. But the
Arab had hidden himself in the room, suspecting that
something of this sort would happen. Quick as lightning,
he seized the serpent with a pair of pincers he held in his
left hand, while he cut off its head with a knife.
The King was amazed next morning to find that his new
son-in-law was still alive.
"I was sure that luck would turn some day," said the
prince.
After that, the princess and her new husband lived
happily together, hunting, sailing, and playing.
One day, a messenger arrived bringing news that the
prince's father, the King of Egypt, had died and the prince
had been proclaimed King. His mother asked that he
return at once. The prince told his father-in-law and the
King was delighted to discover that his son-in-law was the
King of a great country. He ordered a ship to be made ready
to take the young couple home.
When the couple arrived home, the Queen was
overjoyed to see her son once more. So, too, were the people,
who had suffered great hardships under their former ruler.
The new King soon found himself busy with the affairs of
state. He was very happy in his new life, until one day his
faithful Arab servant came to him and said he must leave.
The young King was dismayed.
"Surely you will not leave me after all we have been
through together," he said.
"Alas, I must," his servant replied. "I have received a
summons that I dare not disobey."
"In that case, I cannot keep you. But please take with
you everything I have that you desire, for without your help
I should have long ago been dead."
"And without you, "replied the Arab, "I also would have
been dead, for I am the golden-headed fish."
:-)
