THE STORY OF THE THREE APPLES - A Children's Story from 1001 Arabian Nights: Baba Indaba Children's Stories - Issue 239

By Anon E. Mouse and Narrated by Baba Indaba

ISSN: 2397-9607 Issue 239
In this 239th issue of the Baba Indaba’s Children's Stories series, Baba Indaba narrates the Arabian Nights story of The Three Apples.
Once upon a time long, long ago and far, far away the Khaleefeh Hároon Er-Rasheed said to Jaafar, his Wezeer (Vizier), We will disguise ourselves and go down to-night into the city, and inquire of the affairs of those who we find.

They find an old fisherman who lamenting (weeping and crying in grief) and quoting verse. He tells them how he fishes everyday and barely catches enough to support his family, let alone sell. The Kaleefeh makes the fisherman an offer. He tells him let us go back to the river and whatever the fisherman catches he will offer him 100 pieces of gold.

The fisherman rejoices all the way to the river and casts his net. After a while he hauls up a chest, locked and heavy. The exchange takes place and the Kaleefeh and his Vizier take the chest back to the palace.

They lighted the candles, and placed the chest before them, then broke it open. Within they found a basket of palm-leaves sewed up with red worsted (a 4 ply yarn of various blends); and they cut the threads. Opening the parcel they saw within it a piece of carpet, and, lifting up this, they found beneath it an izár (men's and women's white garments worn by Muslim people during the Hajj pilgrimage)., and when they had taken up the izár they discovered under it a damsel like molten silver, killed, and cut in pieces.

And so begins the investigation of the Kaleefeh and his Vizier – to find the perpetrator of the beautiful maiden’s murderer. This investigation will lead them on many adventures across the seas during which time they will hear the story of NOOR-ED-DEEN AND HIS SON, AND OF SHEMS-ED-DEEN AND HIS DAUGHTER.
But what was the story of Nord-ed-Deen and his son? We invite you to download and read this story of Arabian princes, kings, princesses, palaces and adventures to find the answers.

Baba Indaba is a fictitious Zulu storyteller who narrates children's stories from around the world. Baba Indaba translates as "Father of Stories".
Each issue in the Baba Indaba Children’s Stories series has a "WHERE IN THE WORLD - LOOK IT UP" section, where young readers are challenged to look up a place on a map somewhere in the world. The place, town or city is relevant to the story. HINT - use Google maps.
It is our hope that in looking up these place names using Google Maps, that young people will be able to see the images and read about other peoples and cultures from around the world. Through this, it is also our hope that young people will not only increase their understanding of world geography, but also increase their understanding and tolerance of other people and their cultures.

10% of the profit from the sale of this book will be donated to charities.

INCLUDES LINKS TO DOWNLOAD 8 FREE STORIES

• Language: English
• Publisher: Abela Publishing
• Release date: May 9, 2017
• ISBN: 9788826088389

Book preview

THE STORY OF THE THREE APPLES

An Fairy Tale from the Arabian Nights

Baba Indaba Children’s Stories

Published By

Abela Publishing, London

2016

THE ADVENTURES OF FIRE-DRILL’S SON

Typographical arrangement of this edition

©Abela Publishing 2016

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Abela Publishing,

London, United Kingdom

2016

Baba Indaba Children’s Stories

ISSN 2397-9607

Issue 239

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www.AbelaPublishing.com

An Introduction To Baba Indaba

Baba Indaba, pronounced Baaba Indaaba, lived in Africa a long-long time ago. Indeed, this story was first told by Baba Indaba to the British settlers over 250 years ago in a place on the South East Coast of Africa called Zululand, which is now in a country now called South Africa.

In turn the British settlers wrote these stories down and they were brought back to England on sailing ships. From England they were in turn spread to all corners of the old British Empire, and then to the world.

In olden times the Zulu’s did not have computers, or iPhones, or paper, or even pens and pencils. So, someone was assigned to be the Wenxoxi Indaba (Wensosi Indaaba) – the Storyteller. It was his, or her, job to memorise all the tribe’s history, stories and folklore, which had been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years. So, from the time he was a young boy, Baba Indaba had been apprenticed to the tribe’s Wenxoxi Indaba to learn the stories. Every day the Wenxoxi Indaba would narrate the stories and Baba Indaba would have to recite the story back to the Wenxoxi Indaba, word for word. In this manner he learned the stories of the Zulu nation.

In time the Wenxoxi Indaba grew old and when he could no longer see or hear, Baba Indaba became the next in a long line of Wenxoxi Indabas. So fond were the children of him that they continued to call him Baba Indaba – the Father of Stories.

When the British arrived in South Africa, he made it his job to also learn their stories. He did this by going to work at the docks at the Point in Port Natal at a place the Zulu people call Ethekwene (Eh-tek-weh-nee). Here he spoke to many sailors and ships captains. Captains of ships that sailed to the far reaches of the British Empire – Canada, Australia, India, Mauritius, the Caribbean and beyond.

He became so well known that ship’s crew would bring him a story every time they visited Port Natal. If they couldn’t, they would arrange to have someone bring it to him. This way his library of stories grew and grew until he was known far and wide as the keeper of stories – a true Wenxoxi Indaba of the world.

Baba Indaba believes the tale he is about to tell in this little book, and all the others he has learned, are the common property of Umntwana (Children) of every nation in the world - and so they are and have been ever since men and women began telling stories, thousands and thousands of years ago.

Where in the World – Look it Up!

This next story was told to him by a man who hailed from the small town called Bajool. Can you find Bajool on a map? What country is it in?

THE STORY OF THE THREE APPLES

A Fairy Tale from the Arabian Nights

A story, a story

Let it come, let it go

A story, a story

From long, long ago!

Umntwana Izwa! Children Listen!

Once upon a time long, long ago and far, far away the Khaleefeh Hároon Er-Rasheed said to Jaafar, his Wezeer (Vizier), We will go down to-night into the city, and inquire respecting the affairs of those who are at present in authority, and him against whom any one shall complain we will displace. Jaafar replied, I hear and obey:—and when the Khaleefeh had gone forth with him and Mesroor, and they had passed through several of the market-streets, they proceeded along a lane, and saw there an old man, with a net and basket upon his head, and a staff in his hand, walking at his leisure, and reciting these verses:—

They say to me, Thou shinest among mankind, by thy knowledge, like the moonlight night:

But I answer, Abstain from thus addressing me, since there is no knowledge without power:

For if they would pawn me, and my knowledge with me, and all my papers and inkhorn too,

For one day's food, they would never find the pledge accepted to the day of judgment.

As for the poor, and his condition, and his whole life, how full of trouble!

In the summer he fails to earn his food, and in winter he warms himself over the fire-pot.

The dogs follow him wherever he goes, and any reviler, and he cannot repel him.

If he states his case, and proves himself wronged, the judge will not admit his plea.

Such, then, being the poor man's life, his fittest place is in the burial-ground.

The Khaleefeh, when he heard his recitation, said to Jaafar, Observe this poor man, and consider these verses; for they indicate his necessity. Then approaching the man, he said to him, O sheykh, what is thine occupation?—O my master, answered the old man, I am a fisherman, and have a family to maintain, and I went forth from my house at noon, and have remained until now, but God hath allotted me nothing wherewith to obtain food for my household; therefore