The Eternal Explorers: Babylonian Exodus 539 Bc

By BOBBIE SKIBA

It is a story of Babylonian refugees forced out of their homeland by the invading forces of the Persian king Cyrus the Great.

An action-packed journey will take you from Babylon, through the Syrian Desert, Tyre, the Mediterranean Sea, to Carthage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Sep 30, 2015
• ISBN: 9781514411315

BOBBIE SKIBA

The author holds a master’s degree in library and information science. Her fascination with ancient history inspired this book.

Book preview

THE ETERNAL EXPLORERS

Babylonian Exodus 539 BC

Bobbie Skiba

Copyright © 2015 by Bobbie Skiba.

Illustrations by Caroline Anastasia Skiba

Library of Congress Control Number:      2015915856

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-5144-1133-9

      Softcover      978-1-5144-1132-2

      eBook      978-1-5144-1131-5

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,

without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 11/10/2015

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CONTENTS

Introduction

1: Childhood in Babylon

2: Princess of Babylon

3: Visitors from the North

4: Holidays in Babylon

5: Political situation

6: Visit to Dura Europos

7: The blue-brick factory

8: Meeting Alam

9: Changing looks

10: Meeting Alam again

11: Belibni’s visit

12: Oshgar’s letter

13: Axel and Arne in Dura Europos

14: Rescue mission

15: The time came

16: Temple of Ishtar and escape

17: Falling in love with a stubborn girl

18: Leaving Mesopotamia

19: The caravan

20: Getting to know Axel

21: Night watch

22: The fight

23: The first well

24: Second well and Qedarite community

25: Axel’s rules

26: Samsil

27: The sandstorm

28: Axel’s sickness and a desert remedy

29: The wisdom is in you

30: Know how to choose a man

31: Palmyra city

32: Arne and Alam

33: Axel reveals his love to Mirakesh

34: The disaster

35: Arne the traitor

36: I am in love with you

37: Babylonian caravan

38: Suspicious meeting

39: Axel’s secret reveled

40: Leaving Palmyra city

41: Becoming a true alliance

42: The Norse warriors

43: Alam’s spy

44: Leaving Alam behind

45: Ash-Sham and Kadri’s place

46: Crossing the mountains of the Levant region

47: Tyre city

48: The Rock

49: Queen Dido

50: The Rock harbor

51: Sailing west

52: Carthage

53: Other relations

54: Council meeting at Adalbjorg’s house

55: My Mirakesh, my Amazon

56: Axel’s last party

57: My girl

58: Adalbjorg and Arne

59: Sailing to the Port of Carthage

60: Oshgar Urs and his business

61: Nikkal and Mirakesh

62: Adalbjorg visits Urs; meetis Mirakesh

63: Adalbjorg’s plan

64: Axel and Adalbjorg.

65: Macario

66: Zalika and Macario

67: Girl’s talk

68: Last day with Arne

69: Axel stays in Carthage

70: Arne meets Dagr

71: Axel watching Arne

72: Night watch by the Oshgar Urs’s quarter

73: Refugees sailing to the safe lands

74: Mirakesh’s first payday

75: The Norsemen are gone

76: Mirakesh goes back to the city

77: Anath’s house

78: My own place in Carthage

79: Waiting for Mirakesh

80: You are mine

81: Fulfilling our destiny

82: Safety is our main concern

83: The wedding

84: Alam’s past

85: The time of our life

86: The fruit of enchanted love

Index Of Names

References / Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

The most amazing people are those who are the masters of their heart and those who trust themselves and push their body to the extreme for one reason only: to learn about their own strength so they can protect themselves and others when necessary. When we grow up, our space and surroundings need to expand as well. For some people, that process goes accordingly with the plans of their parents, teachers, and guardians. However, for a few, nothing is big enough or good enough. Those are the explorers. They are able to see what is unseen to the others, hear what is unheard to the others, and feel the danger through their skin before others do. They are the watchdogs of society. They search for a good lookout post, not for a place that is just comfortable.

When arriving to the edge of the western lands, where the Gades city was located, I look around crushed by the beauty of this region. As I stood on the rocky shore in the Gades Port surrounded by the endless waters, I felt helpless, unbelievably small and lost. The sun was slowly hiding on the western horizon, and I had to think about our night rest. All the men from Carthage, including my husband, will arrive in the next few weeks. Women and children were transported first, using the Phoenician gales from Carthage to Gades.

Now we have to wait for the men from this city to take us to the guesthouses, I said to the families sitting around me. Hopefully people who were paid by the Carthage council have prepared a decent place for us, I thought, looking at all those tired women and children. So far, I was lucky to get my way in life. However, being a mother of two little children in this unknown city, I have to be more than resourceful. I have to be extremely careful and think ahead. What if they collected our money and forgot about us? It’s already late evening, and no one has shown up yet to take us to our quarters. No more waiting. I have to find a good place for the night. Surrounded by our luggage, I started to look around to find someone trustworthy who would be willing to help us. One of the men working in the port looked rough enough to me to be assessed as an explorer and not only as a marina worker. His strong body, impatient fingers, and deeply shadowed eyes, reflecting constant thinking, gave me the permission to ask, How far from the port are the first available guesthouses for people who just arrived from Carthage?

His world stopped for a moment, and his focused eyes looked at me, and quietly, he answered, You won’t make it before night with all those women and children. If you want, I can help you arrange a campsite for all of you here in the port, and tomorrow morning you may start your walk to the city. He was amazing. Nothing touches me more than the gentle behavior and the sophisticated way of communication between complete strangers. It is that mysterious way of communication that pulls others, like a magnetic field, toward the explorers. He wasn’t just a packer; he was too smooth and too sophisticated in his behavior. I was sure that he saw more in his life than average men.

Can I trust him? What would Mirakesh do? When I was a child, my grandmother Mirakesh told me her life story, which changed my life forever. She originated from the old line of eternal explorers who ruled the world for centuries. Her grandparents revealed this mystery to her when she was a child. Mirakesh’s grandfather, Oshgar Dido, was a true explorer. If he asked her to run, she knew that she would have to run as fast as she could. He never lied to her, and he made sure that she would continue our family line to follow the righteous path of eternal explorers. Those people were able to compress the same amount of information into one word when others used long and complicated sentences…

MEETING THE ETERNAL EXPLORERS

All stories and characters are pure fantasy, however if you want to visit my imaginary world of eternal explorers follow me and enjoy.

1

Childhood in Babylon

Mirakesh woke up exactly two hours before the sun rose in her beautiful home in Babylon and started to think what to do today. She sprang out of the bed, got dressed, and ran straight to the kitchen to check on her cat, Zaidu. Zaidu liked to wander around in the garden early in the morning and have endless fun chasing birds. He was the cutest creature on this planet. His shiny brown fur, with orange-and-white stripes, made him look like a little tiger, and that’s why she named him Zaidu, which means the hunter in the old Akadian language. The cat really looked like a little tiger whenever he would hide in the garden grass waiting for his moment to pounce. Let’s take Zaidu out, thought Mirakesh. The cat wasn’t in the kitchen this morning. Looks like he’s already enjoying his freedom, thought Mirakesh, putting on her sandals and jumping outside into the misty morning of her green garden.

Mirakesh, where do you go so early? asked her grandfather, Oshgar Dido, who tinkered with something on the porch of the house.

Why are you up so early every morning, Dido? asked Mirakesh.

Ha ha, I have to count all my eggs, Mirakesh, said her grandfather happily.

Well, it just so happens that I have to count my eggs as well.

You are funny, Mirakesh. He chuckled.

I am funny, Dido, whispered Mirakesh as she jumped to the garden. Her grandfather laughed and only shook his head, without any further comment. On her way out, she met her father, Savariu, who was busy fixing the wagon; however, he paused and asked if she was hungry.

No, Dad, I have to look for Zaidu. The cat wasn’t in the kitchen when I got up.

Be careful in the garden. There was rain last night, and you may meet some monsters in the grass. I already checked the whole court and the garden, but you have to be careful always.

You know what, Dad? responded Mirakesh. I better take my metal wand with me. Mirakesh spun around and ran back into the house. Why is this daughter of mine so different from her older sister Adriza? He pondered as his eyes followed Mirakesh. Adriza loves to sleep long hours, eats well, studies more than anybody else, and has many friends, and this one? Mirakesh’s father took a new wooden post from the garden shack and continued to fix the wagon’s underside while thinking, Bag full of shiny stones, a piece of dark bread in her pocket, some wild necklace God knows from where she got it, never sleeps past the sunrise, and her eyes… He paused again, imagining Mirakesh’s eyes. Those beautiful eyes, green as the waters of the big North Sea. My eyes are sky blue, and her mother’s eyes are gray, as her father’s. What is it? Why is she so restless? He finally tightened the post to the wagon. Maybe she took too much from the name we’ve chosen for her. After all, in our culture, Mirakesh is described as an energetic and adventurous person. In all the legends, Mirakesh loved freedom above anything else. This must be it! thought her father.

In the house, Mirakesh found her metal wand without any trouble, since all her belongings were always in perfect order.

I better take the leather gloves as well in case I get caught in a fight with the garden snakes, she decided aloud. Mirakesh reached onto her shelf and grabbed the gloves, easily sliding them over her hands, and made her way outside again. Where is that silly Zaidu? she asked herself as she breathed in the humid air. The garden was spacious, dark, and quiet, and the swollen drops of rain were hanging at the edges of bushes, ready to drop to the ground. Mirakesh searched the whole yard inch by inch. Nothing! She looked toward her family house where the men were working. She whispered to herself, They won’t let me go by myself to the streets of Babylon to look for Zaidu, and I cannot wait until my sister Adriza wakes up. I’ll go alone. She quietly moved toward the old garden house and jumped behind it, running straight to the place where their property fence was facing the north city wall. Mirakesh sneaked into the little crevice in the fence, and in no time she was standing on the city street that led straight to the Gate of Ishtar. Babylon was a very busy and lively city. Even Monday morning wasn’t quiet, and people had started their day already. Soon the Ishtar Gate would be open for visitors to enter the city. The Euphrates River was always busy. It didn’t matter what day of the week or month of the year it was; there was always an active bustle.

There is our fountain! said Mirakesh, but none of her friends were playing around it yet. Why do they sleep so long? How many hours of sleep do they need?! Mirakesh said impatiently. The fountain was the most popular and best place to play in the neighborhood. Even Zaidu loved to come and lay in the warm sun by the fountain. Maybe he’s hiding somewhere around here? she thought. Zaidu, Mirakesh whispered. Are you here? Zaidu? She paused and peered around the fountain looking for any sign of Zaidu. Nothing. The water in the huge white basin was undisturbed and smooth. The fountain waters were resting soundly because big Rashim hadn’t opened the fountain gates yet to move the water. Mirakesh started to run farther until she could see the house of her friend Bishal. Bishal lived in the corner house, situated on the right side of the street, right after the fountain park. Bishal’s mother was cleaning around the main entrance after the rainy night, while Bishal’s father was sleeping in the first room next to the kitchen, after drinking barley beer with other men from the street at the house party last night. He was very dirty; his hair and clothes were soiled with something pungent. Bishal’s mother spoke up.

Mirakesh, don’t look at the misery of drunken men. This behavior will bring tears of destruction to Babylon one day. Aren’t you lucky that your father and your grandfather don’t drink?

I guess I am, but they don’t want me walking around by myself either, even when other kids are playing and running in the streets. Sometimes it gets on my nerves, and I’m not too happy. Bishal’s mother shook her head and chided.

You know, I like talking to you. You are such a nice kid. Not like other children your age. I am glad that Bishal and you are friends. I always say this to your mother and grandmother.

Thank you, said Mirakesh, I like playing with Bishal and Eunice, and with Alarea. We always have so much fun together! Mirakesh looked past Bishal’s mother into the open door. Is Bishal awake already? she asked.

I don’t think so, answered Bishal’s mother, and thinking aloud, she added, But if she is, she has to wait for breakfast first. Go home, Mirakesh. Your father will be looking for you soon.

Well, I lost my cat Zaidu, Mirakesh explained. He wasn’t in the garden this morning. I’ve checked all around the house. I’ve checked inside the house. Did you see him yesterday evening or this morning? she asked with hope.

No. Sorry, Mirakesh, I didn’t see your cat. You should head home before your family gets worried of your absence. Mirakesh thanked Bishal’s mother and raced off back to where she had come from before veering off in another direction. It was one hour before sunrise when she had climbed the stairs to the Gate of Ishtar and saw two guards snoozing on the walls. Quietly she dodged them and snuck to a ledgelike balcony. Here she scanned the landscape before her; the Euphrates River reflected the fading night stars as it gently wound with its watery curves. There were three Norsemen ships docking right at the gate; around the ships was a strong liveliness of activity and movement. Mirakesh backed away from the edge and decided to wake up one of the guards from their slumber. Eagerly she showed him the river and the ships that had docked, but the guard was more interested in going back to sleep. Annoyed, Mirakesh left the guards and ran east along the large towering wall. Her legs began to tire, forcing her to continue with a fast walk. She loved to walk on the city walls that surrounded Babylon. They were double-walled, twelve meters high, and twenty-five meters wide, covered with thousands of shiny blue bricks making the wall look like an endless highway in the valley of Mesopotamia. When Mirakesh reached the east exit space and got to the stairs going down to the city street, she noticed an animal shape on the edge of a step right where the wall met the staircase. With staggering breaths and ruffled fur, the animal’s wide eyes showed nothing but pure fear as its once-vibrant life now struggled for survival.

Zaidu! Mirakesh shrieked. Panic began to rise in Mirakesh as she found it hard to breathe and felt her heart pounding in her chest as though it were to burst at any second. She stumbled to the cat, her eyes becoming blurry as they welled up with tears. As gently as she could, she lifted his small body and cradled him against her chest to calm her panic, to no avail. She could feel the effort Zaidu was making to stay alive, and as though sensing her panic, he managed to lick Mirakesh’s hand in reassurance. Mirakesh flinched when she felt a large hand grip her shoulder, catching hold of her shirt, and the gruff voice of a huge Norseman asking if she knew where Oshgar Dido lives. Clouded by emotions, Mirakesh didn’t have time for anything else but taking Zaidu home, and for sure, she didn’t want to show where her Dido’s place was to a stranger. Analyzing the entire situation, she suddenly twisted her head to free herself from the big hand, sinking her teeth in the Norseman’s hand right between the thumb and the index finger. He screamed in shock and yanked his hand away from her teeth. It hurt Mirakesh, but she watched as the Norseman made another grab for her and cursed in his own language. She dodged out of his way and ran away with Zaidu in her arms, his head hanging limp over her forearm but still breathing. Mirakesh ran as fast as she could and finally escaped to the streets of Babylon. She reached the entrance of her home screaming with all her power.

"Zaidu is dying! He… he was on the stairs of Ishtar Gate! Please, he’s dying! Mirakesh’s voice was hoarse from running and yelling that she coughed a little. In no time, all of the family raced out and gathered around Mirakesh, who was now on the ground cradling Zaidu. They looked at the scene before them, but it was already too late. Zaidu was gone, never to come back again. Mirakesh’s misery was as deep as the North Sea; Zaidu was dead. Dead"—a new word that Mirakesh had just started to understand. A word that had now become a reality for Mirakesh as she held the body of the cat as it turned cold. Mirakesh didn’t want to listen to any of the comments from her grandmother, mother, or even her sister. It was as though the cold body of Zaidu was making her feel cold inside; she wanted nothing more than to be alone. Her family gave her the space she needed at that moment. Mirakesh carried Zaidu to the garden still cradling him as though trying to warm his cold little body. She remembered as she watched birds fly happily in the garden, how Zaidu loved to chase them. It made her eyes water, but she forced herself to not break down. After a while, she decided to make a funeral for Zaidu. At the same time, her grandfather’s voice from the porch called for her.

Mirakesh, come home. There is no point to sit alone in the garden. Nothing will change whatsoever. Your cat is on the other side of the moon, the dark side of the moon. Mirakesh didn’t say anything, didn’t even want to hear it. She went to her playing place at home and took the nicest piece of fabric she had in her toy trunk. Just the right size, she thought bitterly. Gently lifting Zaidu’s body, she placed him down on the fabric and fixed his velvety paws; it looked as though he was sleeping. Making a delicate wrap, Mirakesh proceeded to the garden and went straight to her cat’s favorite place by the green shrubs. She started to dig a hole in the ground and placed the body in it, taking one last look before covering it with black soil. After that, she collected a bunch of flowers from the garden, made a beautiful wreath out of it, and placed it on the fresh black soil.

She is something, said Astrid, her grandmother.

This is her way of coping with the loss of a pet.

Let her grieve for a while, but I think today is the best time to tell her the story about the princess of Babylon and her Amazon. She needs to understand that life is not always fair and takes a lot from a person to get what heart desires.

Oshgar Dido nodded his head and replied, She understands this already. She took her chance early this morning and went alone to look for Zaidu. It was the most important thing on her mind. She wanted to know the truth. When Mirakesh came home for breakfast, Grandmother asked her to come to her room after she was done eating.

Yes, Grandmother, said Mirakesh, without looking at her. Now I am going to listen about the dangers of walking the streets of Babylon alone, thought Mirakesh. Well, today I don’t really care what Grandmother is going to tell me. She ate her food as slowly as possible, thinking, Maybe Grandmother would change her mind, or maybe grandfather will ask her to do something around the house. A few more minutes and something must happen. Nothing had happened for the next half-hour, and Mirakesh slowly went to Grandmother’s room.

2

Princess of Babylon

The old lady was seated by the window with some kind of painted fabric that Mirakesh had never seen before. And what is this? thought Mirakesh, coming closer to her grandmother.

Mirakesh, I want to show you something. Her grandmother lifted the painted fabric, and stretching it in front of the girl, she displayed a painting of a princess with a red bird sitting on her lap and standing behind the most handsome prince ever.

Who’s that? asked Mirakesh.

Well, this is the princess of Babylon with the most precious bird in the entire universe and her enchanted prince Amazon, from the faraway lands of Amazon.

Who are those people? asked Mirakesh. Do you know them? Everybody in Babylon knows the story of our princess and her prince Amazon, and his most precious gift, the red bird, a phoenix that he had given to her. However, shortly after, he had to go away.

Phoenix? repeated Mirakesh, adding, Grandmother, there is a huge painting of the red bird on the wall of the Bel Temple, and one of the priests told us that it was a phoenix.

Exactly, said Grandmother. This was the same bird. Did he tell you anything else?

No, nothing else. I wanted to ask, but no one else was interested, so I didn’t.

Mirakesh, if there is something that interests you, always ask. Don’t be shy. It is better to know what is going on around you than to be ignorant. Will you remember that?

Yes, Grandmother, said Mirakesh and waited for what her Grandmother would say next.

If you are wondering why I am showing you this beautiful painting, you must know that there is hope for all of us, and death doesn’t mean that an animal or person is gone forever. Mirakesh’s grandmother paused. "A long time ago, there was a beautiful princess living here in our Babylon. The story says that her beauty was nowhere else to be found, but she was so unhappy when she looked at the people around her, because they seemed to be very ugly in her eyes. So her father, the king, worried that she would never get married. Taking advice from his chancellors, he called all the powerful kings from around the world to compete for his daughter’s hand. He knew that neither treasures nor riches would satisfy his daughter. She was looking for something else, but he couldn’t figure out what would make her happy and willing to marry. When all famous kings and princes arrived in Babylon, no one was able to satisfy her, and she didn’t lift her eyes to any of the competitors. None of the gifts she received from them made her curious or happy either. The competitors became deeply discouraged by the princess’s nature and started to question the king if she’ll ever long for anything else than to be joyless. The king, feeling deeply embarrassed in front of the most powerful kings and princes, said, ‘As you all can see with your own eyes, my daughter’s beauty is nowhere to be found, and she knows that, and that’s why you all have come here: to compete for her hand. None of you great rulers have made her happy or curious yet, and that’s why you are angry at me right now. As much as many of you may want to marry my daughter, I as much want her to choose one of you for her husband.’

"At the same time, the king’s courtier announced a late contestant from a faraway land. ‘Let him in,’ ordered the king, who asked, ‘Who is coming so late, and from where is he coming?’ The public and the king himself sighed in amusement at the prince who had just entered the court and walked fast to approach the court. The young princess of Babylon, per her nature, kept her eyes down waiting for her father’s words to the incoming stranger. The excitement of the gathered crowds increased with each step of the unknown prince toward the king’s place, and when he finally stood by the king’s throne, he bowed his strong body in a humble way and said, ‘The most powerful king of Babylon, I come from the faraway lands of Amazon to take part in the competition you’ve organized to find a husband for your daughter. Here I am, but I have come to compete for your daughter’s heart, not for her beauty.’ After his last words, all the gathered people, including king of Babylon himself, gasped in disbelief. The young princess, deeply touched by the stranger’s mysterious voice, lifted her eyes and asked the prince to stand up. He obeyed her order and straightened up his body. He greeted her with the most beautiful smile she had ever seen; she felt her heart race suddenly with embarrassment. The king couldn’t believe what he just heard and saw. His daughter, with excitement in her eyes, couldn’t stop looking at the late contestant. At the same time, the young stranger said, ‘This is my gift for you, the famous princess of Babylon.’ Extending his arm toward her, he let a red bird fly to the princess’s place. She sighed joyfully and let the beautiful bird land on her throne’s armchair, and she touched his soft feathers. She then whispered to the king, ‘Father, did you ever see such a celestial bird before?’ An outburst of joy filled the entire kingdom of Babylon, and everybody agreed that this was to be the future husband of the princess of Babylon.

"However, the other competitors didn’t like it and started to leave the court one after another with angry promises of war. The famous kings were humiliated by the Babylonian king and his daughter’s choosing of the stranger from the faraway lands of Amazon and not one from the neighboring kingdoms. The king of Babylon didn’t know what to do or what to think about everything that had just happened. Instead of making wedding plans for his daughter and her beloved Amazon, he had to gather with his ministers to plan on defending the Kingdom of Babylon against the Pharaoh’s army from the West and the Hindu army from the East. At the same time, the Amazon got a message from his homeland that his mother needed him to be present at the bedside of his gravely ill father Chaka. The young prince asked his bride to wait for him until he returns. Before the prince of Amazon left the Babylonian court, he kindly asked the phoenix to take care of his bride until his next arrival to Babylon. The poor princess of Babylon started to cry, now faced with such an unhappy situation. Her sadness carried on for many days, and no one was able to help her with her grief or make her stop crying. She didn’t leave her bed for weeks and only wrote for hours, something that made her unhappiness even worse. Finally, she sat on her bed and wiped her eyes. She said lifelessly, looking at the red bird, ‘I don’t think I will see my prince again, but I want him to know how much I appreciated his friendship.’

"She started to read what she had written for days. Her voice was soft and stoic, and an invisible smile crossed her beautiful face before she started to read. ‘My enchanted Amazon… my thoughts are with you. You are my eternity and never-ending dream. Your words are my words, and my words are yours in this eternal universe. How difficult it is to live without the heart from the sky above me. You were right from the beginning: only you and I knew. No other heart understands this heaven of ours. Our paradise is eternal. I feel your warm breath in this sky’s heart when you are down and lonely and looking for me. I hear you through the mystical tears coming from the sky in the morning. Each new day takes us away from each other and then we are back to our dreams to feel again our rhythm. Lastly I listen, I understand, and I remember. Being your dancer, being your soul, being your eyes, and seeing how much you feel make me strong. The dreams are reality. Seeing you leaving me was like walking with death across a river on a very thin line. Missing you was the saddest shadow that crossed my mind, but at the same time, this experience opened my soul to your eternal love without any conditions.’

"At the same time, tears started to roll down the phoenix’s eyes, and he couldn’t listen to the princess’s reading any longer. He flew to her bed and sat on the bed’s gold headboard and said, ‘You’ve just broke my heart, my dear princess of Babylon. Your love to my dearest Amazon is deeper than the sea between the Amazon lands and Mesopotamia, and I am going to take you to your lover, who is gone for so many days already.’ The princess of Babylon stopped reading and with absolute disbelief lifted her head and looked at the celestial bird and asked, ‘Did you just speak to me?’

"‘Yes, I did,’ confirmed the bird.

"‘How it is possible that you speak my language?’

"‘Oh, no, I am dreaming. It is only a dream,’ the Princess whispered sadly and started to cry again.

"‘Stop this crying,’ said the phoenix. ‘You are not dreaming. In the Amazon lands, people communicate with birds and animals. It is nothing unusual. We live peacefully together in our beautiful land, without any wars, and people love us with all their hearts, and we love them. We are people’s eyes and ears. We’ve protected them for centuries from any misfortunes or disasters. In our lands, people live for hundreds of years, and we live for thousands of years.’

"‘Is this true?’ the surprised princess of Babylon asked.

"‘Yes, I am not going to repeat myself over and over. Try to focus your mind and listen to me carefully,’ said the phoenix impatiently. The poor princess had to rub her eyes, pinch her cheeks, and shake her head, and she was still able to see and hear the red bird. It must be true, she said to herself. The bird talks. Unbelievable. I have to tell my father. She almost jumped out of the bed, but the phoenix’s strong wings stopped her from leaving her place.

"‘No! You cannot tell the king about what you see and hear right now. If you do, you’ll never reunite with your beloved Amazon.’

"‘How can I leave my father and our kingdom without letting them know where I am going?’

"‘You have to choose, my dear princess. Either believe in what I am telling you, or tell you father and never see the Amazon prince again.’

"‘Oh, no, why must my life be so unhappy?’ cried the princess, covering her eyes again. The phoenix didn’t say anything else and waited for the princess’s decision. After a long time, she finally stopped crying and looked again at the bird sitting silently on the golden headboard and said, ‘Why are you not talking anymore?’ Silence filled the room, and no word was heard for another hour until the princess of Babylon sat comfortably on her