Reading Notes: Week 6 Turkish Fairy Tales Part A

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The Wizard Dervish

 There was a king who was sad because he couldn't have a son. A dervish appear gave him an apple. The dervish told him to eat half and give the other half to his wife. In time, the king would be granted a son, but the son reached twenty-years-old he would belong to the dervish. So, the king had a son who lived a happy life. When the son was twenty and was ready to marry, the dervish came and stole him.

The prince saw three white doves who transformed into women. One of the women stayed back and warned him to tell her father, the dervish, he didn't know anything after he beat the prince. After the prince told the dervish he knew nothing, the dervish let him go.

The same dove appeared to the prince and gave him a bird. She told him when her father asks which of three maidens he desired to pick her. If he didn't recognize her, he was to say he desired the maiden to whom the bird shall fly.

The next day the dervish brought him before three maidens and asked which one he preferred. He produced the bird and said who it belonged to he would desire. He was married to the same maiden who the bird belonged to, but without the consent of her mother who was a witch.

CONT.

The mother approached them. The maiden changed the prince into a garden and herself into a gardener and continued to not answer her mother's questions until the witch went away. The maiden transformed them both back to normal then saw her mother coming back. She changed him into an oven and herself into a baker. When her mother left, the maiden changed her and the prince back. This happened again, they changed to a pond and a duck. The mother witch went. The prince and maiden stopped at an inn near the prince's birthplace. The prince left to find them a carriage, but he encountered the dervish and was taken to his father's palace where the wedding guests of the first marriage remained. He was confused and thought it to be a dream. Meanwhile, inside the inn, the maiden had thought he had forgotten her. She turned herself into a dove and flew to the palace and by the prince's shoulder. Angrily, she said he had left her then she went back to the inn, Realizing it was no dream, the prince rode a carriage for the inn and took her to the castle.

The first bride was upset and left for her home leaving the wedding without a bride. So, the Prince married the dervish's daughter.

The beginning of the story reminded me of the Brothers Grimm story of Rapunzel. The mother was given something to eat and would be taken away by the witch/neighbor.

However, I think the maiden who turns into a dove giving the prince a bird is confusing. She turns into a bird. I think would have been better to have made it an object. It was funny to read the maiden changing them back and forth, but I think it was done too many times. I would've liked it better if it had been done either one time or the witch had realized the truth.

The Crow-Peri

 There was a man with a son. The man spent his days changing birds and selling them. One day the father died leaving the son alone. He had no idea what his father did for a living until he came across one of his father's bird traps. He took it to the forest and placed it in a tree. Soon a crow flew by and was caught.

The boy was ready to seize the bird when it begged him for freedom in exchange for a more beautiful and valuable bird. The boy agreed and set the trap again. Another bird was caught. He was astonished by its beauty. The crow told him to take it to the Padishah(sultan) who will buy it. The boy did as told and Padishah was pleased. The bird was placed in a golden cage where the Padishah could admire it.

The Padishah's servant envied the boy's fortune and told the Padishah to place the bird in an ivory kiosk. The Padishah didn't know where to find one, and the servent suggested the boy produce one. Padishah commanded the boy to procure the ivory kiosk for the bird in forty days.

The crow appeared to the boy and told the boy to ask for forty wagons of wine. After obtaining the wine, the crow told him to go to the forest where forty drinking troughs were left for the elephants. When the elephants are drunk on the ground, he must cut the tusks off and take them to the King. The boy did as instructed and brought the ivory back to the palace where the King was delighted. The kiosk was soon built. The bird hopped around in the cage but didn't sing. 

The servant said the former owner of the bird could make it sing. So, the Padishah called upon the boy and gave him forty days to find the former owner or he shall kill the boy.

CONT.

The boy cried on his way home, but once again the crow appeared to help. The crow told the boy to request a large ship where forty maidens with a garden and a beautiful bath could fit. The Padishah fulfilled his request. Then the crow said to always sail to the right and to not stop until he comes to a high mountain. At the foot of the mountain dwells the forty Peris who will want to inspect the ship but to only allow the Queen to come on board because she is the owner. While showing her the ship, he must set sail and not stop until he arrives home. So, the boy did as told. He arrived at the mountain and only allowed the Queen on board. She was delighted with the ship. She even bathed while the ship left for his home. When she discovered the ship had left, the Queen cried, but the boy consoled her and told his quest. They reached the palace, and when she passed the bird's kiosk the bird sang. The fairy Queen was at ease and admired how the Padishah couldn't stop looking at her.

Soon, the marriage of the Fairy Queen and Padishah took place. They were happy, but the servant was not. One day, the Queen took ill and had to be taken home where she would be cured. The servant suggested the boy take her back.

The boy was ready to set sail when the crow appeared and asked where he was going. The crow said the palace is on the other side of the mountain, and two lions guarded the door. The crow gave him a feather and stroke their maws with it.

He did as he was told, and the lions did not harm him. Other fairies gathered around and helped the Queen. The crow came to her apartment and sat on the boy's shoulder and looked at the Queen. She was given medicine and was revived. The Queen recognized the crow as one of her fairy-servant whom she changed into a crow as punished for her negligence. Seeing what good the crow has done, the Queen pardoned her and the crow turned into a lovely maiden.

In accordance with the Queen's wish, the King allowed the maiden to be wed to the bird-catcher. The envy servant was dismissed. The bird-catcher was made Vezir (advisor), and they all lived happily.

I enjoyed this story. Though I am not completely familiar with this story, I have heard pieces of it before. While reading I really, really wanted the crow to secretly be a woman. So, when she transformed back into one I was excited and happy because I'm a romantic. I think people deserve love.

Bibliography: 

The Wizard Dervish and The Wizard Dervish (cont.) written by Ignacz Kunos (1913).

The Crow-Peri and The Crow-Peri (cont.) written by Ignacz Kunos (1913).