In this edition we are going to focus on the bond between folk stories and prophets' stories. Then we fly to the land of Iranian stories. Keep us company until the end of the program.

In Most of the folk stories, from the oldest to the latest ones, from fairy tales to heroic ones, the theme of prophets are used in order to attract the attention of addressees. In these kind of stories, three types of roles are played by prophets; the active role of prophets, the marginal role of prophets and adaptation of prophets' stories.

The heroes' use of prophets' tools and means and assisting the heroes of the stories in their dreams by prophets are the examples of the bond between folk stories and prophets' stories.        

Narrators of folk stories have used the attractiveness and fame of Prophets' stories to furnish their stories with religion and miracle and so to uphold their stories. The heroes of these stories, even in Eskandarnameh, in addition to going to war and achieving material goals are after expanding the religion of Islam. Narrators and authors of folk stories believe some heroes are paid special attention by prophets. It can be said that the bond between folk stories and religion could lead to the expansion of religious and ethical values and teachings.

Here we skip this section and fly to the land of Iranian stories and fables. In this edition we relate the last episode of the story of Choqoon dooz.

We said that once upon a time there was a boy called Ebrahim who fell in love with the king's daughter. Everyone tried to convince Ebrahim to forget her as the king would be angry. However Ebrahim didn't listen to anyone and was deeply in love with the princess. Ebrahim's uncles gave him money to start a business so that he would forget the princess. But Ebrahim paid the money to free a dragon, a cat and a dog and along with the trio left home on a journey to collect magic objects which assisted him to achieve his goal. We also said that Ebrahim, by touching the magical ring he had gained, summoned five demons who made appear the princess he was in love with and the palace she lived in. This was while an old woman sent by the king, found the princess. And now the rest of the story.

Ebrahim who was deeply in love with the princess, once again summoned the five demons by touching the magic ring the cat and the dog had obtained from the princess's chamber. So, once again the demons made the palace appear with the princess inside. Exalted by seeing the princess, Ebrahim left her to hunt for dinner.

In the city it was heard that the princess and her palace were disappeared. So the king summoned the old woman and asked her to look for the princess.

The old woman then got on her flying box, passed the deserts and seas until she found the princess.

In front of the palace's gate, the dog and the cat, which had transformed into two guards in red, were standing. Seeing the old woman, they went forward and told her that if she comes in, she would be beheaded. So the old woman sat somewhere to think what to do.

It was dark and Ebrahim came back from hunting. As he saw the old woman, he thought that she had come there in order to fool them around. So he prepared dinner and took it to palace where they all sat down to eat. He then asked for the old woman to come in. Ebrahim then wrote a letter to the king, saying: If you send for your daughter for one thousand times, I'll bring her back to myself.

Ebrahim then cut the old woman's nose and ears and put them in an envelope along with the letter and sent it to the king.

As the king received the letter, he sent his army to Ebrahim. Ebrahim who was walking on the roof, spotted the army coming toward the palace.

He then took out the fairy's hair and burnt it. The fairy appeared in a wink of an eye and asked Ebrahim what she could do for him.

Ebrahim then told her the whole story. After a short while the fairy brought a big army. So the two armies started fighting. The king was also among the crowd.

Ebrahim who saw that the king was in danger, went to him and asked him to let him to marry his daughter with the dragon coming toward him. As the king saw the dragon, he started shivering from fear and told Ebrahim that he would let Ebrahim to marry his daughter.

So the war ended and the king held a big wedding ceremony for Ebrahim and his daughter. And they lived happily ever after.

AE/RM/EA