Here we are with you with another edition of "Iranian stories and fables". We hope you enjoy the program.

We told you that one of the prominent features of folk stories is their use of ancient methods of prophets' accounts. In most of Iranian folk stories, the prophets' accounts are used in order to draw the attention of the audience.

Iranian literature has been influenced by Qur’anic teachings since Islam entered this country. In some Iranian folk stories prophets play serious and critical role. They usually come to assist the hero of the story or an army. 

 Khedhr is the beloved character who assists the hero of the story. In Khavarannameh, Khedhr assists Amr Zamiri Ayyar and in Hamzehnameh, he guides Hamzeh in all difficult stages of life.

In the story of Hamzehnameh, Hamzeh sees Khedhr on Qaaf Mountain. Khedhr feeds him and lets him know about the signs of demons.

In the long story of Junaidnameh, Junaid rides on a flying horse and lands on a mountain. There he meets with Khedhr. Then Khedhr takes him to the city of Saneh badr in order to meet with Rashideh. The hero of the story takes long ways in an hour by getting on flying horses, and fairies.

Here we skip this section and continue with the story of the apple of Prophet Solomon. We hope you’ll enjoy it.

We said that once upon a time there was a king who had three sons named Malek Mohammad, Malek Ebrahim and Malek Jamshid. He owned a strange garden where nobody was allowed to go in. Before dying, the king also advised his sons not to enter the garden. But once he died, his eldest son Malek Mohammad unlocked the garden and went in. At the end of the garden he reached a desert where he met a gazelle which took him to a palace. In the palace there was a king who asked Malek Mohammad to make his dumb daughter speak or else he would be decapitated. As Malek Mohammad failed to make the princess speak, the king beheaded him.

Since Malek Mohammad's brothers hadn't heard from their brother for a long, Malek Ebrahim left for the garden to look for him. This was while Malek Ebrahim had the same destiny as his eldest brother and was decapitated by the king because he couldn’t cure the king's daughter.

This time Malek Jamshid, the youngest prince, thinking that something should have happened to his brothers, went to the garden. Having crossed the desert he faced the same gazelle who asked him to stay still until it comes back.

And now the rest of the story:

Before the gazelle came back, Malek Jamshid decided to look around to see who knew about the secret behind the gazelle. He had not gone a long way that he faced an old man sitting in a tent.

Malek Jamshid then went forward and asked the old woman why she was sitting in such a place.

The old woman laughed and asked Malek Jamshid to enter the tent.

As the prince went into the tent, the old woman brought him a glass of water. Then Malek Jamshid told her the entire story of his brothers and the gazelle.

As the old woman heard about the gazelle, her face got red and started insulting the gazelle.

Shocked by her reaction, Malek Jamshid asked her why she was angry with the gazelle. The old woman then told him that the gazelle was actually the king's daughter who changed herself into an animal to allure the youth. She then takes her victims to the palace where they are beheaded by the king.

The old woman also told Malek Jamshid that up to 200 people had already been beheaded with this trick.

As Malek Jamshid heard these words, he got sad because of his brothers who had been killed by the king. So he asked the old woman what to survive.

The old woman gave him an apple called Solomon's Apple.

Then she suggested Malek Jamshid to put the apple under the light and talk to it.

Malek Jamshid took the apple and went after the gazelle where they reached a gate. At the gate the same man came forward and took Malek Jamshid to the palace.

In the palace the king asked Malek Jamshid to make his dumb daughter talk otherwise he would be killed just his two brothers.

Malek Jamshid was then taken to the princess's room. During the night Malek Jamshid tried many times to make the princess talk, but he failed. Thus, he took out the Solomon's Apple from his pocket and put it under the light.

He then recited some words the old woman had taught him.

Then the apple started speaking and telling a story.
 

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