There once lived in the city of Balsore a young man named Azem, who was engaged in dyeing. He was famous for his excellent taste in the choice of his colors, as well as for the beauty of his face and cheerful disposition. But he was not rich and with the income from his labors he also supported his old mother, who lived with him.
One day, when he was usually busy with his work, he saw a richly dressed stranger enter his workshop, who, looking at him, cried out:
“How can a young man with such appearance and such intelligence engage in such skill?”
“I am not ashamed,” said Azem, “of my honest craft and I know how to limit my desires.”
“But if you were presented with,” continued the stranger, “a means to quickly create your happiness, would you really resist and not want to take advantage of it?”
“No, if it didn’t burden my conscience, it would bring me great pleasure.”
“My son,” said the stranger. - I have a means for this; I know the wonderful secret of turning simple metal into gold and I can make your happiness. Be at your shop as early as possible tomorrow.
After the old man left, Azem thought a lot about his proposal and, after consulting with his mother, began to look forward to the morning.
At dawn, he ran to his shop, wanting to meet his new friend, who did not keep himself waiting long and soon appeared with a melting pot in his hands. After the usual greetings, the stranger asked the young man to light a fire. He asked if he had any low metal - iron, lead or something similar. Azem found an old copper pot and broke it into pieces. Then the stranger took the vessel, then, taking off his turban, poured yellow sand into it, uttered a few mysterious words, took the vessel off the fire, and instead of copper, a shiny ingot of gold appeared in it.
Admired Azem began to ask the stranger to share his secret.
“Okay, I’ll come to you in the evening, and if we’re alone, I’ll be happy to tell you the secret,” said the stranger.
In the evening Azem prepared a rich dinner within his means and soon saw an old man entering.
At dinner, Azem drank a lot of wine, to which he was not accustomed, and soon became drunk.
When the old man saw that Azem was too drunk, he quietly poured sleeping powder into him and forced him to drink. As soon as Azem drank, he collapsed on his pillow, immersed in a deep sleep.
The evil old man took advantage of this and, putting Azem in the chest, shouted to the porters, who had been prepared in advance, who, taking the chest, carried it to the ship, ready to sail.
Azem's mother, returning home, was very surprised that her son was not there; After waiting another day, she finally realized that a misfortune had happened to her son. The poor mother's despair was inexpressible.
Meanwhile, the insidious kidnapper sailed with a fair wind. He was an evil sorcerer, every year he traveled to Khorasan, a region of Persia, to lure some Muslim and through him to obtain the necessary things for alchemy and then kill him so that his secret would not be revealed.
Two days after their departure, Baram (that was the name of the sorcerer) opened the chest and sprinkled some liquid into Azem’s face. Azem sneezed, rubbed his eyes and began to look around in surprise. Very soon he realized that he was caught in the villain's net.
Turning to the old man, Azem said:
- What are you doing to me, my father? You promised me pleasures and riches, is this what you reassured me about?
“Unfaithful dog, Muslim dog,” answered the sorcerer, “you should die by my hand, and my pleasure should be a continuation of your torment; you are my fortieth victim. There is still salvation for you: renounce Islam and bow to the sacred fire that I honor.
- May heaven destroy you and your faith! - Azem answered, jumping up like a frenzy. “I swear by Mohammed that I will never exchange my faith in the true God.”
- Unhappy! - objected the sorcerer immediately, who could no longer refrain. - I will try to shake your stubbornness.
Saying this, he called the slaves and ordered Azem to be whipped with a whip, and after torture he ordered to throw him into the lower part of the ship, giving him some bread and water to support life. Azem was subjected to this kind of suffering every day.
One day during the voyage a fierce storm arose; the waves lifted the ship up to the clouds and threatened to break it into pieces. The shipmen had a happy thought that the cause of God’s wrath was the torture to which Azem was subjected, so they ordered his immediate release, and forced Baram to humbly ask him for forgiveness. His slaves, as a warning against outrage, were thrown overboard.
The storm has subsided. Baram, hiding his anger, again gained the trust of the inexperienced Azem with feigned caresses.
Finally the ground appeared. The sorcerer went ashore with Azem and told him that they had arrived in a country where gold could be mined. He ordered the captain of the ship to wait for them for a month off this coast, and then they went inland.
When the sorcerer saw himself alone with Azem, he took out from under his clothes a small tympanum with two sticks and began to beat the march; A storm immediately arose, and three camels appeared from the debris of dust, one of which was loaded with various supplies.
Mounting the camels, they rushed with amazing speed. For eight days nothing stood in their way; on the ninth day, Azem saw a brilliant castle, to which he wanted to direct his path, but Baram turned left, and Azem’s camel, despite his efforts, followed Baram.
Arriving at the forest, they sat down to rest, and Baram explained that this castle was inhabited by evil spirits who had done him a lot of harm.
Having rested, they set off again and soon noticed a chain of black mountains in the distance. Baram said to Azem:
“The top of these mountains is the goal of our journey, and if you follow my orders, we will return richer than the kings themselves.”
Four days later they arrived at the foot of the black mountains. But they were not yet at the destination of their journey: a terrible abyss separated them from the top of the mountain.
Having dismounted from the camels, they ate, and Baram killed the third camel, from which they took out the entrails.
“My son,” he began, “now the final effort lies ahead, for this you must climb into the womb of a camel; when I sew you up, the big rokh bird, thinking that it is carrion, will take you to the top of the mountain, and you, feeling that you have sunk, cut the skin of the animal with a dagger; When you go out, quickly collect black earth into this bag, which you then tie to a rope and lower down; then use the same rope to go down yourself.
Azem was forced to obey and climb into the womb of the animal.
After some time, a huge rokh appeared and, picking up the dead camel, carried it to the top of the mountain.
Azem did everything as Baram ordered, and was already approaching the rock with a bag of black earth.
“My son,” Baram shouted to him from below, “quickly tie the bag and lower it here, then tie the rope to the nearest tree and go down yourself.”
Azem, not suspecting anything, lowered the bag. But as soon as Baram grabbed him, he began to pull the rope hard to pull Azem too, who, not finding a way to save his life, had to let go of the rope.
“Muslim dog, now you will pay dearly for the humiliation you subjected me to!” - the sorcerer shouted. - Go, look for your comrades, who were destroyed by me, of which there are thirty-nine people.
Despite Azem's despair and pleas, he mounted a camel and disappeared from sight. Azem cried and was upset for a long time; Finally, having calmed down, he fell asleep. Waking up, he saw a huge snake near him, ready to swallow him. Azem instantly pulled out a dagger and hit the animal in the head. The size of the snake gave him the idea to skin it and make a rope along which he could descend. He immediately set to work and soon completed it successfully.
After several attempts, he began to descend along the straps he had made and finally, not without difficulty, reached the base of the mountain.
Having thanked the Lord, he walked along the old road along which he had come here.
After some time, he saw that brilliant castle in which, according to Baram, evil spirits lived. Azem, despite this, decided to go there. He was struck by the splendor of the palace and the surrounding garden; after much indecision, he entered the house and, having passed the first room, found two girls playing chess in the second room.
As soon as they saw him, one of them said:
“Ah, sister, this is probably the young man who rode here with the sorcerer Baram a few days ago.”
“I’m the one,” Azem said, throwing himself at her feet and asking for her protection.
The sisters gladly accepted him as a brother, explaining that they were placed here by their parents to monitor the castle.
Azem lived in complete harmony with his sisters, and his friendship with them grew every day.
It happened, however, that at certain times he was hidden in a room from which he could not see anything that was happening in the palace.
One day it occurred to him to disobey his sisters and quietly sneak into the woods; and how great was his surprise when he saw in the baths many young women, beautiful as houris. Azem noticed one in particular and was fascinated by it.
He quite often used this trick to enjoy the delights of a stranger. Both sisters, not knowing anything, noticed with grief that their brother Azem was losing weight every day. In response to their persistent requests to explain the reason for this, Azem confessed his love for the lovely stranger who was sharpening his heart. The sisters spoke about the recklessness of this passion, since it is crazy for a mortal to fall in love with one of the sisters of the queen of spirits, to whom this castle belongs.
Finally, seeing that Azem did not stop yearning, out of brotherly love for him they discovered the secret of how to get the stranger, advising him to take away her light clothes while swimming.
On the first occasion, when the nymphs undressed, the lover Azem stole his beloved’s clothes. After bathing, the nymphs dressed in the air. One of them, who remained captive, began to cry bitterly and ask the kidnapper to return her clothes, but to no avail.
For a long time afterwards she rejected the courtesies of Azem and his sisters. But finally the beautiful face of the young man, his passionate love forced her to respond to his feelings, and soon Azem became the husband of the princess of the Flying Islands.
After living there for some time, Azem decided to visit his mother and announced this to his wife and sisters.
Having said goodbye to their sisters, the young people set off on their journey.
Arriving in Balsora, Azem found his mother there, whose joy cannot be expressed in words; she delightedly hugged her daughter-in-law, whose beauty seemed enchanting to her; she stretched out her hands to the sky and thanked for the prosperity that it had bestowed upon her in her old age.
Showered with gifts of happiness and love, Azem was then one of the richest and happiest inhabitants of Balsora. Two lovely sons completely completed his bliss.
After living in Balsora for several years, Azem remembered the promise he made to the sisters: to visit them. Calling his mother, he gave her his wife’s airy dress with instructions not to give it to her under any circumstances. Then, having said goodbye to his wife, children and mother, he set off on his journey.
His journey was successful, and, arriving at the sisters' palace, he was received by them with indescribable joy.
A few days after Azim left, his wife asked her mother-in-law for permission to go to public baths. The old woman agreed and accompanied her daughter-in-law to the bathhouse, which was visited by the most famous city ladies, as well as by the courtiers of the Caliph Harun al-Rashid, who was then in Balsora.
Arriving there, they found in the bathhouse many women from the retinue of Sultana Zubeida, who, as soon as they saw Azem’s wife, were struck by her supernatural beauty. Some even, not getting enough of seeing her, accompanied her all the way to her home and returned very late to the palace.
When Zubaida saw that they had arrived, she expressed her displeasure at their long absence and wanted to find out the reason for this. Having heard amazing reviews about the beauty of Azem’s wife, she had a strong desire to see her herself and the next day she ordered to ask Azem’s mother to come to her.
As soon as the latter entered her, Zubeida said:
- Don't be afraid of anything. I heard your daughter-in-law being praised and extolled as a marvel of beauty; Desiring to see her, I command you to bring her to me.
Azem's mother did not dare to contradict the command of the Sultana, bowed her head with respect and, promising to fulfill her wish, hurried home.
“Sultana Zubeyda wants to see you,” she said to her daughter-in-law, “hurry to go to her.”
Azem's wife was delighted at this news, immediately dressed up in her richest dress and, accompanied by her children and mother-in-law, went to the palace.
When they arrived, everyone's eyes turned to them. The Sultana, blinded by so many charms, cried out:
- In what country could such heavenly beauty be born?
She cordially invited her to sit down next to her and ordered her to bring something refreshing for her. She praised her and asked her to tell her story, which increased her surprise even more.
“Empress,” Azem’s wife said to her, “if you deign to find me beautiful in this dress, what would you say if you saw me in my own attire?” If you want to satisfy your curiosity, then order my mother-in-law to give me my airy dress; she will not dare to refuse you this, and this will give you the opportunity to see a wonderful sight.
Zubeida, who did not suspect anything, immediately ordered Azem’s mother to go home and bring clothes. At these menacing words, the old woman trembled, remembering the promise she had made to her son, but did not dare to make any objection, went home and brought the magic dress.
Zubeida looked at it for a long time and carefully and was amazed at the art with which this light fabric was woven, then she handed it to Azem’s wife, whose eyes shone with joy.
Since the clothes were already in her power, she hastened to put them on herself, quickly went down to the palace courtyard, took both children in her arms and, before they decided to restrain her, rose with them into the air in front of the surprised gaze of the Sultana and her entire retinue.
“Farewell, dear mother,” she cried, “I instruct you to console my husband, tell him that I will never stop loving him, but the irresistible desire to see my family forces me to leave him.” If he loves me so much that he cannot live without me, then he must find me on the Waak-al-Waak islands.
Having said this, she rose higher and disappeared between the clouds.
When Azem's mother lost sight of her, her despair knew no bounds, she was unable to hide her grief and complained about the sultana as the culprit of her misfortune.
Zubeida, herself filled with pity and sorrow, regretted her curiosity.
While all this was happening in Balsora, Azem, in the midst of abundant and heartfelt treats, thought about his wife and wanted to be with her. He hastened his departure and, saying goodbye to his sisters, set off on his journey.
When he arrived home, he found his mother alone, shedding bitter tears.
- What happened? - he cried. - Oh mother! Where is my wife, where are my children?
At this question, the old woman’s tears doubled, and nothing could express Azem’s despair when he learned of the sad loss.
Having come to his senses, he began to ask what his wife had said last time. Having learned about everything, he made a firm decision to go to the Waak al-Waak Islands. Despite the words of people that these islands lie from Balsora on a journey of 155 years and that it is impossible to reach them, Azem did not change his intentions and soon set off.
When he arrived for advice to the sisters, who were very surprised by his return and especially by his enterprise, they tried to dissuade him in every possible way, imagining the impossibility of fulfilling this intention.
But seeing that no convictions worked, they, after consulting among themselves, gave him a letter of recommendation to two of their uncles, one of whom was called Abd al-Quddus, and the other Abd al-Sullib, and both lived three months away.
Having said goodbye to his sisters, Azem went with letters. After several months of travel, he arrived in the valley; nature was so rich and abundant here that for some time he thought that he was in heaven on earth. Some distance away he saw a beautiful building and went towards it. One venerable old man was sitting under a red colonnade. His gaze stopped with curiosity on the stranger who was approaching him, and he bowed to him warmly. Attracted by Azem's noble appearance, he invited him to sit down.
This old man was Abd-al-Quddus, who, having read the letter of his princesses and learned about Azem's enterprise, began to persuade him not to undertake this journey, since it was full of dangers and difficulties.
“The road goes,” he said, “through barren deserts filled with wild animals, the uncultivated, parched land does not produce any fruit, and in vain would you, dying of thirst, want to find something to refresh yourself: not a single source will present itself to your desperate gaze.” Leave this, my son, do not expose yourself to death and return home.
But Abd al-Quddus tried in vain to shake Azem’s resolve; he didn’t want to know anything and, having rested, wanted to hit the road.
The old man, making sure that he could not dissuade Azem, decided to make his way easier. Having uttered a few mysterious words, he ordered the spirit that appeared before his eyes to transfer Azem to his brother Abd al-Sullib.
The spirit put Azem on his shoulder and rushed through the air with extraordinary speed. By sunset he presented him in the palace of Abd al-Sullib.
Abd al-Sullib, having read the letter from his nieces, was very surprised at the courage of the young man and, like his brother, persuaded him to postpone this undertaking. But Azem’s tears and requests touched the old man, and he decided to help him. Having convened a council of ten spirits, the old man asked their opinion. The spirits were also surprised by the courage of the young man, but decided to help him - to move him to the border of their possessions.
Azem thanked Abd al-Sullib and, taking leave of him, flew with ten spirits. In the course of one day and one night they reached the land of Kafoor, the border of their possessions. Having said goodbye to Azem, the spirits flew back.
Azem, having offered a fervent prayer to Allah, continued on his way; he wandered for ten days without meeting a single living soul. Finally he saw three people who seemed to be burning with intense anger. Azem intended to approach them in order to separate them, when all three quarrels, when I saw him, immediately exclaimed:
- This young man should be a mediator in our dispute!
As he came closer to them, they asked him if he wanted to be a mediator. And when Azem accepted their offer, they showed him the cap, the drum and the ball and said:
“We are three brothers who received this from our parents as an inheritance, but since before their death they did not declare who should get what thing, a heated argument arose between us, and therefore be our mediator and determine what each of us should receive; we swear that your definition will calm us down.
Surprised Azem asked:
“Tell me what price each of these three things can have, because I wouldn’t give anything for them.”
“Young man,” they exclaimed, “each of these three things has a magical power, which, taken separately, surpasses all earthly treasures.” Just deign to listen to us.
“This hat,” said the elder, “has the power to make you invisible.” Therefore, one who possesses it can achieve the highest happiness.
Azem listened with attention to the story about all the benefits that could be derived from this precious hat, and thought to himself that it would not be as useful to anyone as it was to him.
“Now that I am convinced of the merits of this amazing cap, tell me also about the properties of the copper drum.”
“Whoever has such a jewel,” said the second brother, “if he finds himself in the most dangerous situation, will be instantly brought out of it by hitting the letters that are carved on the drum.”
“This drum was truly made for me,” Azem said to himself, “and it is much more useful to me than to these three people.”
“And this is very good,” he said to the second brother, who had so praised the drum to him. “Now let’s see what dignity lies in this wooden ball.”
“Sir,” answered the third brother, “whoever possesses this ball will find miraculous power in it.” He can transport anyone in an instant from one end of the earth to the other; with its help you can complete a journey in two days that would take two hundred years, you just need to assign it the place where you want to be transferred; it will immediately turn and fly through all space as quickly as a stormy whirlwind, taking with it those who wish to travel with it.
When the third brother finished his speech, Azem decided to appropriate the ball for himself in the same way as the other two things.
“But it’s enough,” he told them, “that you told me about the power of these three things; I must also verify the truth of your words. Otherwise, I cannot be your intermediary.
- You are right! - all three brothers cried. “Test their strength as you wish, and may Allah help you in your undertaking.”
Then Azem put a cap on his head, attached a drum to his belt, threw the ball on the ground and named the place where he wanted to go; The obedient ball immediately rose and flew with him throughout the entire space with the speed of the wind.
When the brothers saw that Azem was leaving so hastily with their inheritance, they rushed after him, shouting:
- You have already done the desired experiment: isn’t that enough yet? It will, stop!
But they screamed in vain with all their might, Azem was already ten days' journey away from them.
His ball finally stopped in front of the gates of a vast building. Azem got out of his boat and wanted to find out by hitting the drum what place it was, but he was interrupted by a voice.
“You won, Azem, you overcame some of the difficulties that were ahead of you.” Guard your ball carefully because you are now in the realm of evil spirits.
Azem followed the advice of the voice, hid his ball under his clothes and, looking around, asked:
- Who are you?
“I,” answered the voice, “are one of the spirits who serve you with the power of the drum.” Continue on your way, because you are still three years away from the Waaq al Waaq Islands.
Azem continued his journey and entered a valley covered with reptiles, snakes and wild beasts. He hit the drum and asked:
-What land is this?
“This is the land of dragons,” answered the voice. - Be careful, don't hang around here.
To avoid misfortune, Azem put on an invisibility hat and safely passed through the terrible valley.
Finally he reached the seashore and saw in the distance the Waak-al-Waak islands, the red-flaming mountains of which seemed like golden clouds from the rays of the setting sun. The first look at them filled him with surprise and fear, but he soon became emboldened and struck the drum several times.
-What do you want? - asked his spirit.
“How can I reach those islands without passing through this vast sea?” asked Azem.
“You cannot do this,” said the voice, “without the help of the venerable sage who lives in the desert at the foot of the mountain.”
Azem launched the ball and soon arrived at the elder’s home. Entering him, Azem was received very friendly by him and began to ask him to provide him with a means to cross the sea.
The elder, after listening to all the adventures of Azem, looked into the mysterious book and, after reading a few words to himself, said to him:
“Tomorrow morning, my son, we will go to these mountains, and you will cross the sea, full of miracles.”
With the onset of day, the hermit and Azem set off and, climbing with difficulty along an extremely steep slope, reached a building that looked like a fortification. They entered a courtyard, in the middle of which stood a gigantic statue, with many pipes coming out of it, through which water poured into a gloomy vast reservoir. This miracle was the work of spirits. The hermit lit a fire, threw fragrant powder into it and uttered many words unknown to Azem. As soon as he finished his spell, the clouds thickened, a strong storm arose, lightning cut through the clouds, and thunderclaps were heard in all the mountains.
Azem watched in great fear what was happening around him. Finally the storm subsided, and the elder turned to Azem with the words:
“Now go and look at the sea that you thought was impossible to cross.”
Azem climbed again to the top of the mountain and looked with curiosity at the sea; how great was his surprise when he did not see the slightest trace of it; he carefully looked for signs of this sea, which with its immensity frightened him so much.
“Put your trust in Allah, my son,” the sage told him, “and continue the journey you have undertaken.”
Having uttered these words, the old man disappeared from Azem’s eyes.
Azem set off and finally reached the Waakal-Waak Islands. The nature here seemed marvelous and charming to him, especially one tree like a willow, on which young maidens hung instead of fruit.
At the sight of this miracle, Azem was completely embarrassed and exclaimed:
- O Allah! What a wonderful vision!
Having walked further along the island, he sat down to rest under a tree; at that time some old woman came up to him and, amazed, asked him:
-Where did you come from? Have confidence in me, tell me.
Azem, encouraged by her words, told his story and asked if she could help him.
The old woman promised to do everything in her power and, taking advantage of the darkness of the night, led him into her house, strictly ordering him not to show himself, so as not to disturb the whole country and the women's people.
Azem, delighted that he was finally reaching the goal of his arduous journey, promised the old woman everything she wanted, and with a heart filled with hope, he thanked Allah and prayed to fulfill his desire: to unite him with his wife and children.
The old woman prepared Azem dinner, which he found delicious, although the dishes of this country were completely different from those to which he was accustomed. After that, he lay down and slept with a calm heart.
When he opened his eyes, he saw an old woman sitting at the foot of his bed.
“My son,” she said to him, “I must tell you that your wife, after separation from you, suffered a lot of grief.” No one can give you information about her better than me, because I was the nurse of the queen and all her sisters. I have often witnessed her bitter remorse, which she feels at the mere thought that she was willfully separated from you, and I tried in every possible way to reduce her grief.
Hearing these words, Azem began to cry bitterly; the old woman could only console him with a promise to soon introduce him to the princess.
After she had told him all the misfortunes of his wife since her return to the island, she went to the palace, where she found the queen with her sisters. They consulted about the fate of Azem’s wife, whom they could not forgive for marrying a human being. Their council decided to torture her to death and wash away the shame she had caused to their high family with blood.
As soon as the old woman entered, the queen and her sisters stood up respectfully and asked her to sit down.
-What decision did you make about your ill-fated sister? - she asked the queen.
“Since she,” answered the queen, “agreed to an unequal marriage, giving her hand to a creature that does not belong to the race of spirits, and this dishonor falls on us, we decided to put her to death.”
“Her death will fall on your head,” cried the nurse, “because we are not allowed to punish; however, I ask you for one favor - to allow me to see her again.
Having received permission to do this, she immediately went to the prison to the unfortunate princess, whom she found pale and drowning in tears; Her children played next to her, trying to dispel the sad thoughts of their mother with their innocent amusements and affection. The nurse consoled her, promising an end to her torment and a meeting with Azem soon.
Leaving the princess, delighted by these words, the old woman went to Azem.
Arriving home, she told him about the meeting of the princess’s sisters and advised him to hasten with the abduction of his wife.
Azem was beside himself when he learned of the ill-treatment of his wife.
When night fell, the nurse led him to the foot of the tower in which the princess was imprisoned.
Azem spent the rest of the night in prayer and, when he saw the morning dawn, he put his hat on his head and became invisible to everyone. The queen appeared accompanied by many slaves. She unlocked the doors of the dungeon, and Azem, mingling with her retinue, entered with them, without being seen by anyone.
With difficulty he restrained the feelings of grief and love that overcame him upon entering this sad dwelling; he pressed himself into the corner of the dungeon and witnessed how the queen treated her sister.
- Stop, you ruthless ones, fear the vengeance of heaven! - cried Azem, who could no longer contain his anger.
The queen, frightened by the menacing voice she heard, looked around her with fear and hastily ran away with her slaves. The princess, recognizing the voice of her husband, put both hands on her chest and raised her beautiful eyes to the sky to thank him for his unexpected help.
Left alone with the princess, Azem threw off his hat and threw himself into the arms of his wife. They shed tears of joy for a long time; finally, having calmed down, they began to come up with a means of escape.
At this time, the keys knocked on the doors, and the housekeeper entered the dungeon, bringing food. Azem barely had time to put on his hat.
After having dinner with the princess, the housekeeper went to bed right there in the dungeon.
Azem took advantage of this opportunity, quietly crept up to her and, unhooking the bunch of keys that she wore on her belt, carefully unlocked the doors of the prison and hastily led his wife and children out of this woeful home. They walked very quickly and, although they were burdened with their two children, they continued their journey all night, so that by sunrise they were already far from the city.
When the queen learned about her sister’s escape, she became indescribably angry; She called for help all the spirits she knew, who vied with each other to fulfill her orders and immediately, with a large army, set off to pursue the fleeing woman with the firm intention of cutting her into pieces.
Azem, seeing the queen’s countless army, grabbed his drum and began to beat it. Legions of spirits covered the plain, instantly formed into battle formation and boldly moved against the queen’s army. A terrible battle began, the likes of which no one had ever seen before, because these were not people, but spirits from all over the earth, fighting against each other. The spirits of Azemov finally won the victory, and the queen and her entire retinue were taken prisoner.
When Azem’s wife saw her older sister in such humiliation, she threw herself at her husband’s feet and began to beg for mercy. Azem assured that he was not thinking about revenge at all, treated the queen with respectful politeness and promised to forget all her injustices if she returned her love to her sister.
Queen Waak-al-Waak, defeated by the generosity of her enemy, asked for sincere forgiveness for all the cruelties towards her sister.
From that moment peace was concluded. Merry festivities accompanied him. Finally, the former enemies said goodbye like true friends. Azem went home and, with the help of the ball, a few days later he visited Abd-al-Sullib, with whom he lived for some time, and presented him with an invisibility cap as a token of gratitude, which greatly interested the old man.
On the way, the couple stopped by Abd al-Quddus, who also received them very kindly and received a drum from Azem as a gift. Having said goodbye to him, the travelers went to the two sisters, who, having learned in advance about their approach, came out to meet them; merry festivities continued for a whole month.
It was necessary for them to finally part ways. The magic ball was given to the sisters.
Azem and his wife arrived in Balsora. It is impossible to express the joy that Azem’s mother experienced when she saw again her son, whom she had long mourned.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru