Select the tale Contents Two brothers The happy cobbler The invincible Cock Lazy Hoory The paradise flower The hunter that lied A big pot of gold The master and the labourer The carnival Brother axe The foolish man The king & the peddler Travelers Nazar the brave The fox that lost its tail The dog and the cat The handless girl Black kiddy Unlucky Panoss The liar One drop of honey The sparrow The death of Kikos The talking fish The end of the wicked The Miller- King Zangi Zrangi

THE HAPPY COBBLER

Once upon a time in the city of Baghdad there lived a king whose name was Haronn El-Resehid. This king had a habit of disguising himself and making the rounds of the city to find out what was going on in his capital. And one night, dressed like a dervish, as he was passing through a dark street, he heard

the sound of song and music coming from a poor man's house. He paused a moment, then curious, he boidly entered and saw that it was an empty, desolate home. On a carpet spread before the fireplace, huddled around a plain table, the owner of the house and musicians were playing, singing and having a great time.

"Greetings to you, happy man," he bowed low to the man of the house. "A thousand welcomes, Dervish Baba. Pray, join us. Let us eat the morsel of bread God has given us together, and let us be happy together," begged the landlord, and the dervish being seated with them, they kept on with their merriment. Late in the night the landlord paid his musicians and sent them off. After they went the dervish asked the landlord. "What is your name, friend?" "My name is Hassan," the man replied. "I trust you won't think me impertinent, Brother Hassan. If I ask you what your occupa-tion is, and how much money you make, to be able to have such a good time." "One does not need much money to enjoy himself." replied the landlord "one can enjoy life even with a most modest income. I am a cobbler, I mend shoes, what I earn a day is but a trifle. I come home in the evening, spend part of my earning for food, the rest I give to musi-cians as you saw. We sit together and enjoy ourselves. Rut if God should send us a guest like you, ail the better."

Rubine Sargsyan 13 years

"May joy and happiness always be with you, Hassan. But if suddenly the source of your-meagre income should dry up, then what will you do?"
"Why should it dry up, Dervish Baba?"
"For instance, suppose some day the King has a whim and suddenly issues an edict for-bidding all cobbling?"
"The King is too busy with far more important worries to think of cobblers. What have cobblers done to the King that he should punish them thus? No need of worrying about such things now. When such a thing happens there will be time enough to think about it. Gob is merciful. Now let us retire for the night, Dervish Baba. Have no worries. The world is always thus, as you take hold od it goes. For he who wants to enjoy himself, there's always plenty to enjoy with.''

Early in the morning the dervish was off to his work, and soon after, the streets and the public squares of Baghdad were filled with town criers shouting the King's new edict: Cobblers were ordered to close their shops, and from that day on, no one was permitted to practice the trade. Those who disobeyed the King's order would be beheaded. They took away poor Hassan's awl and planting a resounding slap on his face, threw him out of his shop and locked the door. The next night Haroun El-Reschid, again dressed like a dervish, made the rounds of the city. He again passed by Hassan's home, and hearing the sound of music and singing, entered. "Oh, Greetings, greetings, Dervish Baba! Pray take your seat.
" They sat down, ate and drank, played and sang and had a merry time until midnight. At midnight the minstrels took their pay and left, leaving behind the landlord and the dervish.
"Do you know what happened to me today, Dervish Baba?"
"What?" "What you predicted last night came true. Today the King issued an edict forbidding our trade."
"What!" the guest said surprised.
"Then how did you get the money for tonight's merri-ment?" "I found a clay jug and now I peddle a water. Part of my earnings I allot for food, the rest for musicians. I again have my good time."
"But if the King should forbid peddling water too, then what will you do?"
"Do we harm the King by selling water that he should forbid it? Should he do so, there will be time enough to think about it. Have no fear, my friend, there will always be a piece of bread and a cosy corner where I can enjoy myself." "May Allah bring prosperity to your home, Hassan," said the dervish and went away.

Early next morning the voice of the town criers shook the city of Baghdad, announcing that Haroun El-Reschid the King had forbidden peddling water in the street, that water belonged to God, and that from that day on, no one had the right to sell it for money. They seized poor Hassan's clay jug and shattered it to a thousand pieces and sent him empty-hand-ed from the fountain. The next night the King, again disguised, made the rounds of the city and approached Hassan's home. One c again hearing the sound of merriment inside, he entered.
"Oh ho, it's you, Dervish Baba! Pray take a seat and let us enjoy ourselves. Let us stretch the day and shorten the night. Let us be gay, Dervish Baba, it is better to be gay than to be sad."
"Of course it is better to be gay since we all shall die some day. He who can, let him be gay," saying that, the dervish took his seat beside Hassan. Late at night the minstrels took their pay and left, leaving the Dervish and Hassan alone.
"Brother Hassan, they said today the King had forbidden the sale of water, I wonder if that's true?"
"Of course, they shattered all our water jugs. Man alive, you must be a prophet, whatever you say comes true." "Then where did you get the money for tonight's party?"
"May money be the least of our worries; it's very easy to find money, Dervish Baba. I entered the service of an employer, he pays me by the day, part of my pay goes to living expenses, the other, to musicians to amuse me.
The thing which matters is a man's heart, Dervish Baba."
"You are a man after my heart, Hassan. With a heart like that you are worthy of being the King's courtier," exclaimed the dervish.
"My God, Dervish! What you say always comes true, I trust this one, too, will come true."
"Why not? There's nothing impossible in this world." Saying it, the Dervish took his leave. Early next morning the King's officers surrounded Hassan's home. "Is this home of Hassan, the man who loves a gay time?"
"Yes, I am Hassan," he replied in surprise.
"In the name of the King follow us." And they took Hassan straight to the King's palace where he was told that the King had given him a position in the palace. They dressed him like a courtier, buckled a sword from his waist, and made him stand guard at one of the gates of the palace. All day Hassan stood at his post doing nothing and in the evening they sent him home empty-handed, ordering him to report in the morning. That night Haroun El-Reschid disguised once again made the rounds of the city. Approaching Hassan's home he listened and, much to his surprise, he again heard the sound of music and song.
"Dervish, dervish, may your candle burn long! Come in and take a seat. Your prediction of last night again came true. The King gave me a post in his palace."
"You don't say!" "God be witness!"
"And he apparently gave you money."
"No, what money? He didn't give me a piaster. They sent me home empty-handed."
"Then where did you get the money for tonight's party?"
"Sit down and I will tell you. They gave me a sword to wear. When I came home I thought the matter over. I was not going to kill a man, after all. So, I sold the steel of the sword, and replaced it with a wooden blade. I put it on and came home. I used the money to stage the party. Didn't I do the right thing, dervish? It is better to have a good time than a sword to kill."
"Ha, ha, ha," the Dervish chuckled.

"You have done well to do good, Hassan. But if the king should order you tomorrow to cut off the head of a criminal, then what are you going to do?" "A plague on your lip, oh sinister dervish," Hassan was angry. "Unfortunately, everything you say comes true. Can't you utter something good?" Hassan was deeply offended. He could not sleep all night from fear. And as a matter of fact, the next day the King summoned Hassan and ordered him to behead a criminal. "Unsheathe your sword and cut off this criminal's head." "May God give you long life, great King." - replied Hassan horrified. "I have never behead-ed a man in all my life I can't do it now. You have many experienced men in your palace, order someone else to behead the man." "I am commanding you," barked the King."If you hesitate one moment your head will fly off. Unsheathe your sword." Upon this, poor Hassan approached the doomed man and raising his hands to heaven he cried: "Oh, God! Thou knowest who sins and who is just.

Rubine Sargsyan 13 years

If this man is guilty, give me the strength to cut off his head in one blow; if he is just, let my sword turn into wood." With these words he drew his sword, and lo and behold! It was a wooden sword!
The courtiers were astounded at the miracle. King Haroun El-Reschid burst into a hearty chuckle and told his courtiers the whole story.
Joining in the laughter, the courtiers praised the fun-loving Hassan and the King. Even the doomed man who was kneeling, his head bent low waiting for the blow, started to laugh. The King pardoned the prisoner, then turning to Hassan, he proclaimed him his favourite in the whole kingdom, and gave him a position in his palace so that he could keep on living gay and happy and teach the fine art of happy living to all the world.