THEGARDENER

AND THE FAKIR

gloves. Every year, the
sultan, who was already
immeasurably wealthy,
nce upon a time, received ever more
somewhere in the east, gold candlesticks,
there lived a very rich pieces ofjewellery and
sultan. He was so precious jewels.
unbelievably rich that One day an emir
even the country's flag came to visitwho gave
was studded with the sultan a small box.
diamonds. The sultan opened it
Sometimes an emir eagerly. He expected a
— a sort of gold ring, a silver
under"sultan — would watch or a diamond,
come to visit and tell but instead, there was a
him whether the wheat kind of onion in the
harvest had been box.
successful or if the Taken aback, the
children were working sultan looked at the
hard at school. That emir. 'M/hat is this?'
sort of thing.
'l understand your
These emirs always surprise, oh great
brought along a present Sultan,' said the emir
for the sultan. That was quickly, (but it is a tulip
the custom. Mostly bulb. It must be planted
these were very in the ground and then
expensive things, a wonderfully beautiful
because... well... you flower, a tulip, will
can't come to see a

THE GARDENER AND THE FAKIR 122

 these bulbs with me so 'I'll give you some medicine
that you will have the and you'll soon get better,' said
most beatfiiful garden the doctor,
in the world.
'Oh,' said thésult%n. He didn't e..-.Cö

look very happy and he said to

his servant: 'Summon the 0
gardener and help him to plant
all the... er... the... er... tulip
thingummybobs.' Then he turned
back to the emir and said: 'l .0
thank you for this gift. And tell
me now one thing: are you busy
with important matters of state?
Or just with flowers?'

The sultan's gardener was a dear

old man who loved his work. He
was always busy making the
garden as beautiful as possible.
Now he was tired, after piling up
all the sacks of tulip bulbs in the
shed.
He wearily traipsed back to his
house on the edge of the large
palace grounds.
He held one little bulb in his
hand. il'm curious,' he said and But the sultan
he planted it behind his house. 'If didn't get better.
these tulips really are as He just got
beautiful as the emir says, then worse, and
we can plant all the •others. in the became even
A couple ofdays after the emir more ill. Other
had left, the sultan became medical
unwell. Really very unwell. The experts were
doctor came and the sultan summoned
whispered hoarsely: 'It's just as if but no-one knew
I have a tummy ache in my head exactly what
and a headache in my tummy.' was ailing the
sultan. Soon

THE GARDENER AND THE FAKIR 123

 people throughout the land beautiful music that tears
were talking about their welled up in the gardener's
ruler's strange illness that eyes. He listened in
appeared to have no cure. amazement. All of a
The old gardener was busy sudden he saw something
watering the magnolias when curious in the ground right
a tramp came wandering into in front of him. A small
the garden, He was a thin red shoot had pushed itself
man wearing worn-out out of the earth. He took
sandals. He had a very long another good look and,
beard and a dusty turban on yes, he was right: a red
his head. Under his arm flower was growing out of
he.ouas carryifåg a little the ground. The gardener
rolled-up carpet. had never seen anything
'Good day,' said the gardener. grow so fast! It was in the
'You look thirsty. Would you very place that he had
like something to drink?' planted the tulip bulb. The
Silently the tramp took a pitcher bewitching sound of the
of water and slowly drained it. shanai had made the
Then he said: 'You are a good flower spring into life.
man. Do you have a shady spot 'Oh, how marvellous the
here where I can rest?' 'But of gardener cried out. 'The sultan
course,' answered the gardener. has to see this!'
'Come with me. You can eat When the tulip had grown to
something too, ifyou like.' its full magnificent height, the
He led the tramp to his man stopped playing. He said:
cottage where he gave him
a big oat cake. In the Rich is the man who has
shade behind the house, great wealth
the man unrolled his Butgives it all away
carpet. Inside was a sort of Aperson who givesfeely
flute. Finds happiness every day
'What a lovely instrument,'
said the gardener. They both looked at the
'It is a shanai,' said the tulip in silence. The
tramp. He put the instrument gardener thought about
up to his lips and began to the sultan. As ifthe man
blow. could read his mind, he
said: 'I am a fakir. I know
An exquisite melody
why the sultan is ill. He is
could be heard, such
ill because of all his
THE GARDENER AND THE FAKIR 124
power and wealth. It is too on his face. 'The tulip
much, much too much thingummybob,' he
forjust one person. OnIy whispered. 'How lovely,
when he can value true 'We will put it next to
beauty, will he get better.' your bed,' said the
'True beauty?' said the doctor, 'then you can
gardener. 'Then I will go look at it as often as you
at once and show him the like.'
tulip!' He carefully Towards evening the
unearthed the tulip and doctor went to the
planted it in a pot. He gardener's cottage. The
went to the fakir was still there. 'It's
fantastic!' said the
doctor. 'I don't know
why, but all of a sudden
ANTON P)ECK
r-zu.„-q

palace and a little later

he stood by the bed of the sultan is feeling much better.

Ever since he saw your flower!'
the ill sultan. 'That is wonderful news,' said
the gardener.
The sultan had his
'Do you have any more
eyes closed and was
ofthose tulip thingummybobs?
breathing heavily, white
asked the doctor.
as a sheet.
'Do I ever! I've got a couple
The doctor who had
ofthousand ofthem in the shed!'
been watching over the
the gardener cried
sultan day and night
enthusiastically.
whispered: (Oh good
The fakir said: 'We should
Sultan, the gardener
plant them all right away.
wishes to show you
Doctor, ask the sultan to appear
something.'
at his window tomorrow
On hearing this, the
morning!'
sick man opened his
They worked all through the
eyes and stared for
night and, by the first rays of
several moments at the
the morning sun, the sultan
beautiful flower. His
appeared on his balcony.
eyes closed again but a
Beneath him he saw the fakir
blissful smile appeared
THE GARDENER AND THE FAKIR 125
who was sitting cross-legged on
his little carpet. He was playing
his shanai and the sultan
listened, gripped with emotion.
His mouth fell open in
amazement at what he saw
•next. Hundreds ofred flowers
stuck their little heads .öüt.ofthe
earth. It was an incredible sight,
all those tuHpsl growing
together at the same time. The
early sunlight played on the
petals of the flowers and tears
•ofjoystreamed down the sultan's
cheeks.
But what was that? Suddenly
the fakir stopped playing. Slowly
the little carpet floated upwards
and lifted the fakir off the
ground. As he hoverd towards te
sultan, he took out a weapon.
When he arrived by the window
he endangered the sultan and
said to him: I helped you getting
better, don't misuse it! He
floated back tot the tulpis and
started playing again. Even he
treated the sultan not well for a
moment, he still was amazed by
the beautiful music the fakir was
playing. He looked at the flowers
growing and knew he needed to
treat his people better and
needed to be more kind.
When he realised this, he went
back to his room and started
organizing a party for all of his
people. Everyone was very
happy with the final result and
they lived happily ever after!

THE GARDENER AND THE FAKIR 126