THE T HR E E A P P L ES

inaldo
Reporter : Judy Ann Agu
 1,001 NIGHTS, ALSO KNOWN AS THE THOUSAND
AND ONE NIGHTS OR ARABIAN NIGHTS, IS A
COLLECTION OF MIDDLE EASTERN AND SOUTH
ASIAN FOLK TALES THAT WERE ORIGINALLY
PUBLISHED TOGETHER DURING THE ISLAMIC
GOLDEN AGE. THE STORIES — FROM HISTORICAL
TALES TO TRAGIC ROMANCES TO COMEDIES —
WERE COLLECTED OVER MANY CENTURIES BY A
HUGE RANGE OF SCHOLARS AND AUTHORS.
CALIPH THE CHIEF MUSLIM CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS RULER,
REGARDED AS THE SUCCESSOR OF MUHAMMAD. 
WAZIR OFTEN REFERS TO: VIZIER OR WAZIR, A HIGH-
RANKING POLITICAL ADVISOR OR MINISTER
SLAVE IS A PERSON WHO IS THE LEGAL PROPERTY OF
ANOTHER AND IS FORCED TO OBEY THEM.
THE THREE APPLES

ONCE UPON A TIME, IN ARABIA, THE CALIPH

HARUN AL-RASHID DECIDED TO GO INTO THE
TOWN AND SEE HOW HIS KINGDOM WAS DOING.
SO, HE CALLS HIS WAZIR JA’AFAR AND THE EUNUCH
MASRUR. TOGETHER THEY GO INTO THE TOWN. THERE,
AT NIGHT TIME THE CALIPH SPOTS AN OLD FISHERMAN.
THE OLD FISHERMAN SEEMED POOR AND TIRED.UPON
BEING ASKED THE FISHERMAN TELLS THE CALIPH THAT
HE HADN’T BEEN ABLE TO CATCH ANY FISH. SO, THE
CALIPH TELLS THE FISHERMAN THAT IF THE FISHERMAN
THROWS IN HIS NET ONCE MORE, HE WOULD PAY THE
FISHERMAN A HUNDRED SEQUINS.
NOW, THE FISHERMAN HAPPILY THROWS IN THE NET. AND
TO HIS SURPRISE, THE FISHERMAN HAULS A HUGE CHEST,
WHICH HE SELLS TO THE CALIPH. WHEN THE CALIPH
RETURNED TO HIS CASTLE, HE ASKED HIS WAZIR TO OPEN
THE CHEST. AND TO THEIR ASTONISHMENT THEY FOUND A
DEAD WOMAN’S BODY CUT UP IN PIECES.
THE CALIPH WAS EXTREMELY UPSET. HE SCOLDED THE
WAZIR FOR LETTING SUCH HORRIBLE MURDERS. THE
CALIPH ORDERS HIS WAZIR TO FIND OUT WHO WAS
BEHIND IT, AND SAYS THAT OF THE WAZIR FAILS TO FIND
WHO THE CULPRIT IS, THE WAZIR WILL BE EXECUTED.
HOWEVER, IT TURNS OUT THAT THE WAZIR FAILS TO
FIND THE CULPRIT. AND THE CALIPH WAS ABOUT TO
EXECUTE THE WAZIR, BUT TWO MEN SHOW UP.
THE YOUNG MAN DESCRIBES HIS WIFE AS A FAULTLESS
WIFE AND A GOOD MOTHER OF HIS THREE CHILDREN.
ONE DAY, HIS WIFE FELL ILL AND SHE DESIRED TO EAT
SOME RARE APPLES. SO, THE YOUNG MAN JOURNEYED
FOR TWO WEEKS AND IN THE CALIPH’S ORCHARD IN
BASAR HE FOUND THE APPLES HE WAS LOOKING FOR.
WHEN HE CAME BACK, HE FOUND THAT HIS WIFE COULD
NOT EAT ANYTHING.
SO, HE LEFT THE APPLES THERE WITH HER AND
RETURNED TO HIS SHOP. THERE HE SAW A GUARD
WALKING BY HIS SHOP WITH ONE OF THE APPLES HE
HAD GOTTEN FOR HIS WIFE. SO, HE STOPPED THE
GUARD AND ASKED WHERE DID HE GET THE APPLE
FROM. HE TOLD THE YOUNG MAN THAT HIS GIRLFRIEND
HAD GIVEN IT TO HIM. NOW, THE YOUNG MAN KNEW
THOSE APPLES COULD NOT BE FOUND IN HIS CITY. HE
SUSPECTED HIS WIFE FOR UNFAITHFULNESS.
THE YOUNG MAN WENT HOME AND FOUND THAT THERE
WERE ONLY TWO APPLES. SO, HE TOOK A KNIFE AND CUT
UP HIS WIFE. THEN HE CLOSED HER IN A CHEST AND
THREW THE CHEST IN THE TIGRIS RIVER. WHEN ALL
HAD BEEN DONE, THE YOUNG MAN FINDS OUT THAT, HIS
SON HAD STOLEN ONE OF THE APPLES AND A SLAVE HAD
SNATCHED THE APPLE FROM HIM AND RUN OFF.
NOW, THE YOUNG MAN, BURDENED BY GUILT ASKS THE
CALIPH TO EXECUTE HIM. HOWEVER, THE CALIPH DOES
NOT DO SO OUT OF SYMPATHY FOR THE MAN.
FURTHERMORE, HE ORDERS HIS WAZIR TO FIND THE
SLAVE WHO STOLE THE APPLE. AND IF THE WAZIR SHALL
FAIL TO DO SO, THE WAZIR WOULD LOSE HIS HEAD.
YET AGAIN THE WAZIR FAILS TO FIND THE SLAVE. AND THE
CALIPH STOOD TRUE TO HIS WORDS. ON THE DAY OF THE
EXECUTION, WHEN THE WAZIR WAS BIDDING HIS FAMILY
GOODBYE, HE FINDS THAT HIS DAUGHTER HAD AN APPLE WHICH
MATCHED THE DESCRIPTION GIVEN BY THE YOUNG MAN. UPON
INQUIRING, THE WAZIR FINDS THAT IT WAS HIS OWN SLAVE THAT
SOLD THE APPLE TO HIS DAUGHTER.HE FINALLY REALIZES IT WAS
HIS SLAVE ALL ALONG. HE TAKES THE SLAVE TO THE CALIPH AND
FINALLY SOLVES THE CASE.
MORAL LESSON OF THE STORY:

THE TALE OF THE THREE APPLES HAS A HIDDEN LESSON FOR HARUN AL-RASHID TO

MODERATE HIS PASSION FOR VENGEANCE. MURDER IS PERMANENT, AND HE MAY
FIND HE'S KILLED SOMEONE UNJUSTLY BEFORE LEARNING ALL THE FACTS.