Reading Notes: Persian Tales B
The Man Who Went to Wake his Luck
There were two brothers, one poor and one rich. One day the poor brother went out to see his brother's horses and saw a man grazing his brother's horses. The poor brother asked who he was and the man responded that he was his brother's luck. The poor brother asked where his luck was and the man told him where his luck slept in a cave. On the way to find his luck, the man ran into a gardener who wanted to ask luck why his garden was not doing well. Then the brother ran into a woman king who wanted to know why her subjects did not listen. Then a wolf asked why he did not have anything to live on. Then a thorn gatherer asked why this was his destiny.
The poor brother promised to ask each question and went on his quest. When he came to his luck he woke him up and asked the questions. Luck responded that the gardener had to dig up the jars of gold coins from his garden and then fruit would grow, the woman king's subjects would not listen because she was a woman, the thorn gatherer's life would stay the same no worse or better, and the wolf should eat a foolish man to live on.
The poor brother then began his journey back and stopped to tell each what Luck had said. He told the thorn gatherer his answer. Then he went to the gardener who offered to split the gold but the brother said he didn't need it now that he had found his luck. The woman queen offered to marry him but he denied this as well. When he came to the wolf he told him that he was to eat a foolish man. The wolf thanked him and then asked him to look up at the stars. The brother did and the wolf bit him on the neck saying there was no greater fool than the brother and then ate him.
Bibliography: Persian Tales, translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer and illustrated by Hilda Roberts (1919).
Image Information: Wolf, Pixabay
There were two brothers, one poor and one rich. One day the poor brother went out to see his brother's horses and saw a man grazing his brother's horses. The poor brother asked who he was and the man responded that he was his brother's luck. The poor brother asked where his luck was and the man told him where his luck slept in a cave. On the way to find his luck, the man ran into a gardener who wanted to ask luck why his garden was not doing well. Then the brother ran into a woman king who wanted to know why her subjects did not listen. Then a wolf asked why he did not have anything to live on. Then a thorn gatherer asked why this was his destiny.
The poor brother promised to ask each question and went on his quest. When he came to his luck he woke him up and asked the questions. Luck responded that the gardener had to dig up the jars of gold coins from his garden and then fruit would grow, the woman king's subjects would not listen because she was a woman, the thorn gatherer's life would stay the same no worse or better, and the wolf should eat a foolish man to live on.
The poor brother then began his journey back and stopped to tell each what Luck had said. He told the thorn gatherer his answer. Then he went to the gardener who offered to split the gold but the brother said he didn't need it now that he had found his luck. The woman queen offered to marry him but he denied this as well. When he came to the wolf he told him that he was to eat a foolish man. The wolf thanked him and then asked him to look up at the stars. The brother did and the wolf bit him on the neck saying there was no greater fool than the brother and then ate him.
Bibliography: Persian Tales, translated by D.L.R. Lorimer and E.O. Lorimer and illustrated by Hilda Roberts (1919).
Image Information: Wolf, Pixabay
The thing that I love about folktales is that you can never tell if they will end happily or tragically. It's clear that the man really was foolish. I've never heard the original story before, but I really like your adaptation. What ever happened to the rich brother? Why doesn't the thorn gatherer have more of a role? All the other's with questions could have improved the poor brother's life, or like the wolf, killed him. Could you maybe add an author's note to explain which parts you changed for your story and why? I'd love to know what you thought of the original.
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