Introducing Alifa Layla – The Story of the Princess of Dariyabar
The princess began narrating her story to Janusunnam and the 49 princes of Haran. She explained, "I am the daughter of the king of Dariyabar, an island near Cairo. My father prayed for years before I was born. He imparted to me knowledge of politics, horsemanship, and all the skills necessary to govern a kingdom. He wished for me to succeed him as the ruler of Dariyabar." The princess continued, "One day, my father went hunting into the forest. He ventured deep into the dense woods and came across a large man with a woman and a young child sitting beside him, weeping. After a substantial meal, the man pressured the woman to marry him. When she refused, he became enraged. My father, watching from a distance, saw the man about to raise his hand against the woman. He discharged an arrow from his bow, striking the man squarely in the chest. The monster instantly perished."
My father questioned the woman about her story. She explained that she was the daughter of the chief of the nearby Sarasang tribe and that the man whom he had killed was a servant in their household. He had harbored an affection for her, and one day, taking advantage of an opportunity, he had abducted her and her son to the forest and was pressuring her to marry him. She was unsure of what to do now that she had returned to her father's kingdom. The princess said, "Upon hearing her story, my father brought her and her son to his palace. He cared for the woman and her son. As the boy grew, the matter of their marriage was raised. Given his strength and intelligence, my father agreed to their union. He informed the boy, a few days before the wedding, that he would make him the king of Dariyabar after the marriage. This delighted the young man. Then, the King of Dariyabar said, 'But there is a condition.'"
The boy inquired of my father what the condition was. My father responded, "After marrying my daughter, you will not marry any other woman." If you pledge this, I will marry you to my daughter." The boy, angered, said that as a future king, he would have many wives. The king immediately annulled the marriage. The boy, consumed with rage, killed my father. He then searched for me to kill me. The minister led me to a secret passage and helped me escape. I fled and boarded a ship. A fierce storm arose on the river, causing the ship to sink. Somehow I survived and reached the riverbank. It was a deserted place, utterly desolate. I wept uncontrollably. After a day, some people came and asked me about myself, but fear caused me to weep even more. Later, a young man on horseback approached and questioned me. He introduced himself as a prince and declared his wish to aid me. I confided in him and told him everything.
He immediately took me to his home and introduced me to his family. Soon after, they arranged my marriage to the young man. On the day of the wedding, enemies attacked the kingdom. Within moments, they killed everyone in the realm. We managed to escape together. We saw a boat near the river and promptly boarded it. The wind turned violent, and our boat drifted in the wrong direction. Suddenly, a large vessel appeared before us. We sought assistance, only to discover that pirates manned it. They captured us both. There were seven pirates, all of whom wished to make me their servant. This caused strife amongst them, culminating in one pirate killing the rest and informing me that while he didn't want to make me his servant, he needed a servant for his master and would deliver me to him. He questioned me, "Who is this man?" I replied, "He is my husband." Upon hearing this, he tossed my husband overboard.
The princess continued, "Then, the monster from the sea, the one Janusunnam had saved me from, appeared and rescued me from the pirate. He brought me to this cave in the forest. Hearing this story, Janusunnam declared, 'You are safe now.' The forty-nine young men present are all princes of Haran. You can marry any one of them.' The princess responded to Janusunnam, 'If I must marry, I will marry only you. You saved my life.' The princes agreed. All joined in their celebration of their marriage. In his happiness, Janusunnam revealed his truth to all. He declared, 'I too, am a prince.' He informed his brothers that he was the son of Piroj, raised in the kingdom of his cousin Sumer. Hearing this, the princess expressed her appreciation for his character from the start. The princess's joy was short-lived, however; Janusunnam's brothers felt a surge of resentment. They reasoned that if the king learned of his son's identity, he would bestow everything upon him."
They plotted to kill Janusunnam. They beat him throughout the night, and when they thought him dead, fled. All the princes returned to their kingdom, Haran. Early the next morning, the princess saw her husband lying in a terrible state outside and began to weep. After a while, upon calming down, she saw that her husband was still breathing. She immediately ran off to find a physician. Upon her return, she discovered that her husband was gone. The physician said that a wild animal might have taken him. He took the princess to his house. After a few days, the physician said, 'Tell me what happened.' In tears, she recounted everything: the death of her father and husband, the monster, and her marriage to Janusunnam.
The physician recognized Janusunnam and his mother. He said, "Princess, you might not know, but the king has summoned Piroj, Janusunnam's mother, back to the palace, and the king has learned that Janusunnam is his son. He is very distraught." With these words, the physician said, "Come, I will take you to the kingdom of Haran." The princess said, "I will tell the king everything about all those princes." The physician cautioned her not to do so. If the princes saw her, they would kill her. I will go and inform the queen, Janusunnam's mother, of everything." Upon reaching Haran, the physician managed to meet the queen, Piroj, and confided in her about Janusunnam, his wife, the monster, and everything else. The queen's eyes welled with tears. She told the physician, "Bring my daughter-in-law to me tomorrow. I want to see her."
The physician departed, and Queen Piroj wept until she fainted. Upon hearing of this, King Piroj came to see her and inquired about her distress. Queen Piroj conveyed the physician's message to the king. Upon learning this, the king ordered the imprisonment of all 49 of his sons, accusing them of plotting to kill Janusunnam. The guards obeyed the king's order and imprisoned all the princes. Early the next morning, the physician brought Janusunnam's wife to the palace. The king and queen welcomed them warmly. The three mourned Janusunnam's loss for several days. Then, Janusunnam petitioned the king to punish the murderers of his husband. The king immediately decreed that all the princes be sentenced to death in four days' time.
Meanwhile, an old enemy of Haran, upon learning of Janusunnam's death, prepared to attack the kingdom. He immediately launched an assault on the kingdom. Haran's soldiers fought valiantly, but they were unable to stop the enemy from entering the kingdom. A young man on horseback, accompanied by several soldiers, arrived on the scene. In a short time, he vanquished the enemies. The king, eager to thank the young man, approached him. To his astonishment, he discovered that the young man was none other than Janusunnam. The king embraced him. The king was overjoyed at seeing him alive; he could not utter a word.
Janusunnam declared, "I am your son. Everyone thought me dead, but a farmer rescued me from my wounds and cared for me. He nursed me back to health. Upon deciding to return to my kingdom, I learned of the impending attack by Haran's enemy. I rallied the young men of the village, put them through their paces in combat, and brought them all here." The king instructed him to go to his mother's palace. Janusunnam went to his mother and was overjoyed to see his wife there. The king arrived and said, "Janusunnam, you are very courageous. I know about your fight with the monster and everything else." Janusunnam replied, "Father, I'm sure your brothers told you everything." The king, enraged, asked him not to mention their names. Janusunnam's mother revealed, "We all know who tried to kill you." The king pronounced the death sentence on all of his sons.
Janusunnam pleaded with the king to spare his brothers, as they were his sons and his brothers, despite their grievous offenses. They deserved a chance. Moved by Janusunnam's words, the king immediately ordered the soldiers to bring the princes from the prison. When the princes arrived, Janusunnam embraced them. The king, delighted, declared Janusunnam the crown prince. The king richly rewarded the farmer who saved Janusunnam's life and his wife.
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