The Cowherd and The Weaving Maiden

Long ago, there was a travelling merchant from the west. Travelling along the Silk Road, the merchant would bring strange goods from the west to China where he would trade for the finest silk. One day while in China, the merchant saw a man looking longingly at the night sky.

Far from home, the merchant knew the look on the man’s face. It was the look of a lonely man longing for his loved ones. The merchant sat beside the man and the two men began talking. The man told the merchant his story and it was a most wonderful tale.

Once, the man was but a poor orphan boy who only had an old buffalo for company. He and the buffalo worked together for a farmer and the two were inseparable. The villagers nearby jokingly began to call him the Cowherd. The man did not mind. Despite his great age, the ox was a handsome creature whose golden hair shone in the moonlight. The boy loved the buffalo and could not imagine having a better friend.

One day, when they were out on the hills, the buffalo turned his great head to the boy and spoke. The boy was shocked but he listened to his good friend. The buffalo said he was a demigod and it was almost time for him to leave the world and go back to heaven. However the divine buffalo wish to see the boy married before he leaves the world.

The boy climbed onto the back of the buffalo as he was instructed and together they flew through the sky. They passed a mountain and the buffalo landed near a small lake. The boy was directed by the divine buffalo to the bank of the lake where he saw seven set of clothes. The buffalo instructed the boy to steal one set of the clothes. The boy did not wanted to but thought a mortal like himself should not disobey a god. The boy reluctantly obeyed and soon seven maidens came out of the lake onto the bank. The maidens knew right away that somebody had stolen one of the clothes and shouted threats to the night air.

The maidens said they were the weaving maidens of the sky and their father was the Jade Emperor, the ruler of the Celestial Heaven. The boy almost fainted. He had just stolen from gods, and not just any gods but heavenly princesses! He was certain he would be banished to the 18^th level of hell for his actions.

However, as terrified as the boy was, he could not take his eyes away from the maiden whose clothes he had just taken. She was hiding naked behind a bush and was without question the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. With courage that he did not know he possessed, the boy came forward and offered the clothes to the maiden in return for her hand in marriage.

Amazingly, he was not struck down on the spot. Instead, the seven weaving maidens laughed at his audacity. The maiden whose clothes he stole then surprised him by agreeing to his proposal. She promised to stay with him for 2 years in return for her clothes.

The boy was overjoyed and quickly returned the clothes. The couple was quickly married and the remaining 6 maidens even stayed for the wedding.

It was a happy marriage. They were happy together and before they knew it, 2 years had passed. On the last day, the boy brought his wife to the lake where he first laid eyes on her. The 6 maidens had arrived to the lake too but instead of going with them, the boy’s wife decided to stay. They were in love and from that day, they would be together.

Alas, the happiness was short-lived. 2 years on land was but 1 day in heaven but after some time, heaven noticed that they were missing one of the heavenly weaving maidens.  It did not take them long to notice where she was.

The Celestial Empress gave her daughter two choices: return to the heavens or witness the destruction of her husband. His wife had no choice. No one could withstand the will of the heavens.

The boy was despondent. He thought of death but knew he had to live because he wanted to see his wife again. One day, his old friend came to him. The buffalo who had returned to heaven was now the Ox Star of the sky and once again offered to help his friend. Every year on the seventh day of the seventh month, the Golden Ox Star would carry his wife from the heavens to the world and for one day, the couple would be reunited.

The man speaking to the merchant looked up in the sky again and told him what he already knows. This man was the boy in the story and he is waiting for the day his wife would return to him. The man cried in despair and loneliness, but the merchant could do nothing but offered empty comforting words to the man.

The day broke and the merchant went on his way. Along his travel route, he asked around and found that the story of the man was well-known but most considered it nothing but a legend. The few who did believe in the story said that there was nothing that could be done as the possibility of successfully going against the will of the heavens is remote.

The merchant went on back to his home in the west but the story of the man and his despair stayed with him. He knew there must be something he could do so along the Silk Road, he visited every magician and magi he could find. One finally gave him an answer.

The next time the merchant came to China, he visited the man on the seventh day of the seventh month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. As he had hoped, the couple was together. The merchant approached the couple and offered his help. He showed them his gift from the west, a burqa made from magical clothes.

Being Chinese, the couple had never seen a burqa before and the merchant had to explain to them what it was for. The burqa was to be worn by the maiden whenever she goes outside the house. Made by a magi from beyond the borders of China, the burqa would covered the maiden totally so that no heaven would not be able to see her. The burqa was made out of the enchanted cloth so that no magic could detect her, and the merchant even gave the maiden a gag that would prevent the maiden from speaking so that heaven would not be able to hear her. With these items, the couple would be able to stay hidden from the heavens.  

The couple thanked the merchant for his help and the merchant left the couple to enjoy the rest of the night. It was the last time the merchant saw the couple. Years later while back in China, the merchant heard the folktale called “The Cowherd and The Weaving Maiden”.

It was said that a couple settled down in an unknown village where the man worked in the fields while his wife weaved at home to help support the family. The wife was a mute and for some reason always covered herself in a strange blue cloth whenever she left their house.

However the wife was an excellent weaver and the villagers all admired her amazing weaving skills and even learned from her. The girl became known as the Weaving Girl. Her work was so well-known people paid good money for it and the man used the money to buy cattle and land. As the family’s fortune turned for the better, the maiden gave birth to 2 children, a boy and a girl.

One day, Celestial guards came to their modest home and the villagers knew the truth. The man was but a cowherd who managed to capture the heart of one the heavenly weaving maidens and together they eloped. Using foreign magics, the couple ran till they settled down in the village.

When heaven finally caught up to the couple, over a decade had pasted and the children had grown. Seeing their love for each other, even the gods began to sympathize with them and the Jade Emperor lifted the Cowherd and the two children to heaven alongside their mother. So now when you see the sky, you could see the star of the Cowherd high above and the star of the Weaving Girl clear and bright.

It was the love story between a humble cowherd and a goddess of the heavens. The merchant smiled.  

The Prince & The Two Sisters

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a foreign prince and his 2 wives were caught in a snow storm. They were on a journey but winter had come early that year and the group was caught unprepared. Luckily, the group found a small little cottage at the edge of a forest.

The prince knocked on the door and when a poor widow opened it, he asked, “Dear lady, don't be afraid for I won't hurt you. I and my wives, Cinderella and Briar Rose, are caught in this terrible snow storm and I will pay you if you allow us to stay for the winter.” The widow quickly agreed for she was poor and life was hard for her and her daughters.

The poor widow lived in the small cottage with her two daughters; one was called Snow-White and the other Rose-Red. There was a garden in front of the cottage in which grew two rose trees. In summer, one tree would bear white roses and the other tree bear red roses. The poor widow named her two daughters after the trees.

Though they were sisters, the 2 sisters could not have looked more different. Quiet, gentle Snow-White had blond hair while Rose-Red had red hair and loved to run about the fields and meadows.

The prince and his wives found the 2 young girls to be a delight, always diligent and always cheerful. As different as they were, the two children loved each other dearly and they always walked about hand in hand whenever they went out together. Rose-Red would pick flowers and catch butterflies for her sister; while Snow-White loved to cook and read stories aloud to her sister.

When the prince marveled at how close the sisters were, Snow-White said, “We will never desert each other,” and Rose-Red answered, “No, not as long as we live.” The mother added, “Whatever one gets, she shall share with the other.”

When Briar Rose said that it must be great to be as close as they were, the sisters agreed but Snow-White said, “If only we looked similar,” and Rose-Red finished, “Yes, then everything would be perfect.” When Cinderella said she had an idea to that problem, both sisters immediately asked what it was.

When their mother saw the sisters next, both sisters were in a black niqab with their eyes showing. Both sisters were of the same height and in matching robes and gloves, they looked almost alike. The mother said, “Oh Snow-White; Oh Rose-Red; you two looked totally the same now.” A puzzled Snow-White said, “We looked alike dear mother but you could still tell us apart.” Rose-Red asked, “How did you do that?”

“Oh that’s easy,” the mother said. “Snow-White has black eyes and Rose-Red has green eyes.”

So the sisters asked Cinderella to sew something to cover the front of their niqab. When their mother saw the sisters next, both sisters were in a black niqab with a veil that hung from the top of their head down to their waist. The veil totally covered the eyes and when the widow couldn’t tell them apart, both sisters jumped in delight.

For the rest of the winter, both Snow-White and Rose-Red did their chores in their niqab with only their front veil pushed up over their head. However when they were not doing chores, both sisters had their veil covering their eyes, looking perfectly the same.

In the evenings when the snowflakes fell, the widow would say, “Snow-White, go and close the shutters.” Snow-White closed the shutters while her sister lit the fire and put on the kettle. They drew round the fire while the widow put on her spectacles and read aloud from a big book filled with stories. The Prince, his wives and the two girls would sit and listened. When the widow finished her story, the prince would take over and tell a story from his own lands. The stories captivated the sister.

It was a most wonderful winter.

One evening as they sat thus cozily together, there was a knock at the door. The widow said, “Rose-Red, open the door quickly. It must be another traveler seeking shelter.” Rose-Red unbarred the door, and into the cottage walked a bear. “Oh, Mister Bear is here!” The girls shouted as they went and hug the bear.

Seeing the prince, the bear began to speak, “Don't be afraid my prince for I am an old friend of the family and I won't hurt a guest of theirs.” “My poor bear,” said the widow. “Lie down by the fire, but take care not to burn your fur like the last time.”

Snow-White and Rose-Red beat the snow out of the bear’s fur, and as they scrubbed the bear dry, the bear told the prince his story. “I was once a rich merchant,” he said, “but was cursed by an unholy little dwarf, who wanted to steal my gold. I roamed about the woods as a wild bear hunting him, thinking that with his death I would be freed of his curse. With Snow-White’s and Rose-Red’s help, the little dwarf got his well-merited punishment and I got my gold back but alas, the curse has not broken and I am still a bear.”

Hearing the old bear’s story, the prince said, “You are a good, honest creature Mister Bear. I will ask a friend if he can help you."

Standing up, the prince clapped his hands and said, “Oh! Child of the wind, Dancer in the sky, Come aid me in my time of need!”

There was a burst of light and smoke filled the cottage. When the smoke cleared, there stood in the room a most strange man. “Mister Bear,” the prince said. “This is the Jinn. He is a magical creature and could help you on your curse.”

The bear told the jinn his story and the jinn said, “Since the one who cast the spell is dead, I can break the enchantment Mister Bear.” The jinn waved his hands and the bear’s skin suddenly fell off, and an old man all dressed in gold stood in his place.

For the rest of the winter, the old man stayed with the family and when spring was in the air, the old man proposed to the old widow. The old widow accepted and the old man promised to take care of the family with his fortune. 

However Snow-White said, “You take care of our mother Mister Bear,” and Rose-Red finished, “Because the two of us are marrying the prince and returning to his homeland.”

“Why would the two of your want to marry the prince?” Mister Bear asked.

 “We can always wear the niqab in his kingdom,” Snow-White said. “We can always be the same in his kingdom.” Rose-Red finished. 

“You can also wear them in this cottage,” Mister Bear said.

“His stories of his homeland were wonderful,” Snow-White said. “And we want to see his kingdom for ourselves.” Rose-Red finished.

“So both of you want to marry the prince?” Mister Bear asked.

“We will never desert each other,” Snow-White said, “No, not as long as we live.” And Rose-Red added, “And whatever one gets, she shall share with the other.”

And so when spring finally came, there were 2 weddings at the small cottage. The widow married Mister Bear while her two daughters married the prince. All in the garden below the two rose trees.

And the prince and his 4 wives lived happily ever after.

The Prince & The Enchanted Princess

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, a prince came upon a small forest. It was the strangest forest the prince had ever seen and he asked an old woodcutter nearby about the forest. The old woodcutter told him a most wondrous tale.

“A long time ago there was a queen who wished for a daughter. Her wish came true and a year later, the king and queen had a beautiful baby girl. The king and queen were so happy they invited all their kindred, friends and acquaintances to a great feast. Among the acquaintances invited were 13 witches, the most powerful women in the kingdom.

They were not friends of the kingdom but the king had hoped that they would be well disposed towards the child. The king ordered all manner of splendor for the feast; wondrous acrobats, great musicians, the best food for the banquet, and 13 golden plates for the witches to eat out from.

When the feast was over, the witches were so happy they bestowed magical gifts upon the baby; one blessed the child with beauty, one blessed the child with good luck, one blessed the child with virtue, one blessed the child with riches, and so on with everything in the world one can imagine.

When eleven of the witches had done their magic, the twelfth witch stepped forward and cried, “The day the king's daughter prick herself is the day she shall fall down dead."

Without saying a word more, the evil witch disappeared from the room, never to be seen in the kingdom again. Everyone was shocked, but then the last witch, whose wish still remained unspoken, came forward. She was not powerful enough to undo the evil curse, but she could soften it. She said that it shall not be death, but a deep sleep into which the princess shall fall and the curse would be broken by the kiss of a loved one.

So began the life of the enchanted princess; blessed by 11, cursed by 1, and saved by the last.

To keep his dear child from misfortune, the king ordered that that no sharp objects must ever be shown to the princess. No knife or sword, no pin or scissor, was allowed in the presence of the princess. As the princess grew, the blessings of the witches were fulfilled. The young princess was so beautiful, modest, good-natured, and pure, that everyone who saw her was bound to love her.

As the princess grew older, she was happy but also bored for she found she was not allowed to do anything. Womanly pursuits like cooking and sewing required her to handled knives and sharp pins which she was not allowed. Servants did her cleaning and washing as a princess was beyond such tasks. And so the day after her eighteen birthday, the bored princess went exploring in the castle.

The princess went into all the rooms in the castle and in the highest room in the highest tower of the castle; she found something she had never seen before. After climbing a narrow winding staircase, and opening a small little door, the princess saw a small table in the middle of the room. On the table lay a single flower, a red rose.

The princess stepped forward and touched the beautiful rose. But as she tried to lift the rose, the thorns of the rose pricked her finger and the curse was fulfilled. The very moment when she felt the prick, she fell upon the chair that stood there and fell in a deep sleep. And this cursed sleep extended over the whole palace, the king and queen, the whole of the court, even the animals and pets in the castle all fell into a deep sleep as well.

Around the castle was a hedge of thorns, and every year it grew higher and higher. Soon it grew over and beyond the castle. Magically, roses began to grow on the thorns and the castle soon became known as the Rose Forest.

The story of the beautiful enchanted Briar Rose, for so the princess was named, went across the land, and from time to time kings' sons and brave knights would come and try to save the princess.

However they found it impossible to get through the thorny hedge and those who tried died a miserable death caught in the thorns of the hedge. So for a hundred years slept Briar Rose and the whole court, only to be awakened by the kiss of one who love her.”

The old woodcutter finished his story and the prince said, "I am not afraid, I will go and break the curse of the beautiful Briar Rose."

The old woodcutter tried to dissuade him, “It’s too dangerous my prince. Why risk your life for an unknown woman?”

“Because it is the right thing to do,” said the prince. Giving the old woodcutter a wink, he added, “and because she is the second of my wives. Isn’t she, my jinn?”

The old woodcutter looked at the prince in shock and then burst out laughing. A wave of the hand later, the old woodcutter was gone and in his place stood the jinn. “Very well-played my prince,” the jinn laughed. “How did you know it was me?”

“A woodcutter at a forest of thorns?” laughed the prince. “You have a lot to learn about cutting wood my jinn.”

Both the jinn and the prince laughed together like two old friends. “You are quite right my prince,” admitted the jinn. “I always use magic, guess I got a lot to learn about woodcutting.”

“That you do jinn,” agreed the prince. “Can you clear a path for me to the princess?”

“I’m afraid not my prince,” said that jinn. “A prize is only worth having if you put effort into getting it. You need to figure out this yourself.”

The jinn waved his hand and disappeared, leaving the prince to wonder how he would enter through the Rose Forest. For 2 days and 2 nights, the prince sat at the edge of the forest and wondered.

Then on the third day, his wife came to him and said, “My lord, I know my future sister wife is in the castle beyond and if I may be so bold, I have an idea on how you can enter the castle.”

The prince was shocked and intrigued. His wife almost never suggested anything to him as she believed a wife’s only duty was to hear and obey orders from her husband. For her to say these words…

“Of course my dear Cinderella,” the prince said. “Please tell me your idea.”

Cinderella showed a piece of cloth to the prince and said, “For 2 days and 2 nights I have sew this garment out of the smoothest silk we have. I believe this would help you avoid the thorn.”

The prince put on the garment his wife made and discovered that from a skullcap, the garment was a long piece of cloth that covered the wearer from the top of the head to the bottom of his feet. It covered him totally with only a mesh for him to see through. 

The prince entered the Rose Forest. The prince soon discovered that the thorns of the forest were unable to hook the garment as it was too smooth, and easily went through the Rose Forest.

After he passed the castle gate, the prince saw the horses and stable boy lying asleep in the castle yard. As he went further, he saw the king and queen lying asleep in the throne room. The prince then remembered the story of Briar Rose and climbed the highest tower in the castle. In the highest room in the highest tower of the castle, he saw her.

As the legend said, Briar Rose was sleeping in the chair and she was a picture of innocence. The enchanted princess was so beautiful the prince could not turn his eyes away. Finally he stooped down and gave her a kiss. The moment their lips touched, Briar Rose opened her eyes, and smiled at him.

Together they went down the tower and found that with the breaking of the curse, the whole castle had awoken. The king was delighted and asked the prince to name his reward. The prince asked but one thing; the hand of Briar Rose in marriage.

However the king said, “My daughter is beautiful and many had come to me asking for her hand, but I shall tell you what I told them. My daughter is cursed. Though you had broken the curse now, the next time my daughter pricks herself, the curse will return and all around her will fall asleep.”

“I do not worry about that Your Majesty,” said that prince. He then showed the garment he wore to enter the Rose Forest and said, “In the future, Briar Rose will always wear this garment made and designed by my first wife. It is made of the finest silk and any pins or thorns would slide off the garment. She will also wear think cloths beneath this garment. A thick dress covering her from her neck to her feet and on her hands and feet, she would wear a pair of thick boots and tight gloves. She would wear these at all times and thus protected, she will travel with me on my journey in safety.”

“What is this garment called?” asked the king.

The prince looked at Cinderella and said, “I shall call it the burqa Your Majesty.”

And so it was decided that Briar Rose would be married to the prince in a ceremony filled with all splendor. On the day of her departure, Briar Rose hugged her parents and promised to remember them always. As she hugged her crying mother, Briar Rose gave the queen a gift to remember her by. It was another burqa sewn by Cinderella.

From that day on, the king proclaimed that the returned kingdom shall be called the “Rose Kingdom” in memory of her daughter and the queen always wore the burqa in public. Soon all women in the Rose Kingdom wore the burqa and as for Briar Rose and his prince…that’s a story for another day.

The Prince & The Jinn

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there was an unhappy young girl named Cinderella. Unhappy she was as her lovely mother was dead and her father had married another woman.

A widow with two daughters, her stepmother didn't like her one little bit, saving all her love for her own daughters. That Cinderella can understand. Her stepsisters were 2 of the most beautiful young maidens in the kingdom and countless suitors had come to their house asking her father for their hands. All were rejected. The men left disappointed but Cinderella considered them lucky. Though her stepsisters were beautiful, they were also haughty and vain creatures and they do not have the humble personality needed to be good wives.

However Cinderella could understand why her stepsisters were full of themselves. They were beautiful and wore the best dresses, shoes, shawls that money can buy; they ate the most delicious food, and slept on the most comfortable beds in the kingdom. At home, they enjoyed every home comfort.

But for poor Cinderella, there was none of these luxuries. Her dresses were her stepsisters' hand-me-downs. Her meals were nothing but scraps and leftovers. No nice bed and comfort for she as she had to work hard all day cleaning, washing and cooking for the whole family. For Cinderella was a plain girl and it was believed that splendid and elegant clothes would be wasted wore by a girl as plain as her. Only in the evening, after everyone was asleep would she be allowed to sit by the fire and rest.

One day, beautiful new dresses arrived at the house. A foreign prince had arrived in the kingdom seeking peace between the 2 kingdoms and a ball was to be held at Court to honor the prince. The stepmother and stepsisters were getting ready to go to it but Cinderella wasn’t. She didn't even have to ask as she knew it would be a waste of time. A plain girl like her would not catch the attention of a prince.

As her stepsisters left for the castle, the poor girl wash the dishes, scrub the floors and made the beds of her stepsisters. Despite the luxuries they had, Cinderella held no animosities to her stepmother and stepsisters. It’s not their fault that they were beautiful and she was not.

As she sat near the cinders of the fire, she murmured, "I wish I was beautiful.”

Suddenly something amazing happened. There was a burst of light and a man appeared out of thin air. Cinderella was about to scream but found that no sound could come out of her mouth.

"Don't be alarmed, Cinderella," said the man. "The wind blew me here to grant wishes and so I shall. I know you would love to go to the ball and so you will!"

Cinderella tried to get up from her stool but found that she could not moved her legs. "How can you go to a ball dressed in rags, you asked?" the man said. "The servants will turn you away dressed as you are!" The man smirked and with a flick of his hand, Cinderella found herself wearing the strangest dress she had ever seen. It was a black gown that covered her from her neck to her feet, with matching gloves and a pair of soft shoes.

"Now that we have settled the matter of the dress," said the man, "we'll need to get you dressed like a proper lady.”

The man went through the house and picked up a pumpkin, a candle, 4 matches and a handkerchief. "Come out of the house with me Cinderella," said the fairy. Cinderella found that she could move and fearful of the strange man, followed the man out of the hose.

With a flick of his hand, wonders happened! The pumpkin turned into a sparkling coach, the 4 matches became 4 black horses and the candle turned into a coachman dressed in a smart uniform and carrying a whip. Cinderella could hardly believe her eyes but the man is not done. The man then put the handkerchief on top of Cinderella’s head and with a wave of his hand, turned them into a veil. 

The man waved his hand again and a full length mirror appeared out of thin air. Cinderella saw herself in the mirror and could not believe it. “The veil is called the niqab,” the strange man said. “In the land of the prince, proper women do not show their faces to strangers, especially strange men. The prince will see that you have respect the customs of his kingdom and will be happy. Not only that, with the veil you do not have to worry about being recognized by your stepmother and stepsisters.” 

In truth Cinderella had not considered that yet, but thinking about it she knew the man was correct. Her stepmother and stepsisters would be angry with her if they saw her at the ball.

"Quick!" the man ordered. “A real lady should never be late for a ball!"

Cinderella entered the coach in a daze but before she set off, the man had a warning for her. "I dressed you in the fashion the prince would be happy to see as this is how the women of his land dressed. I had taken your voice because women in his land do not speak to strange men. However my magic will only last till midnight, so remember this. You must leave the ball before midnight for that is when the spell will end. Your coach will turn back into a pumpkin, and you will be dressed again in rags." Cinderella found that she was still unable to speak but she was happy she was going to the ball and smiled.

The strange man smiled and said, “I was right about you Cinderella. For you do not have beauty on the outside, but you have a kind heart and your eyes are the most soulful in your kingdom. Soon you will soon see the Prince, in whose honor the ball is being held, and he will be enchanted by the loveliness of your eyes.”

Cinderella nodded and she was off.

When Cinderella entered the ballroom at the palace, a hush fell. Everyone stopped in mid-sentence on seeing the woman in the strange dress. As she walked slowly across the ballroom, curiosity became admiration as everyone admired the beauty of her dress and the elegance and grace of her walk.

Everyone and that included the prince. When the prince set eyes on Cinderella, he was struck that a woman in this foreign land would know of the customs of his country and was intrigued. He walked over to her, bowed deeply and asked her to dance. To the great surprise of all the young ladies in the ballroom, Cinderella refused.

Cinderella had never being invited to a dance before and so, never learned how to dance. She was happy just to be at the ball and in the presence of this strange, exotic prince. Far from being offended, the prince was delighted.

Not only does this woman know of the customs of his country, but she was also modest and pure, refusing to dance with a strange man. Totally unlike these other women who threw themselves at him like whores.

All evening the prince hovered around Cinderella. "Who are you, fair maiden?" the Prince kept asking her, but Cinderella could not speak and would only shake and nod her head at the questions of the prince. The intrigue of the prince turned into passion as not only does this foreign woman (for she must be foreign as no woman from his land would have blue eyes) know of the customs of his country, not only was she pure and modest, she also follow purdah; the practice of woman who did not speak to strangers as their voice was awrah.

Cinderella had a wonderful time at the ball for all the attention she was receiving but, all of a sudden, she heard the sound of a clock: the first stroke of midnight! She remembered what the strange man had said, and without a word of goodbye to the Prince, she turned and ran down the steps, out of the palace.  

The Prince, who was now madly in love with her, ran after her but as he reached the steps, Cinderella had already entered her coach and sped off. The prince found a veil by the steps and went to his host, the king of the kingdom. The prince said to him, "Go and search everywhere for the girl who was here today. I will never be content until I find her! Find her and our countries will have peace forever between us."

So the king’s men and the foreign price went around the city with the veil and got all the women to try it on. So it was when they got to Cinderella’s house. The stepmother and stepsisters tried it but the prince said that they were all wrong but when it was Cinderella's turn... he shocked everyone when he said this was the girl.

"This girl cannot have been at the ball," said the stepmother.

“No, this is the girl.” The prince was certain. “Look at her eyes. There can be no mistaking such soulful eyes. This was the beauty from the ball.”

"Forgive me my Prince, but Cinderella is no beauty. You ought to marry one of my two daughters! Can't you see how ugly Cinderella is! A girl like her is unfit to be the wife of a prince"

Suddenly she broke off, for the man had appeared in a flash of light.

"You!” the prince exclaimed.

“Yes my prince,” the man bowed to the prince. “It is I. The jinn you free from the magical lamp.”

“You did this?” the prince asked.

“I did nothing but fulfill your wishes my prince,” the jinn said. “When you freed me, you were granted 3 wishes. You wish for peace in your land; you wish for prosperity for your people; and you wish for 4 wives of purity, grace, and modesty.”

"And you picked Cinderella?" the stepmother asked in wonder. “But she is ugly!”

“Beauty of the skin fade with time,” said the jinn. “But beauty of the soul…” The jinn raised his hand and in a flash, Cinderella appeared in a splendid dress, with a niqab that only allowed her eyes to be seen. Her stepmother and stepsisters gaped at her in amazement, for her blue eyes were shining with youth and beauty.

“You were the one who left the veil on the steps?” the prince asked.

“Yes I was the one who left the veil,” said the jinn.

The prince nodded and said to Cinderella, "Come with me, my lady and I shall present you to my father as my bride.”

“Not yet my prince,” the jinn said. “Your journey is not yet over.”

“Not yet?” the prince asked. “Why not mighty one? You have granted my wish for peace in my land and gave me a modest wife. You are free my jinn and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

“You wish for 4 wives and I shall grant them to you; Cinderella is but the first,” The jinn said. “Continue with your journey to visit all the other kingdoms as your father ordered and when you finally return home, all your wishes will be granted.”

And so the prince continued with his journey as his father and the jinn wished, but now he was not alone for Cinderella had joyfully went with her prince. Walking forever behind him in her niqab and her beautiful blue eyes, they lived happily ever after.