THE SULTAN WHO DID NOT KNOW HOW TO LOVE

THE SULTAN WHO DID NOT KNOW HOW TO LOVE

A story is told of a Sultan of a great kingdom, who became paranoid with fear because his wife and brother-in-law plotted to kill him so they could take the kingdom.

The assassination plot was discovered and the palace guards of the Sultan killed the traitors. Since then the Sultan became fearful of taking another wife for he was anxious she might plot his death like his first wife did. But the laws of the kingdom require that he should marry to retain the throne. So the Sultan took a wife, but it did not take long for the Sultan to kill his wife himself, because he was overwhelmed by fear and irrational suspiciousness which drove him mad.

The Sultan’s adviser had a daughter. This woman had a kind and loving disposition and she agreed to marry the Sultan. She took the high risk of being married to a crazed Ruler of the kingdom. On the first night of their wedding, she kept the Sultan occupied with a story about a brave and mighty king and his exploits. Somehow the Sultan was so engrossed with the story that he forgot about his fears. She did not, however, finish the story telling the Sultan she was tired. The Sultan was enraged. He was about to order her execution but she promised to finish the story the next day.

And so night after night she spun story after story of great and mighty kings who conquered kingdoms brave, and strong,  with their pretty queens and princesses, beside them faithfully loving and serving their men, stretching longer the tale she had began.   She made it a point not to finish the story to be continued the next day using all her creative imagination. This apparently saved her life .The stories greatly fascinated the Sultan.

Finally she ran out of tales to tell that she had to bring the long story to an end.  After all the stories were told, she faced her husband the Sultan uncertain of what could be her fate.

As she stood facing him, she saw a totally different man than the one she had married. The stories had healed his soul. The stories had transformed him, he learned courage, he learned to confront his fears, he knew how to trust, he  knew how to love and to accept love.  

Inspired by the writing meditations of Cynthia Gadsden.