The Death of Abu Nowas and of his Wife
Encyclopedia
The Death of Abu Nowas and of his Wife is a Tunisian fairy tale
collected in Tunisische Märchen und Gedichte. Andrew Lang
included it in The Crimson Fairy Book.
He wanted to send his wife to the Sultana but she was afraid; he went to the Sultan and told him his wife was dead, and he had no money to bury her. The Sultan gave him money. Then his wife went to the Sultana and told her that her husband was dead, and she had no money to bury him. The Sultana gave her money.
The Sultan and Sultana met and quarreled about who had died. The Sultan sent his door-keeper, and Abu Nowas had his wife lie down and covered her with a sheet. The man came back and told the Sultan that it was the wife. The Sultana sent her chamberlain, and Abu Nowas lay down and had his wife cover him. The chamberlain reported that it was Abu Nowas. The Sultan went himself, with the Sultana, and found both Abu Nowas and his wife lying covered. The Sultan said he would give much money to whoever could explain it. Abu Nowas sat up and said he could not give the money to one who needed it more.
The Sultan laughed but gave him the money.
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
collected in Tunisische Märchen und Gedichte. Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
included it in The Crimson Fairy Book.
Synopsis
Abu Nowas was a favorite of the Sultan's. When his wife died, the Sultan told the Sultana they must find him another. The Sultana had a suitable maiden, and the marriage was arranged. Abu Nowas and his wife freely spent the wedding gifts and found themselves poor.He wanted to send his wife to the Sultana but she was afraid; he went to the Sultan and told him his wife was dead, and he had no money to bury her. The Sultan gave him money. Then his wife went to the Sultana and told her that her husband was dead, and she had no money to bury him. The Sultana gave her money.
The Sultan and Sultana met and quarreled about who had died. The Sultan sent his door-keeper, and Abu Nowas had his wife lie down and covered her with a sheet. The man came back and told the Sultan that it was the wife. The Sultana sent her chamberlain, and Abu Nowas lay down and had his wife cover him. The chamberlain reported that it was Abu Nowas. The Sultan went himself, with the Sultana, and found both Abu Nowas and his wife lying covered. The Sultan said he would give much money to whoever could explain it. Abu Nowas sat up and said he could not give the money to one who needed it more.
The Sultan laughed but gave him the money.