The Ninth Statue  

Once there lived a sultan. He was kind-hearted and generous. But he had no children for quite some years. The thought that his kingdom would go without any ruler bothered him. At last, God Almighty had blessed him with a boy child. They named the child Mubarak.

The royal couple reared the child very well. When Mubarak became a youth, he had all the qualities and capabilities to rule. After his father’s death, he became the king. He retained all the ministers and advisors. And he always respected the ciders.

One day, he had a strange dream! His dead father appeared in the dream and spoke in a feeble voice, “My dear son, it is time you get married. Dig up my grave. There will be eight golden statues. And there will be a note too. Follow the instructions in the note!” he said and disappeared!

When Mubarak told about the dream to his mother, she laughed, saying that dreams were meaningless! But Mubarak could not ignore it. That night, he went to his father’s grave and had dug it out. It opened up and led to a deep trench. He lit a lamp that he had brought and gone in.

He saw eight golden statues in a row over there. Underneath, there was a note that read, "These are eight golden statues. There is a ninth one. But it is in Baghdad! You will find that the ninth statue is more valuable than these eight statues! Go and fetch it! "

Mubarak set off to Baghdad. He did not give a second thought about where to go and how to find the ninth statue. It is said that "Fortune favors the brave!" he told himself and set off.

On reaching Baghdad, he called on the ruler and introduced himself, and told the purpose of his visit. The ruler called a designated Imam, the Muslim religious leader “This young man is the Sultan. His father was a very good friend of mine. But he is no more. Now this young Sultan is touring here with a mission,” he narrated Mubarak’s dream and how his father had told him to go in pursuit of the ninth statue “So, I want you to suggest a way to find the ninth statue!”

Religious leader, Imam thought for a while and then interpreted the dream. "The ninth statue mentioned by his father is the bride for this young Sultan. His dead father’s soul had identified a beautiful maiden with all virtues. He wanted his son Mubarak to find that maiden and marry her. She is somewhere here in Baghdad!

“All right,” the Imam added to Mubarak, “About finding the ninth statue - I mean his bride - here is a solution. I will give you a magical mirror. Roam around the streets of Baghdad. Hold the mirror and reflect on every maiden you see on the way. The image of the right bride would get reflected in the mirror! She is the maiden your father had hinted at in the dream!” the Imam said at length and gave the mirror to Mubarak and added, “Please return it after you have identified your bride!”

The Imam suggested to the ruler, “Please send some guards to escort him when he takes a walk around”

With the plainclothes and guards escorting him a little distance behind. Mubarak reflected the mirror on every maiden he saw. But nothing happened! It was on the fifth day, the break came through! Mubarak saw a gorgeous maiden who came in front of him as gracefully as a swan.

“This must be the ninth statue,” he thought. He reflected the mirror on her. Alas! The maiden’s image reflected in the mirror! Mubarak felt delighted. At once, he spoke to the guards about it.

Then things happened so fast. The guards told the ruler, who in turn, spoke to the parents of that maiden. The maiden’s parents gave their consent.

In just a month, Mubarak married the ninth statue - the most attractive maiden he had found! The first thing he did after marriage was he visited his father’s grave and worshiped!