Hello One and All!
The story that will be recounted here is an Italian fairy tale. Its origin can be traced to the Middle Ages, because the ending was a popular motif from that era. It still remains a tale that can surprise readers with twists and turns.
Fair Brow
Once upon a time time there was a merchant, who loved nothing more than to acquire money. His son was a gentle soul, but that wasn't to the merchant's liking, so he gave him a bundle of coins.
"Take these and go to the market," the merchant said. "Grow the amount and make me proud, son."
On the way to the market the young man came upon a scene: a dead man lay beside the road.
"What actually happened here?" the young man asked one of the guards.
"That geezer didn't pay his debts, and so he was denied a burial."
In his heart he felt this was unjust.
The young man paid off the man's debts, then provided funds for an honourable funeral as well.
The lad returned home, but the merchant wanted to know what his son had done with the money. The father flew into a fit of rage when he learned that his son had used the coins to pay off another man's debt.
"You threw away the money I gave you!" The merchant rummaged around and produced another bag. "Here is some more currency. Now make sure not to waste it on a dead man again."
The young fellow reached the market, with coins in hand, but what he saw gave him pause. Before him stood a woman with soft, black hair and eyes the darkest of obsidian. The fact that she was fettered indicated she was a slave.
He sidled over to her, and she whispered in his ear that she was the Ottoman Sultan's daughter, but she had been kidnapped and sold.
Again his heart felt this was unjust.
The lad bought the woman and freed her. He said she was free to go wherever she wanted, but she chose to stay with him, and they fell in love. Both of them professed what was in their souls and so they married.
The young man returned to his father's house with his wife. When the merchant heard how his son had spent his funds an uncontrollable rage overtook him, and he chased the young couple out of his house.
A deep frown became set on the lad's face as he wandered around with his wife.
"Cease your worrying, my husband," she said. "I'm a skilled painter, and you are a merchant's son. I will produce the art, you will sell it, and we will make a living. You must promise me that you will tell no one who created the paintings though."
The man agreed to his wife's terms and they set up their business.
The paintings were full of life and beauty, and drew clients from far afield. One day a ship arrived full of sailors. The merchant's son saw all of these potential customers and ran back to his home.
"Today you will make many pictures, my dear, for I will sell them all!"
His wife created a number of paintings without any rest, each one more beautiful than the next. The young fellow hurried over to the square with as many as he could carry and set up a stall to sell them.
A couple of Turkish sailors strolled by and were struck by the grace of the brushstrokes and the vibrancy of the colours.
They gathered around the man and said that they would buy all of the pictures, but they also wanted more.
The man said, "Of course. Come to my house and my wife will make for you."
The group of Turkish sailors followed him to his home, but saw that it was the Sultan's daughter at the easel. They overpowered the man, bound the woman, carried her to their ship and sailed away to Turkey.
Heartbroken, the fellow walked each day along the beach, to see if a ship would take him aboard. One morning he spotted a wizened man in a small boat.
"Old man, will you take me along with you in the boat?"
The elder replies, "Yes, I will take you if you wish!"
They set out in the small boat the following day, and sat with their fishing rods, but then fell asleep. A strong storm carried the boat all the way to Turkey. Both of them were seized by locals and sold to the Sultan as slaves. The old man became the gardener for the ruler of Turkey and the young man delivered bouquets of flowers to the Sultan's daughter, who was imprisoned in a massive tower. Still, the married couple did not see each other's faces.
Time passed and the lad discovered that music was the one thing that allowed his hope to burn. Once, as he passed under the tower, the Sultan's daughter recognized the singing voice - it was Fair Brow, her husband. She ordered her maids to place the man in a basket of flowers and haul him up to the tower. The couple loaded a large ship with pearls and various precious stones, and escaped with the old man.
Out at sea, when they were nearing home, the old man said it was time to divide their spoils.
The young lad, known as Fair Brow, said " I will leave you three quarters of the wealth, old man. I only want my wife and one quarter of the wealth."
The grey soul peered at his companion. "I must let you know that I am the man you buried; all of this happened because you had a soft heart and cared for others."
Then the old man vanished.
Fair Brow arrived home, and was lauded as a hero. He visited his father and told him what happened, whereupon they were reconciled with each other. Soon after his father died and all of the riches went to his son. This made the Fair Brow the richest person in the world.
Thank you for reading!
The story that will be recounted here is an Italian fairy tale. Its origin can be traced to the Middle Ages, because the ending was a popular motif from that era. It still remains a tale that can surprise readers with twists and turns.
Fair Brow
Once upon a time time there was a merchant, who loved nothing more than to acquire money. His son was a gentle soul, but that wasn't to the merchant's liking, so he gave him a bundle of coins.
"Take these and go to the market," the merchant said. "Grow the amount and make me proud, son."
On the way to the market the young man came upon a scene: a dead man lay beside the road.
"What actually happened here?" the young man asked one of the guards.
"That geezer didn't pay his debts, and so he was denied a burial."
In his heart he felt this was unjust.
The young man paid off the man's debts, then provided funds for an honourable funeral as well.
The lad returned home, but the merchant wanted to know what his son had done with the money. The father flew into a fit of rage when he learned that his son had used the coins to pay off another man's debt.
"You threw away the money I gave you!" The merchant rummaged around and produced another bag. "Here is some more currency. Now make sure not to waste it on a dead man again."
The young fellow reached the market, with coins in hand, but what he saw gave him pause. Before him stood a woman with soft, black hair and eyes the darkest of obsidian. The fact that she was fettered indicated she was a slave.
He sidled over to her, and she whispered in his ear that she was the Ottoman Sultan's daughter, but she had been kidnapped and sold.
Again his heart felt this was unjust.
The lad bought the woman and freed her. He said she was free to go wherever she wanted, but she chose to stay with him, and they fell in love. Both of them professed what was in their souls and so they married.
 |
| "A Young Lady in Turkish Dress" by John Frederick Lewis |
The young man returned to his father's house with his wife. When the merchant heard how his son had spent his funds an uncontrollable rage overtook him, and he chased the young couple out of his house.
A deep frown became set on the lad's face as he wandered around with his wife.
"Cease your worrying, my husband," she said. "I'm a skilled painter, and you are a merchant's son. I will produce the art, you will sell it, and we will make a living. You must promise me that you will tell no one who created the paintings though."
The man agreed to his wife's terms and they set up their business.
The paintings were full of life and beauty, and drew clients from far afield. One day a ship arrived full of sailors. The merchant's son saw all of these potential customers and ran back to his home.
"Today you will make many pictures, my dear, for I will sell them all!"
His wife created a number of paintings without any rest, each one more beautiful than the next. The young fellow hurried over to the square with as many as he could carry and set up a stall to sell them.
A couple of Turkish sailors strolled by and were struck by the grace of the brushstrokes and the vibrancy of the colours.
They gathered around the man and said that they would buy all of the pictures, but they also wanted more.
The man said, "Of course. Come to my house and my wife will make for you."
The group of Turkish sailors followed him to his home, but saw that it was the Sultan's daughter at the easel. They overpowered the man, bound the woman, carried her to their ship and sailed away to Turkey.
Heartbroken, the fellow walked each day along the beach, to see if a ship would take him aboard. One morning he spotted a wizened man in a small boat.
"Old man, will you take me along with you in the boat?"
The elder replies, "Yes, I will take you if you wish!"
 |
| "The Old Fisherman" by Pablo Picasso. |
They set out in the small boat the following day, and sat with their fishing rods, but then fell asleep. A strong storm carried the boat all the way to Turkey. Both of them were seized by locals and sold to the Sultan as slaves. The old man became the gardener for the ruler of Turkey and the young man delivered bouquets of flowers to the Sultan's daughter, who was imprisoned in a massive tower. Still, the married couple did not see each other's faces.
Time passed and the lad discovered that music was the one thing that allowed his hope to burn. Once, as he passed under the tower, the Sultan's daughter recognized the singing voice - it was Fair Brow, her husband. She ordered her maids to place the man in a basket of flowers and haul him up to the tower. The couple loaded a large ship with pearls and various precious stones, and escaped with the old man.
Out at sea, when they were nearing home, the old man said it was time to divide their spoils.
The young lad, known as Fair Brow, said " I will leave you three quarters of the wealth, old man. I only want my wife and one quarter of the wealth."
The grey soul peered at his companion. "I must let you know that I am the man you buried; all of this happened because you had a soft heart and cared for others."
Then the old man vanished.
Fair Brow arrived home, and was lauded as a hero. He visited his father and told him what happened, whereupon they were reconciled with each other. Soon after his father died and all of the riches went to his son. This made the Fair Brow the richest person in the world.
Thank you for reading!
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