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 It is told — O wise and noble listener — that long ago, in a city of Persia, there lived two brothers. One was named Qasim, a wealthy and greedy merchant, and the other was Ali Baba, a poor woodcutter who lived modestly by collecting firewood from the forest and selling it in the marketplace. One day, as Ali Baba ventured into the forest to gather wood, he heard the sound of horses approaching. Alarmed, he climbed up a tree and hid among its branches. From his hiding place, he saw forty men, all mounted and armed — fierce-looking bandits. They rode up to a great rock, and their leader dismounted. Standing before the stone, he cried out in a commanding voice: "Open, Sesame!" At once, the rock split open, revealing the entrance to a hidden cave. The men entered one by one, and the rock closed behind them. Ali Baba watched in awe and waited. After a while, the thieves came out, and the leader said: "Close, Sesame!" The cave shut once more, and the bandits rode off int...

  It is told — O wise and noble King — that in times long past, in an age wrapped in the veils of wonder, there lived a young prince named Prince Darim. He was noble in form and spirit, gentle-hearted, and gifted with both wisdom and curiosity. Unlike other princes, he longed not only for power, but for stories, truth, and the mysteries of the world. His father, a great and mighty king, ruled over a vast realm. But the king was stern and believed a prince should concern himself only with rule and command, not with roaming among commoners or attending the tales of wandering poets and sages. “Ruling,” he would say, “is the work of kings. Tales are for idle men.” Yet Prince Darim paid little heed. He often slipped away from the palace, donned humble garments, and wandered among the people, listening to their woes, learning their customs, and sitting with storytellers, scholars, and the wise. One day, while walking through a busy market street, he came upon a pitiful sight: a sickly, b...