Extra Credit Reading: Tales of a Parrot, Part A

In the story "Miemun and Khojisteh," a prince had several riches, but no children. He constantly prayed for children, and eventually he had a son, whom the prince named Miemun (which means auspicious). The prince had his son married to a radiant woman named Khojisteh (which means prosperous). The husband and wife were inseparable and completely in love. Miemun went to visit the market one day and saw a parrot-seller. He asks what the price is and the vendor replies that the bird costs "the sum of a thousand huns." Miemun says whoever pays that much for a "handful of feathers, and a cat's morsel, must be an ignorant blockhead." The parrot thinks Miemun will have misfortune if he does not purchase the bird, so the parrot tells Miemun that the bird is wise and knowledgeable and advises the man to buy all the spikenard to sell to the arriving caravans. Miemun pays the thousand huns and goes to buy the spikenard. He sells it to the caravans a few days later for a huge profit. Because Miemun is pleased with the bird, he buys another called a sharuk, or mina, thinking the parrot would like company.

One part of this story that stuck out to me was the descriptions of Miemun and Kjojisteh. They are both compared to the moon and the sun, but in different ways.

There are several details that are specific to the story, such as the prices being in "huns" and Miemun buying and selling spikenards. It would be interesting to change the setting, and update these items to more recent ones.

Parrot by Arulonline

Story source: The Tooti Nameh or Tales of a Parrot, by Ziya'al-Din Nakhshabi (1801)

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