Thursday, October 30, 2008 | |

Short Story - The Two Magical Powers

Short Story - The Two Magical Powers

Short StoryThere lived a man by the name of Aloptin in a small village in a far away land. The village was unlike any we know. It was an enchanted village.

Many years ago when Aloptin was a boy, there was a severe storm in his village. The homes of the villagers were destroyed by the storm. Aloptin’s home was also destroyed. Their crops were destroyed. Their food stock was depleted within a few days and the villagers had nothing to eat.

And an old man with a beard touching the ground appeared in the village. All the villagers flocked to see him.

And they came to know that the old man was a magician – a magician of great power.

And he told the villagers that he would give them a magical power but they had to choose only one among the two options he would grant them.

The first option was that he would give them some seeds and everyday they would have to plant them in the field and in the evening their crops would become ripe. They could eat them but the next morning they would have to plant them again.

The second option was that whatever they would wish would become true. However, he warned them that they would never ask for a girl or a women otherwise their whole village would become dark and they could only open their eyes at midnight and that too for a few moments only. And they would never die but their life itself would become a torment to them.

Hearing this all the villagers asked the great magician to grant them the first wish. However, Aloptin and some other boys and a few girls did not consent to this. They wanted the second option.

And their grew a loud noise. The villagers began to quarrel among themselves.

And the old man raised his voice in a prophetic manner and ordered them to be silent. He commanded them to divide themselves into two groups.

And the people did as he said. Those who wanted the seeds parted themselves from their fellows.

Then the magician gave them what they asked for and he disappeared.

Aloptin and his friends scolded the other villagers and said them that they were foolish to miss such an opportunity.

And Aloptin and his friends got what they wished for – rare wines and nuts, precious cloths and gems, the best ornaments and perfumes and numerous other things. However, as time passed by they became lazy and decadent and they wished for the forbidden thing. And one day Aloptin conjured a damsel of heavenly beauty and slept with her. His friends also did the same.
But as the sun rose the next morning, Aloptin and his friends were unable to open their eyes and the part of the village where they resided turned dark.

The other villagers cried and cried, and they prayed to their God, and they offered incense to their God but nothing changed the situation.

Still today after many generations had passed by, Aloptin and his friends suffered for their lust.

Short story written by Parvez Ahmed on the 29th of October, 2008. The painting in the short story is painted by Henri Fantin-Latour.

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