Week 4 Storytelling: Prince Ababwa

I awoke with a jolt. I am the daughter of the Sultan. Today is the day I am marrying the son of my father’s vizir. I do not love him. In fact, I hardly know him other than the few times he had come to our house for the banquets my father hosts every month. I don’t want to get married, but I am not 20 years old, and my father said I had to have a suitor by this age. My father decided the vizir’s son would be my suitor. He was old and not gentlemanly. I would have wanted to marry a youthful, handsome man. I got up, and my servants helped me get ready for my wedding. Four hours later, I was married and everyone was celebrating, but I had never been more dissatisfied. Why should I have to get married? I don’t need a man, and I never will. Our wedding came to a close. I felt like a spectator of someone else’s life. This isn’t what I wanted. I was escorted to my room where my now husband would soon be meeting me. I sat on the edge of the bed. When I saw my husband walk into the room, I became overwhelmed with sorrow at the idea of how my life would be from now on. I started sobbing and threw my head in my hands; however, I no longer heard his footsteps nor could I feel his presence. I lifted my head from my hands. I was in a strange room with walls of gold and windows of the rarest jewels.

‘Was this a dream? I was just in my room. How did I get here? I got out of the bed and my feet touched the cold golden floors. It felt so real. Could this really be a dream?’ I was terrified. I jump back into the bed, closed my eyes, and covered my head with the covers. Surely I would wake up back in my room. I waited for what seemed like a lifetime before peeking my head out of the covers again. I was still in this strange place.

‘Well, it must be a dream,’ I whispered to myself. So I decided it should be fun to explore this place until I woke up. I walked out the door of my room and down the long dark hallway. I could see the light from the moon shining into the wondrous jeweled windows onto the golden floor. This place was beautiful. I wandered around the halls a bit more peeking into some rooms as I passed the doors, each more extravagant than the last. What a wonderful dream! Then I heard footsteps approaching toward me. I froze then gathered myself and ran to the nearest room away from the footsteps.

 “Hello?” I heard a low voice whisper “is someone there?” I looked out from where I was hiding in. There was a man, well, more like a boy standing there in mostly rags. He looked friendly.

“Hello,” I answered slowly creeping out into the hallway to get a better look at him. He was quite handsome despite his ragged clothing.

 “How do you do?” he asked.

“Quite fine,” I answered. “I’m not quite sure where I am or how I got here though.”

“You are in Prince Ababwa’s palace. Welcome,” he responded and bowed toward me.

‘He must be one of Ababwa’s servants!’ I realized. “Well, while I’m here, could you show me around?”

“It would be my pleasure!” He exclaimed.

He led me through the palace, and we talked, laughed, and learned about each other until it was almost dawn. “You should get some sleep, miss,” he stated. I realized how late it was and agreed. He led me back to the room I had first awoken in.

 Prince Ababwa's Palace

I woke up back in my palace. My husband was asleep on the floor. What a wonderful dream! I couldn’t stop thinking about it all day. As soon as I got in bed that night I rolled over dreading the moment my husband would come to bed and was in the golden castle again. I jumped out of my bed. I ran down the hallway and found the servant boy again. We talked all night and when I woke up I was back in my room. This continued for the coming nights.

I walked into toward my father’s office to talk to him about what these dreams could mean when I overheard my husband yelling about how I had disappeared the last nights and he had woken up in a strange forest, cold and alone. Then he would wake up again on the floor in our room. It wasn’t just me. It must have been real then. My husband exclaimed he wanted nothing more to do with me and demanded to be separated from me immediately. My heart filled with excitement!

The vizir’s son left later that day and was never to return. My father summoned for me and told me what had happened. He stated he was going to find another suitor for me within the next week.

I woke up in the palace again that night and ran to the servant boy to tell him everything that had happened. He was saddened by the news then happily requested, “Come, stay with me. I will be the one to marry you!”

I smiled and my heart filled with joy, except my father would have to approve of him before allowing me to marry another. I told him he would have to come to my father’s palace and request my hand.

The next day a handsome prince showed up and my father informed me that I would soon be wed to him. I was filled with sorrow. My father led me to meet him and it was the servant boy. He was Prince Ababwa all this time! We married the next week and lived in the golden palace happily ever after.

Author's Note: I read the story of Aladdin from Arabian Nights stories by Andrew Lang. I decided I would add a twist to the Disney and original story I had just read. I didn't mention the genie, but her magically being transported there each night implied he had something to do with it. I liked ideas from the two stories I knew and thought I would create my own from them.