The Magic Flask
THE MAGIC FLASK
by
Clem Mason
(age 6-10)
(wc 1663)
One day. while visiting the market place, Abdule handed his grandson Ajee a simple flask.
“Ajee,” he said. Although you are only twelve years old, you possess the mind of a man of many years. It makes me very proud to admit you are my grandson.”
“Thank you, Grandfather,” Ajee said.
“It is because of this that I pass on to you this flask that has been in the family for a thousand years,” Abdule said.
Ajee took it and turned it over in his hand, examining it closely. It was full of water and very heavy. “It is a nice flask, Grandfather. I am honored. Will not my father be angry that you did not give it to him?”
Abdule frowned. “He would be angry indeed if he knew.” He winked. “But we will not tell him because he is a greedy man and I believe he would not honor it for what power it has.”
Ajee frowned and looked at the old flask in wonder. “Please tell me Grandfather, what power does it have?” Ajee asked.
Abdule bent close so as not to be overheard. “It is full of magic. It will never be without drink,” he said.
Ajee’s eyes grew wide with awe. “It cannot ever empty?”
“That is true, Ajee and I trust you will find a way to put it to good use.”
“I am honored by you, Grandfather, that you trust me to do what is right,” Ajee said.
Ajee tends the goats owned by his father Akeem. Akeem makes cheese from the milk of the goat. He sells the cheese in the market place. Unfortunately, he over charges for the cheese because he is the only vender in the market that offers goat cheese. He is very greedy indeed. He is always telling Ajee to work only for profit. “How much money did you make today?” Akeem would ask his son.
“I work for you father and I get very little pay,” Ajee would say.
Akeem would cough and sputter. “I pay you well for what you do. You tend the goats, yes? How hard can that be?” he would say
“I spend my whole day. Surely that is worth more.”
Akeem thought about it awhile. “Maybe you are right.”
Ajee smiled because he thought his father was going to give him more money for tending the goats. He thought of the flute in the market place he wished he could buy. His eyes became bright with anticipation.
“In keeping with the family tradition, I will give you twenty acres of land as your inheritance,” Akeem said.
Ajee was somewhat disappointed. “What twenty acres of land, father?” he asked.
Akeem pointed. “Twenty acres in the corner of my land, next to the trade route.”
“But father,” Ajee complained. “That land is no good. Not even a weed could grow there. What you offer me is an insult.”
Akeem’s face grew red with anger. “I give you twenty acres of land. Do not imagine refusing the gift I give, but think of the possibilities. I will draw up the deed and all will be legal. If you bring water, it will grow a weed, I am sure.”
Ajee’s eyes grew wide with excitement. His father gave him an idea. He could bring water alright. Did he not possess a magic flask with an inexhaustible supply of water?? “I accept you generous offer father and I look forward to working on my own land, Ajee said “You honor me by your most generous gift.”
Akeem eyed his son suspiciously but did not ask any questions.
Ajee would herd the goats to pasture near his barren land and while they were grazing, he would gather stone, chisel the sides of the rock square and make them into blocks. The great pile of stone blocks was amassed in the center of his land. He worked for a long, long time in making this pile of stone blocks. One day, when Akeem came to look, he was amazed.
“What is this?” Akeem said, pointing to to the pile of stone blocks.
“It appears I intend to build a house, does it not, father?” Ajee suggested.
But a house will need lots of water,” he assured his foolish son.
“Father, did you not say I could bring water?”
“But Ajee. There is not water near ten miles from here,” Akeem said.
“Then I should start bringing water tomorrow,” Ajee said.
What Ajee did do was scrape a level place in the hard ground and lay the base in a large round circle. On the outside edge, he set the stone two blocks high to form a large ring. In the center of the thirty foot circle of stone, he heaped a pile of rock. Hidden inside the pile was a certain magic flask, opened and pouring out, cool, fresh water in an endless trickle. It was a long time before the pool was full and water began spilling over the sides into the desert. However, it was not long before desert flowers sprang to life. It was beautiful.
When Akeem came to see how his son was doing, he was amazed at seeing the large pool of water, next to the trade route in the middle of this barren land. “Ajee, my eyes deceive me, do they not?”
“What do you see, father?” he asked.
“I…I see a fountain, full of water in the middle of the desert,” Akeem shouted. “How is that possible?”
“What you see, father, is true. I have found a spring here in the desert and rather than build a house, I elected to build a fountain instead. The camel drivers that journey along the trade route must pay a fee to water their stock. I have made much money.” He held out two fists full of gold coins.
Akeem thought a moment. “Ajee, perhaps I was a little hasty in giving you this land. If you will consider, I will give you any forty acres you choose of my land. What do you think?”
Ajee knew if he traded his fountain away, he would take the magic flask with him and the fountain would dry up to become a useless pile of rock. He could not swindle his own father in such a manner. “I do not wish to trade, father. I have spent a year of my life building this pool and it is very dear to me,” Ajee assured him. “Did you not yourself give me this land?”
“But Ajee,” his greedy father persisted. “I will give you a hundred acres in trade.”
Ajee smiled. “You do not own a hundred acres, father.”
“But I will get it. You will be the richest boy in the village. What do you think?”
“No, father. In good conscience, I can not accept the offer you make.”
Muttering under his breath, Akeem rode away. He was distraught. How could Ajee be so stingy? It grieved him because there was so much money to be made.
In the years to come, many palm trees grew around the pool and Ajee built a nice home out of stone in the shade near by. It was adorned with flowers of all colors. Ajee had his own goats now and he hired a young village boy to tend them for very good wage. Ajee was fast becoming a very rich man and his father was jealous of him and refused to come visit..
At twenty years old now, Ajee was a very rich young man when a sultan came to water his horses. He was very impressed with the beauty of the oasis and the young owner, who was wearing fine clothes and playing a flute. He wished to possess the fountain and made an offer to buy it. “I will pay you five thousand gold coins for this land,” he said.
“I do not wish to sell. This land was given to me by my father and it would be a dishonor to sell it.”
“I will offer you 50,000 gold coins. Your father will understand,” he demanded.
Ajee shook his head.
It displeased the sultan greatly, but he understood. “Your father must be a very wise man. Wise and generous,” he said.
“He is that,” Ajee assured him.
“Perhaps the son of a wise and generous man will come to visit a sultan’s daughter if he pleases,” said the sultan’s daughter. Through her veil, Ajee could see her smile. She was very beautiful. He smiled back, bowing deeply. “I am honored.”
The sultan Turned to look at his daughter. “Do you like this man, my discriminating daughter?”
She nodded. “He fairs well with me, father,”she said.
The sultan nodded. “May I inquire of your name, my good man?” he asked.
“Ajee.”
The sultan leaned forward. “Ajee, you have found favor in the eyes of my precocious daughter Ghazi, and it would be an honor to me if you chose to come to my palace for a banquet in honor of her eighteenth birthday.”
“I will be honored, your lordship.”
Ajee went to visit the beautiful Ghazi and they fell in love and eventually they were married and had many children together. She loves the stone house and the oasis with the fountain and all the flowers. Their life together was simple but fulfilling.
As of today, the fountain with the magic flask yet pours forth an endless trickle of fresh, cool water. It is still owned by the great-great-grandchildren of Ajee and Ghazi. He and his beloved Ghazi rest not far from the main house in a shaded cemetery full of flowers. They had a long and happy life together.
THE END.
If you liked this story and you feel the poor, old author deserves compensation in his retirement for this creation, please feel free to send $1.00 to Clem Mason, c/o Backwater Publishing.
66021-0213
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