Once upon a time, a beggar in faraway Persia had a stroke of luck. After a sudden flood, the fast-flowing river near the capital city shrank back to its old bed, leaving mud and slime behind it on the banks. In the dirt, the beggar caught sight of a sparkling red stone. He picked it up and hurried off to visit one of his friends who worked in the royal kitchens.
"How many dinners would you give me for this shining stone?" he asked the man hopefully.
"But this is a ruby!" exclaimed the cook. "You must take it to the Shah at once!" So next day, the beggar took the stone to the Shah, who asked him: "Where did you find this?" "Lying in the mud on the bank of the river, Sire! he said.
"Hmm!" mused the Shah. "Now why did the great river leave such a treasure to you? I'll give you a bag of gold for the stone. Will that do?" The beggar could scarcely believe his ears.
"Sire, this is the most wonderful day of my life," he stammered. "My humblest thanks!" Before the Shah locked the big stone in his treasure box, he called Fatima, his daughter and said: "This is the biggest ruby I've ever seen. I shall give it to you for your 18th birthday!" Fatima admired the gem in her hand and happily threw her arms round her father's neck. "It's marvelous! Thank you so much! I know it will bring me good luck!" Some months later, on Fatima's birthday, the Shah went to fetch the ruby as promised. But when he lifted the lid of the box, he leapt in surprise, for out stepped a handsome young man, who smilingly said, "The ruby you want no longer exists! I've taken its place. I'm the Ruby Prince. Please don't ask me how this miracle took place. It's a secret I can never tell!" When the Shah got over his shock, he went into a towering rage.
"I lose a precious gem, find a prince, and I'm not allowed to ask the reason why?" he roared.
"I'm sorry, Sire," replied the prince, "but nothing and nobody will make me tell how I got here." Furious at these words, the Shah instantly decided to punish the young man for his impertinence.
"Since you've taken the place of my ruby," he thundered, "you are now my servant, I presume." "Of course, Sire," replied the young man confidently. "Good!" exclaimed the Shah. "Then take my gold sword. I'll reward you with the hand of my daughter Fatima if you succeed in killing the dragon of Death Valley that's stopping the caravans from passing through the forest." As it happens, many a brave young man had lost his life trying to kill the terrible dragon, and the Shah was quite sure that the Ruby Prince would share their fate.
Armed with the Shah's sword, the Ruby Prince set off for Death Valley. When he reached the edge of the thick dark forest, he loudly called for the dragon to show itself. But the only reply was the echo of his own voice. He leant against a tree trunk and was about to drop off to sleep when the sound of snapping branches brought him to his feet. A frightful hissing grew louder and louder and the earth trembled. The terrible dragon was on its way.
