The Cannibal’s Laughter
Introduction
Long ago, Caliph Ahriad was the ruler of Baghdad. He harbored ambitions of conquering neighboring lands to become famous as a hero and an emperor. However, he had a wise and intelligent daughter who despised wars. She patiently awaited an opportunity to convince her father of the futility of conquest.
The Princess’s Choice
The princess grew into a beautiful young lady, and many young men desired to marry her. Her fame spread to the nearby sultanates. One day, the Caliph told his daughter, “My daughter, it is time for you to marry a suitable young man. I will soon find one.”
“Father!” she replied, “I must be allowed to choose my husband myself. You may send any candidate to me, but I will marry only the one who can answer a question of mine.” The indulgent father had no objections to this condition.
The Suitors
Several young men from the nobility stepped forward to marry the princess. However, all but one backed out upon hearing the condition, fearing humiliation if they could not answer her question. The one who did not back out was the son of a sultan.
The young man was ushered into the Caliph’s court, and the princess sat across from him. The Caliph and his courtiers waited in eager silence.
The Tale of the Sultan
<p“I will tell you a story before posing my question,” said the princess. She began:
“Long ago, there was a sultan who desired to become an emperor. With a trained army, he marched into Africa, which was divided into small territories ruled by kings with little military power. The sultan easily subdued them, expanding his empire.”
“However, there was one brave and clever young king who refused to surrender. Instead, he retreated with his soldiers into the forests and hills, launching surprise attacks on the sultan’s army when they were unprepared.”
The Final Battle
The obstinate sultan, though harassed, refused to return to his land until he vanquished this particular king. Thus, the battle dragged on. During a dry season, the sultan set fire to the forest, forcing the African king’s army to come into the open.
A fierce battle ensued, and while the African army was ultimately routed and their king killed, a significant portion of the sultan’s army was also destroyed.
The Cannibal
After the battlefield fell quiet, the sultan sought to find the body of the African king. As he surveyed the field littered with the dead, he noticed a strange fellow who appeared to be a forest dweller.
<p“Who is that fellow?” the sultan inquired of one of his African officers.
<p“My lord! He belongs to a tribe of cannibals. He is perhaps waiting to eat a corpse,” the officer replied.
<p“Why don’t you eat as many corpses as you wish? What are you waiting for?” the sultan asked the cannibal.
<p“I want only one corpse. But how can I take someone else’s food without permission? The killer of all these people must have a terrific appetite,” replied the stranger.
The Mad Sultan
The sultan laughed and replied, “I have killed them, but not for eating, do you understand?”
<p“I don’t understand. If you are not going to eat them, why did you kill them?” asked the stranger, astonished.
The sultan could not provide an answer. The cannibal laughed wildly and ran away.
The Conclusion
The princess paused and asked her suitor, “Can you explain why the cannibal laughed?”
The young man answered, “The cannibal kills human beings only when he is hungry. He was surprised that someone would kill thousands without the intention of eating them. He laughed because he concluded that the sultan was mad, and he ran away to avoid the madman!”
<p“You are right,” said the princess.
They were married, but it is essential to note that the princess had another motive in telling the story. Her father realized the futility of wars and the mass killing of soldiers and innocent people by listening to her tale. He gave up his desire for conquest, choosing a path of peace instead.