The Little Sugar Beet Vendor & Talkhun

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Quch-Ali said, "I know you want my sister. Come. Let's go. If she liked you and agreed, bring her back here with you. I can shepherd the sheep single-handed." Then the Young Man showed Quch-Ali how to change into the skin of a dove or a horse. *** In the cave, Laleh was brushing the billy-goats' beards one by one. When she was alone and couldn't sleep, this is what she did. The goats were sitting in a row and were listening to Laleh's stories. The sheep were also listening, but some were sleeping and others were masticating quietly. The dogs were also napping at the entrance to the cave. The midnight moon was bending over the cave from above, lighting its interior, and watching the inhabitants. After a while, the moon told Laleh, "Get up, dear, and light the fire. I can't stay much longer, I have to leave." Laleh got up and lit a fire at the entrance to the cave. The moon slowly slid from above the cave and left. Laleh had just finished telling her story when two doves flew into the cave. One was whiter than white and the other one was white with a large spot on his chest. Laleh said, "You poor things... Have you lost your way? Come be with me." The white dove looked at the spotted dove as if encouraging him, "Go on! Go to her. Don't be afraid." The spotted dove came and sat on Laleh's hand. Laleh looked at him and kissed him. The other dove also came and sat in Laleh's lap. Then Laleh gently laid them down and said, "Wait and I will bring you some seeds." Then she went to the back of the cave. She moved a boulder that covered an entryway to a smaller cave. When she went into that other cave, the doves came out of their dove-skins. The dogs upon seeing Quch-Ali came and sat in front of him. Laleh came back with fistfuls of seed when she saw her brother with a winsome and tall Young Man sitting in the cave, and no sign of the doves! She said, "Quch-Ali, where were you? You are so late!" Quch-Ali said, "Come meet my new friend and then I will tell you. This friend has come to see you." Laleh was quiet at first and then asked, "Did you see where my doves went?" Quch-Ali said, "When we arrived, they flew away. I will go find them. You two sit and talk together." 21
Quch-Ali then left and sat on a boulder overlooking the meadows. After a bit, Laleh and the Young Man came out of the cave hand-in-hand. He said to them, "Congratulations!" The Young Man said, "Friend, if you have no objections, I would like to take Laleh to the forest right now so that my brothers and cousins don't get worried." Quch-Ali smiled at Laleh and said, "Laleh, don't you want me to find your doves before you leave?" Laleh said smiling, "Quch-Ali, stop it! You guys got me! Tonight you are in great form mocking me!" The three laughed along. The Young Man said to Quch-Ali, "Tomorrow afternoon, we await you. Come to the forest for our wedding." Then he became a white horse, and Laleh climbed on his back and they went. Quch-Ali sat alert and awake on that same boulder until the first song of the roosters. Then he got up and went to sleep next to the herd. The next night, the forest was clamorous and noisy. Innumerable birds and mammals and reptiles had arrived from the four corners of the sky and the earth and began making nests in the trees and below the trees and within the soil and the earth. The seven blacksmith brothers with their beautiful young wives were all sitting around a large table feasting on the wedding meal. Quch-Ali was there too. At midnight, the newlyweds were to leave the forest to the animals and return to the city. They wanted to take Quch-Ali with them, but couldn't convince him as he said, "I have to look after my sheep and goats." At midnight, the newlyweds held each other's hands, climbed into dove-skins and flew away. Quch-Ali sat in the forest for a little while, but could not diminish the sorrow of his loneliness. Finally, he sat under a tree and wept for a while. When he felt a bit lighter, he went back to the cave, and to his herd. *** The Young Shepherd quieted down. He gazed into the girl's eyes, as if he wanted to see the effect of his story in there. The girl asked with a quivering voice, "Tell me more. Tell me what came of Quch-Ali." The young Shepherd said... *** 22
Page 1 and 2: Three short stories of Samad Behran
Page 3 and 4: Samad Behrangi was born in the Cher
Page 5 and 6: I opened the door and Tarvardi came
Page 7 and 8: ecause town workers demanded pay in
Page 9 and 10: started to bleed. Haji shouted for
Page 11 and 12: SECTION 2 The Tale of Love Once upo
Page 13 and 14: daughter became ill for a few days.
Page 15 and 16: At this moment, they heard the foot
Page 17 and 18: Once upon a time, there was a King
Page 19 and 20: He heard the sound of weeping. One
Page 21: Hearing what they had to say nearly
Page 25 and 26: Quch-Ali said, "That will not be ea
Page 27 and 28: spected her, she was apathetic. As
Page 29 and 30: the same. They all got up to leave.
Page 31 and 32: As soon as the Merchant heard this,
Page 33 and 34: woods from whose very corner one co
Page 35 and 36: oom and at the end of this room, th
Page 37 and 38: This time, an old Miller bought Tal
Page 39 and 40: down some stairs. They reached a gr
Page 41 and 42: *Talkhun is the colloquial pronunci
Page 43: TALKHUN Talkhun is the colloquial p

The Little Sugar Beet Vendor & Talkhun

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