The Sun and The Wind (Animal stories)

                           The Sun and The Wind

stronger. At last they agreed to have a trial of strength. 
"Here comes a traveller. Let us see who can strip him of his cloak?" said the Sun. 

The Wind agreed and did choose to have the first turn. 

He blew in the hardest possible way. 

As a result, the traveller wrapped his cloak even more tightly around him. 
Then it was the turn of the Sun. At first he shone very gently. The sun went on shining brighter and brighter. The traveller felt hot. 

Before long he took off his cloak and put it in his bag. 
The Wind accepted his defeat. 

Moral : Fury or force cuts no ice where gentleness does the job. 

The Oak Tree and the Reeds (Animal stories)

                       The Oak Tree and the Reeds

The Oak tree always thought that he was far stronger than the reeds. 


He said to himself “I stand upright in storm. I don’t bend my head in fear every time the wind blows. But these reeds are really so weak.” 


That very night blew a storm and the mighty oak tree was uprooted. 


“Thank god!” sighed the reeds, “Our way is better. We bend but we don’t break.” 

Moral : Pride has a fall.

One Nut and Two Boys (Moral stories)

                         One Nut and Two Boys

Let us enjoy reading this story of One Nut and Two Boys. 

Two little boys were playing together. One little boy saw a nut on the ground. Before he could pick it the other boy took it. 

The first boy demanded, "Give me the nut. It's mine. I only saw it first". 

The other boy replied, "It's mine. I only took it". 

This lead to a quarrel between these two little boys. Just then a tall boy came that way. Upon seeing the quarrel between the boys, he said, "Give me the nut and I'll settle your quarrel". 

He split the nut into two parts. He took out the fruit-seed. He gave one half-shell to one boy and the other half-shell to the other. He put the fruit seed into his mouth and said, "This is for settling your quarrel". 


MORAL : When two people quarrel some one else gains. 

Beyonce Biography

Beyonce Biography

Born Beyoncé Giselle Knowles on September 4th 1981, in Houston, Texas, she began singing with the original members of the popular R&B group Destiny's Child comprised of LaToya Luckett, Kelly Rowland and LaTavia Roberson in their teens.

The girls went through various incarnations, singing a mix of gospel, rhythm and blues, and hip hop, before they officially became Destiny's Child in 1995. Knowles' father, Mathew, served as manager of the group.

After performing in the Houston area, the group appeared on Star Search, the popular television talent competition. Although they did not win the competition, a contract with Columbia Records soon followed.

Their first release, 'Destiny's Child' (1997), was a tremendous success in Europe. Upon the album's release, the group kicked off a tour of sold-out shows there. Their second effort, 'The Writing's on the Wall' (1999), brought them wider acclaim back home. The album generated three top-ten hits on the Billboard R&B singles chart.

In 2000, despite internal conflicts that resulted in the departure of Luckett and Roberson from the group, Destiny's Child continued to promote their sophomore effort, playing as a supporting act for Christina Aguilera's summer tour.

In 2001, still calling themselves Destiny's Child, the group released their third album, Survivor. In 2004, after launching a successful solo career with 'Dangerously in Love', Knowles won five Grammy Awards, tying a record for most wins by a female artist.

Her second solo effort, 'B'Day', was released in September 2006 to coincide with the singer's twenty-fifth birthday. In its first week, 'B'Day' sold more than 540,000 copies in the U.S.

In 2008, Beyonce launched her third solo album entitled 'I Am ... Sasha Fierce'. It proved to be yet another hit with the critics and earned her six Grammy Awards. This meant the 29-year-old had become a record breaker by winning the most Grammy Awards of any female artist in one night.

During an interview for Entertainment Tonight, Knowles confirmed that she is currently writing songs for, and producing her latest album, which she said is a mixture of all the genres she respects. She also said that the music was not R&B or pop.

Beyonce also made a start in acting, making her debut in MTV's 'Hip Hopera: Carmen' in 2001 and co-starring as Foxxy Cleopatra in Mike Myers' James Bond parody 'Goldmember' in 2002. Other films include 2004's 'The Fighting Temptations' and 2006's 'The Pink Panther'.

Her starring role as Deena Jones, a Diana Ross-like character in the big-screen adaptation of the 1981 Broadway hit musical 'Dreamgirls', earned a Golden Globe nomination in 2006. Beyoncé's song 'Listen' was nominated for an Academy Award.

Warner Bros has announced that Clint Eastwood will be directing Beyonce in her latest film project, 'A Star is Born'. The film tells the story of an alcoholic falling star, played by Kris Kristofferson in the 1976 version, and a young female artist who was played by Barbara Streisand in the Seventies remake of the 1930s original, however the filming was postponed in 2011 due to the singer's pregnancy.

Knowles' has been romantically linked to hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, since September 2002. They performed together in music videos for two of her hit singles, 'Crazy in Love' and 'Deja Vu'. The couple married in April 2008. Among the guests sighted at the wedding were Beyonce's mother Tina Knowles, her father and manager Matthew, her sister Solange, Destiny's Child members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and friend Gwyneth Paltrow.

In a recent interview, Paltrow described her friend Beyonce as the "most talented human being on the planet". She admitted to respecting the singer's talent and said that the "mastery over what she does" goes beyond confidence, and she described it instead as "on a while other level" and "mind-blowing".

The group’s next album, Survivor, was another huge success for the girls and made number One on both the Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, as well as the UK and Canadian Albums Charts. The tracks “Independent Woman Part I” and “Bootylicious” zoomed straight to the top of the Hot 100, while the title track, “Survivor”, reached number Two. By the time Destiny’s Child announced their intention to disband in 2005, they had established themselves as one of the most famous and top-selling female groups in recording history.

Beyonce’s individual career went from strength to strength, as she earned awards for her skills as a songwriter, as well as a singer. In 2001, she won the award for “Songwriter of The Year”, given to her by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Pop Music Awards, thus becoming the very first African-American woman to receive this award, and only the second woman ever to do so.

In addition to her singing and performing commitments with Destiny’s Child, Beyonce was also carving out time to work on solo recording projects. In July 2000, she released her debut solo single, “I Got That”, featuring the rapper Amil, but the single did not sell particularly well. Refusing to be discouraged, Beyonce persevered, and in late spring 2003, she released her debut solo album, called Dangerously in Love. This time, her solo work was a massive success, right from the word go. The album burst into the Billboard 200, going straight to Number One, and sold over 300,000 copies in its first week alone, and making platinum just three short weeks later, in June 2003. Phenomenally, the album went on to top the album charts all over the world.

In addition, the lead single on the album, which was a number called “Crazy in Love” soon became one of the biggest hits of that year. The song stayed at Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 for eight weeks running, and topped the singles charts in the UK and Ireland, as well as the USA. But even greater successes were still to come! That year, Beyonce’s single and album topped both charts at the same time, making her the first artist to achieve this astonishing level of sales since the Beatles, Rod Stewart and Simon and Garfunkel in the Sixties and Seventies. To date, Beyonce is also not only the first, but also the only female recording artist ever to do this.

Beyonce was thus one of the biggest-selling artists of 2003, so it was hardly a surprise when she won no less than five Grammy Awards for her solo singing at the 2004 Grammy Awards ceremony: these awards included “Best Female R&B Vocal Performance” for Dangerously in Love”, “Best R&B Song” for “Crazy In Love”, and “Best Contemporary Album”.

Belling The Cat (Moral Stories)

Belling The Cat

Let us enjoy reading this story of Belling The Cat. 

There lived many mice in a grocer’s shop. They ate plenty of grains and the grocer suffered heavy loss. So, he brought a fat cat to catch the mice. The mice were worried. They held a meeting to drive away the cat. 


A smart-looking mouse suggested that the cat moved softly and swiftly. They decided totie a bell round its neck. So that when the cat moves, the mice would become aware ofthe cat. All the mice agreed to this decision. 

The old mouse said, “Can you tell me who is to bell the cat?” 
There was no reply. 

Their decision is not yet executed. 

Bell The Cat (Moral stories)

Bell The Cat

Let us enjoy reading this story of Bell The Cat. 
There was a grocery shop in a town. Plenty of mice lived in that grocery shop. Food was in plenty for them. They ate everything and spoiled all the bags. They also wasted the bread,biscuits and fruits of the shop. 

The grocer got really worried. So, he thought "I should buy a cat and let it stay at the grocery. Only then I can save my things." 

He bought a nice, big fat cat and let him stay there. The cat had a nice time hunting the mice and killing them. The mice could not move freely now. They were afraid that anytime the cat would eat them up. 

The mice wanted to do something. They held a meeting and all of them tweeted "We must get rid of the cat. Can someone give a suggestion"? 

All the mice sat and brooded. A smart looking mouse stood up and said, "The cat moves softly. That is the problem. If we can tie a bell around her neck, then things will be fine. We can know the movements of the cat". 

“Yes, that is answer,” stated all the mice. An old mouse slowly stood up and asked, "Who would tie the bell?" After some moments there was no one there to answer this question. 



MORAL : Empty solutions are of no worth. 

A Wise Counting (Moral Stories)

                                                     A Wise Counting

Let us enjoy reading this story of A Wise Counting. 

Emperor Akbar was in the habit of putting riddles and puzzles to his courtiers. He often asked questions which were strange and witty. It took much wisdom to answer thesequestions. 

Once he asked a very strange question. The courtiers were dumb folded by his question. 

Akbar glanced at his courtiers. As he looked, one by one the heads began to hang low in search of an answer. It was at this moment that Birbal entered the courtyard. Birbal who knew the nature of the emperor quickly grasped the situation and asked, "May I know the question so that I can try for an answer". 

Akbar said, "How many crows are there in this city?" 

Without even a moment's thought, Birbal replied "There are fifty thousand five hundred and eighty nine crows, my lord". 

"How can you be so sure?” asked Akbar. 

Birbal said, "Make you men count, My lord. If you find more crows it means some have come to visit their relatives here. If you find less number of crows it means some have gone to visit their relatives elsewhere". 
Akbar was pleased very much by Birbal's wit. 

MORAL : A witty answer will serve its purpose. 

Moral Stories

Moral Stories

Here is a large collection of Moral Stories. From all regions of the world, this collection has been made to represent the true spirit of our culture. The underlining principles would be truth, love, mutual respect, righteousness, rectitude, divinity, priority to societal unity, etc…All people, including the old people, would enjoy reading these stories. You are welcome to share these stories with your friends. 

Through small stories, the idea is to illustrate the greatness of our human culture. Through the stories one can learn the various aspects of our lives. We urge people to read the stories carefully and apply the Moral learnt through the stories in their everyday life. 

The Little Hunchbacked (Arabian Night)

                                         The Little Hunchbacked 

Once upon a time in ancient Kashgar, on the borders of great territory, a tailor lived with his wife. The couple were deep in love with each other. 


One morning the tailor was working busily in his shop. A little hunchbacked came and sat by the shop's door. He held a tambour that he played and sang many sweet songs. The tailor was very impressed by the talents of the little hunchbacked. 


He thought, "I'll take him home. When I am at the shop my wife is lonely at home. He will entertain my wife well." 


So the tailor took the little hunchbacked house in the evening. His wife had already arranged hot dinner on the table. On seeing a guest, she brought a plate and soon they were introduced. Three of them had a good dinner and joked with each other. The little hunchbacked ate a fish. But, as ill-luck would have it, he swallowed a fish-bone. Soon enough, the little hunchbacked started choking. The tailor patted his back hard while his wife gave water to him to drink but the little hunchbacked did not recover. He choked on the fish-bone and soon lay dead by the dinner table. 


The tailor and his wife felt very sorry at their guest's demise. Then they grew worried. They feared that the guards of the king would come to accuse them of murder. They were scared to go to prison. So the couple thought that they would make a plan so that it would be appeared that someone other had caused his death. 


After thinking for a long time, they decided to leave the hunchbacked at a Jewish doctor's clinic-cum-residence. After a while, the tailor and his wife carried the dead body of hunchbacked to the doctor's house. They knocked at the door which led to a steep stairway to the doctor's house. As it was dark a maid came down the stairway with halting steps. On enquiry, the tailor said, "We have brought a man who is very ill. Here take this advance money for the Jewish doctor. Tell him to rush down here." The maid went upstairs to call her master. Meanwhile, the tailor and his wife put the dead body of the hunchbacked on the stairs in a sitting position at the top stair. Then they ran away from the spot. 


Now the young Jewish doctor came out running to see the ill patient whose advance payment he had received. As he ran out, he tripped over the body of the hunchbacked which he could not see in the dark. The collision caused the body of the hunchbacked to on down the stairs. As the Jewish doctor reached the hunchbacked, he thought that he had killed him when he rolled down the stairs. Now it was the turn of the Jewish doctor to fear. He quickly carried the dead body straight to his wife's chamber. There he told his wife what had happened. His wife started crying bitterly. The Jewish doctor thought that he would now have to surrender and confess to the murder of the little hunchbacked. But his clever wife stopped him. She said, "You'll be foolish to confess and go to prison. Do as I tell you. Both of us will carry this corpse to our roof. From there we'll step on to our neighbour's roof. I know that our Muslim neighbour is not at home now. We'll throw the body into his house by lowering it in through the chimney." The doctor agreed and soon he and his wife carried out their plan successfully. 


The Jewish doctor's neighbour, the Muslim, worked at the Sultan's palace. He provided oil and butter for the royal kitchen. He had a store-room in his house where he kept his goods and many rats and mice roamed in freely. When the doctor and his wife lowered the dead body of the hunchbacked through the chimney, it went straight into the store-room. 


That night when the Muslim-neighbour entered the storeroom with his lantern, he saw a thief standing by the wall, the roof above where the chimney was. He thought that the thief had entered through the chimney. He picked a stout stick and started beating the thief. He yelled, "You thief, you've been stealing my butter for months and I thought that the mice were doing it." 


After a while when the thief did not respond and lay sideways on the floor, the neighbour went nearer. He was horrified to see that the thief was dead. His brutal beatings had killed the thief. Now the devout Muslim asked God for forgiveness and felt very guilty and afraid indeed. Then he thought of getting rid of the body in such a way that no one would suspect him at all. He thought for a while. Then, he picked the dead body of the hunchbacked and carried it in the market. As it was night time, no one saw him as he leant the body against one of the shop's wall and crept back home. 


Just before dawn, a rich Christian merchant was returning from a feast where he had drunk a lot. He was going to the bath to fresh up. He walked hastily because if he was seen drunk by any other then he would be punished, according to the law of the land. As he walked fast, he jostled against a man who stood by a shop's wall. So by doing that, the hunchbacked fell on the ground. In his drunk state, the Christian thought that a thief was trying to attack him so he gave a full fisted blow to the man's face. The man fell on the ground. Then the Christian started calling loudly for help. Just then a guard patrolling the area came to him. He stopped the Christian and then called the fallen man to get up but he never moved. 


Now the guard declared, "You are a Christian so you killed a Muslim devout. You will be punished for showing disrespect to another religion." 

The guard called his assistants to carry the dead body of the hunchbacked. Then the Christian was put into prison. 

After investigations, it was revealed that the little hunchbacked had been one of the royal jesters. As the Sultan liked him very much, the guards decided to present the case in the royal court. The Sult1an was enraged that his subjects were killing each other in the name of religion. So he sentenced the Christian to death to teach others a lesson, so that all can live in peace. 

Soon the town crier announced that the merchant would be hanged publicly. The crowd gathered at the gallows to witness his death. Just as the hangman was about to tighten the rope around the Christian merchant's neck a man came rushing through the crowd. He cried, "Stop, please in God's name! It is me a Muslim who killed this Muslim brother. How can one kill a dead man? I can't let my hands be stained by the blood of an innocent Christian. Please let him go." 


The crowd and guards then heard the Muslim's story. Thus the Christian stepped down and the guards got ready to hang the Muslim. As the Muslim went up to the gallows, someone screamed, "Guards, do stop right away. I confess to this crime."

There was a roar of confusion in the crowd. Then a man emerged. 
He was the Jewish doctor. He said, "Please spare my Muslim friend's life for it is I who caused the jester's death." 

On enquiry, the Jewish doctor narrated his story and confessed to the death of the hunchbacked caused by him on a dark staircase. The guards and the crowd were surprised at the turn of event. Then they again fell silent as the hangman tightened the noose around the Jewish doctor's neck. 

Just then the tailor rushed to the gallows and held the .hangman's hand. He said, "Sir, this noose is for my neck and not for the innocent Jewish doctor. Please listen to what I have to say and you will learn that I am the real culprit." 

As the tailor told his story, the hangman and the guards grew confused. The people murmured in surprise and confusion. Then the hangman freed the Jewish doctor as the tailor got ready to meet his death. 

Meanwhile in the court, a guard told the Sultan about the drama that had unfolded at the gallows. The Sultan summoned all the accused to be present in the court. 

Once, everyone reached the court. The Sultan heard everyone's story. The Sultan understood that the hunchbacked had died due to choking on the fish-bone and all the accused stood innocent. So he set all of them free. Then he ordered his historian to write this story for the generations to come for he had never known such an event to occur before. 

ELVIS PRESLEY BIOGRAPHY

ELVIS PRESLEY BIOGRAPHY

ELVIS IN LOVE

Find out about The King's love life Thursday 16 August at 9pm

Elvis Presley epitomised the beginnings of ‘youth’ culture that swept the western world throughout the 50’s and 60’s. He was a white southern boy singing county and blues laced with gospel, while swinging his hips in a provocative manner that made him both a teenage idol and target for outraged adults.

The son of Gladys and Vernon Presley, Elvis grew up an only child in Mississippi Alabama. Entering a local talent show dressed as a cowboy proved to be the catalyst to a musical career that was to make him a worldwide idol in later years.

After a move to Memphis with the family and graduating from L.C. Humes High School, Elvis took up a job driving trucks for the Crown Electric Company.

It was during this time that he started to wear his trademark slicked back barnet – a popular fashion with truck drivers of the time – and visited the Memphis Recording Studio where for four dollars anyone could record a ten inch acetate.

Elvis recorded ‘My Happiness’ and ‘That’s When Your Heartache Begins’

That summer of '53 he also recorded ‘Casual Love Affair’ and ‘I’ll Never Stand In Your Way’, prompting Sam Phillips, the studio owner, to comment that he found “a white man with the Negro sound and the Negro feel”

Soon Elvis was collaborating with lead guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black to record ballads ‘I Love You Because’, ‘Blue Moon of Kentucky’ and ‘That’s All Right’

In July 1954, Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips played the latter on the WHBQ radio station where it became Elvis’ first local hit. The rest, as they say, is history.

Scotty Moore became Elvis’ manager and Elvis soon embarked on several radio interviews, leading to a debut TV appearance in 1955 on a local broadcast.

After a change of management, when Bob Neal replaced Phillips, the young Elvis headed for New York where he auditioned – unsuccessfully - for a television programme. However, on 13 May 1955, his performance in Jacksonville, swinging those hips and singing ‘Baby Let’s Play House’, almost started a riot. Together with ‘I’m Left, Your Right, She’s Gone’, the tracks became instant hits on the national Country & Western chart.

That same year Elvis signed with RCA. Neal negotiated a $35,000 contract, out of which the singer received a $5,000 advance. With his earnings, Elvis bought her a pink Cadillac. The boy from a humble and impoverished upbringing was heading towards stardom. January 1956 saw Elvis make his first national TV debut on 'Stage Show', followed by six more appearances. He then furthered his exposure to millions of Americans by singing on the Steve Allen and Ed Sullivan shows. Ironically, his first engagement in Las Vegas’ New Frontier Hotel had to be cancelled due to poor public response.

However, all that was to change when Elvis signed up for his first movie role in ‘Love Me Tender’, which was the perfect showcase for his singing talents. The film recouped its budget in three days of release. That same year, Elvis released the singles ‘Heartbreak Hotel’, ‘I Was the One’, ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, ‘I Want You’, ‘I Need You, I Love You’, ‘Hound Dog’, ‘My Baby Left Me’, ‘Anyway You Want Me’, ‘Love Me Tender’, ‘Don't Be Cruel’, ‘Love Me’ and ‘When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold’.

The Enchanted Horse (Arabian Night)

                                            The Enchanted Horse

The people were rejoicing in Shiraz, Persia. They were happily celebrating the feast of the New Year. That day the Sultan had arranged for great fairs and festivals in the main square of the city. The Sultan sat on his throne and watched his subjects celebrating. 


Just then the crowd stopped amidst their actions and looked surprised. They saw a man riding a wooden horse that was decorated with silk and jewels as a real horse. The horse looked elegant and so did the young man riding it. The Sultan, too, was surprised to see him. The young man dismounted the horse, bowed to the Sultan and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty, I am an Indian, the owner of this horse that has magic powers. All I have to do is sit on it and tell where I want to be and in the blink of an eye, I am there." 


The crowd gasped to hear the power of the special horse. The Sultan recovered after hearing this and then said, "Welcome, Indian. Now you'll have to prove that your words are true." 


"I'll go through any test you want me to prove it." 


"Alright," the Sultan ordered. "Go to the mountain to the east of my kingdom. Bring to me a leaf from the palm tree that stands there." 


The Indian bowed low and mounted the horse. Then he turned a tiny screw that was located in the horse's neck. And then the Indian was not to be seen as the horse had flown off. Just a few seconds later, the Indian appeared on the horseback at the city square. He dismounted the horse and placed the palm leaf in the Sultan's hand. 


The Sultan was convinced of the magical horse's power. He was now determined to possess it. So he said, "Dear Indian, what price do you ask for this enchantedhorse of yours?" 


The Indian said, "Your Majesty, I got this magical animal in exchange for my one and only beautiful daughter. I gave my daughter to the man who created this horse. Then, my daughter told me that I would never give up this horse for anything but for something that equals its true value." 


The Sultan offered, "Go on, Indian. Tell me what you want in exchange. I have mansions full of jewels and gold. I have prosperous cities of which you can become the ruler." 


"Thank you, Your Majesty, but none of these do I desire. I think I can let you have the horse in exchange of your daughter's hand in marriage." 


The Sultan smiled while the crowd murmured in discussion. But this reply by the Indian angered Prince Firoz Shah. He was the Sultan's son, Prince of Shiraz. The Sultan was in deep thought for he thought this to be a worthy bargain. 


The Sultan addressed Prince Firoz. "Prince Firoz, why don't you ride the horse and see if it works well even with other riders on its back?" 


The Prince mounted the horse. Then the Indian instructed him how to operate theenchanted wooden horse. The Prince heard only that he had to turn a screw to start his ride. He did so and off he flew. The eager Prince had not heard how he was to stop the horse when required. 


As the Prince flew off on the enchanted horse's back, the Sultan and his subjects grew worried about if he would be able to come back safely. The Sultan waited for hours yet there was no sign of the Prince. Now the worried Sultan grew angry, too. Seeing his anger, the Indian explained, "Your Majesty, do not be angry. The young Prince was impatient and did not hear all the instructions. It is not my fault at all." 


"Do you think that he'll keep flying all the time? Will he never land back on earth?" the Sultan enquired angrily. 


"No, Your Majesty," the Indian said. "The Prince will come down to land if he would locate and turn the second screw on the horse's neck." 


"But he may land in the deep sea or a high mountain!" exclaimed the Sultan. 


"No, Your Majesty, it won't happen. The magical horse can sense danger and will never land in such places. He'll only go where he is instructed to go." 


The Sultan was not convinced by the Indian's reply. He called his guards and said, "Take him and put him into prison for ninety days. If the Prince returns safe and sound, he'll be freed or he would be killed as a punishment." 


Meanwhile Prince of Shiraz was flying riding on the enchanted horse. He felt very scared that he had not learnt the way to land the horse. By chance his eyes fell on the screw below the horse's ear. He turned the screw in the opposite direction and the horse started descending. Soon the horse landed on the roof of a large palace. 


The Prince of Shiraz dismounted the horse. He saw a doorway. He opened it stealthily and descended the steps that he saw. He soon reached a large hall. Many guards were sleeping there. They had kept their weapons by their side. 


The Prince then saw a light at one end of the hall. As he reached the spot, he saw some curtains. Moving the curtains aside, he peeped in. His eyes met the most breathtaking scene of his life. A beautiful ivory skinned maiden with long lustrous hair and rosy red lips lay on a bed in deep sleep. Many of her maids were by her side. But all of them were dozing. 


"Oh! She is so beautiful!" the Prince exclaimed. "Surely she must be the princess of this land," the Prince approached the bed. The sound of his steps woke up the maiden. She was very surprised to see young handsome man in her bedchamber in the middle of the night. 


"Do not fear," the Prince said. "1 am the Prince of Shiraz, Due to a chain of unbelievable events, 1 have been brought in your presence. I hereby seek your help and protection." 


The maiden spoke, "I am the Princess of Bengal. You are now in my kingdom and you'll be treated as an honoured guest." 


Then the Princess summoned her chambermaids. They took the prince to the guest-room to refresh and rest himself. 


The Princess was very impressed by Prince Feroz and had fallen in love with him. 


The next morning the Princess of Bengal dressed in her most beautiful silk garments and the choicest of her precious jewels. Then she went to meet the Prince of Shiraz. They both sat down for breakfast. There the Prince of Shiraz told his strange story to the Princess of Bengal. In the most beautiful words, he declared his love for the Princess. The Princess was overwhelmed and she, too, confessed her love for the Prince. The Prince stayed as a royal guest there for sixty days and spent beautiful moments with his beloved. 


After sixty days, he remembered that his father, the king of Persia would be waiting for him. So he went to the Princess of Bengal and said, "Dear, I must leave for Shiraz now. Let us go to your father, the King of Bengal. I will ask his permission to take you as my wife. Then we will reach Shiraz, take my father's permission and we will soon get married." 


So the Prince of Shiraz and the Princess of Bengal took the King of Bengal's permission. Then they mounted the enchanted horse and flew off to Shiraz. 


The Prince landed near a rest house at the outskirts of Shiraz. He made the Princess comfortable there. 


Then he went to his palace to meet the King of Persia. The Sultan, the courtiers and all the subject were delighted to see the Prince safe and healthy. After seeking the Sultan's permission, the Prince was happy. The Sultan ordered wedding preparations to be made. He declared that he himself would go to fetch the Princess of Bengal from the rest house to the palace next morning. 


The Sultan ordered the Indian to be released from prison. Then as the Indian left the prison, he had a plain mind. He wanted to take revenge. The Indian went to the rest house. There he addressed the guard, "Guards, the Sultan has sent me to fetch the Princess of Bengal.” 


The Indian had the enchanted horse and he mounted the horse with the Princess and flew off. As he was flying, the Sultan who was strolling on the roof of hispalace saw both of them. He called after them but to no avail. The Prince was informed about this and he felt sad and angry indeed. That night he dressed up as a wandering sage and left the city. He went in search of his beloved, the Princess of Bengal. 


The Indian soon flew and landed in a valley in Kashmir. When they stopped, the Princes of Bengal started calling for help. Hearing her calls, the Sultan of Kashmir came to her rescue. He had seen hunting in a nearby forest. On enquiry, the Princess of Bengal told all what had occurred and the Sultan of Kashmir heard attentively. Soon the Sultan of Kashmir ordered his guards to put the Indian's life to an end. Thus the cruel Indian died. 


The Princess of Bengal then left with the Sultan of Kashmir to live in his palace. Next morning many maids came to the Princess. They said, "We've been sent to dress you up as a bride. Our Sultan wishes to marry you." 


The Princess of Bengal heard this and soon fainted. When she recovered, the Sultan informed her that the ceremony would take place before sunset. Now the Princess had a whole day to make her plan of escape. She decided that she would act mad so that the Sultan would refuse to marry her. The Princess started talking nonsensically. Then she laughed and cried one after the other. The Sultan of Kashmir thought he would marry her a few days later when she would be better. But the Princess grew violent day by day. She now started throwing vases and cushions at anyone who entered her chamber. None of the doctors in Kashmir could cure her. 


Now the Prince of Shiraz had reached Kashmir. He heard all about the Princess of Bengal and was happy beyond words to have found his lost beloved. He dressed as a doctor. Then he presented himself in the Sultan of Kashmir's court. He said, "Your Majesty, I am a learned doctor. I request your permission to offer my services. I will surely cure the Princess of Bengal's madness and then you can take her as your wife." 


The Sultan of Kashmir said, "Respected sir, if you'll cure her, I'll give you all the wealth you'll ask for." 


Then the doctor, who is the Prince, requested to be left alone with the Princess of Bengal in her chamber. Once alone, the Prince of Shiraz revealed his true identity to the Princess of Bengal. Then they both devised a plan to escape the clutches of the Sultan of Kashmir. 


After a few hours the Prince of Shiraz went to the Sultan and said, "Your Majesty, I've found out the cause of the Princess of Bengal's madness. When she rode the enchanted horse, some of its magical power entered her body. Tomorrow morning the enchanted horse must be placed in the city square. The princess shall sit on it. I will put some magical perfume on both of them and she'll be cured." 


Next morning, the Sultan of Kashmir, his courtiers and the people came to see the curing of the Princess. Soon the Princess of Bengal's arrival will be decked in precious jewels and silk robes. Then the Princess mounted the enchanted horse. The Prince, dressed as doctor, lit a coal fire. Then he put some perfumed powder in the coal. A cloud of smoke rose up. The doctor crossed his hand over his heart. He circled the horse thrice and uttered a magical chant. 


As the smoke grew thicker, the horse, the Princess and the doctor were not visible to the spectators at all. Then the Prince mounted the horse, turned the screw and instructed it to leave for Shiraz. In a second, they had taken flight. 


As the enchanted horse took flight, he called the Sultan of Kashmir and said, "Remember, dear Sultan, to marry a Princess, you first need her consent." 


Thus, the loving couple escaped the clutches of the Sultan of Kashmir. They soon reached Shiraz and were joined in marriage among great pomp and show that befits a royal marriage. 

FREDDIE MERCURY BIOGRAPHY

FREDDIE MERCURY BIOGRAPHY

SHOW

Queen: Days of Our Lives

Saturday 26 November at 9pm

Freddie Mercury, originally named Faroukh Bulsara, grew up in India and moved to Britain in 1964 to work for a time in Heathrow airport.

Initially a vocalist in a band called Wreckage, Mercury joined Queen in 1971. At this point, the band was made up of ex-Smile members Brian May on guitar and Roger Taylor on drums. John Deacon answered an advert in the music press to become the band’s bassist.

Their early career saw them release the poorly received album 'Queen' in 1973, and go on tour extensively, supporting Mott the Hoople.

Their second album, 'Queen 2', gave them their first hit single: 'Seven Seas Of Rye'. They gradually found a loyal audience in a difficult time for music; Freddie made a charismatic front man and the band worked together as a skilful team.

'Sheer Heart Attack' and 'A Night At The Opera' followed, the former bearing 'Killer Queen', the latter 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. This epic song was a record breaker, remaining the longest running number one for twenty years.

Mercury wrote the catchy number 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love', from the album 'The Game', released in 1980, the same year that the band penned the score to 'Flash Gordon'.

Mercury's solo work included material for the soundtracks to 'Electric Dreams' and 'Metropolis'. His version of 'The Great Pretender' was a hit in 1987. He recorded an album and single, 'Barcelona', with opera diva Montserrat Caballe, for the Barcelona Olympics.

The group worked together again on 'The Miracle' and 'Innuendo', which was the last material to be released before Freddie's tragic death from AIDS in November 1991. He only admitted he was suffering from the virus the day before his death.

On 22 November 1991, Mercury had called Queen's manager Jim Beach over to his Kensington home, to discuss a public statement. The next day, 23 November, the following announcement was made to the press:

“Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me. However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease. My privacy has always been very special to me and I am famous for my lack of interviews. Please understand this policy will continue.”

A little over 24-hours after issuing the statement, Freddie Mercury died at the age of 45. The official cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.

In 1995, the last Queen album, 'Made In Heaven' was released, which made use of some of the unfinished work Mercury left unused before he died.