What the Rose did to the Cypress facts for kids

What the Rose did to the Cypress is a classic fairy tale from Persia (modern-day Iran). It was included in The Brown Fairy Book in 1904 by Andrew Lang. The story was translated from old Persian writings.

Other Names for the Story

This tale is known by a few different names, like Rose and Cypress, Gul o Sanaubar, Qissa Gul-o-Sanaubar, or What the Rose did to the Pine.

It's thought to have come from Hindustan (a region in India). It was even translated into French as Rose & Cyprès by Garcin de Tassy. A German version, Rose und Cypresse, was also written by Felix Liebrecht.

What Happens in the Story?

A king had three sons. One day, his oldest son went hunting. He chased a deer that led him to a dry, sandy area where his horse sadly died. He found a tree with a cool spring and drank from it.

A wise old man, called a faqir, appeared and asked what he was doing there. The prince told his story. The faqir then shared his own sad tale: he used to be a king with seven sons. All his sons had tried to win a princess by answering a difficult riddle: "What did the rose do to the cypress?" They all failed and were executed. This made the old king so sad that he went to live in the desert.

Hearing this, the prince fell in love with the idea of this princess. His helpers found him and brought him home, but he became very ill because of his love. His friends told the king, who then arranged for him to travel to the princess's city.

When the prince arrived, the princess's father tried to stop him. The prince was asked the riddle, but he couldn't answer it. Sadly, he was executed, just like the faqir's sons. His second brother followed him and also died trying to answer the riddle.

Finally, the third and youngest son went. When he reached the city, he saw the heads of his brothers displayed. He decided to be smart. He went to a nearby village and stayed with an old, kind couple who had no children.

How the Prince Found the Secret

The prince disguised himself and searched the city for the riddle's secret. He found a way into the princess's garden by following a stream. He hid there. When the princess's maids came for water, they saw his reflection and were scared. The princess had her nurse bring him to her.

The prince pretended to be confused, making the princess think he was mad. But his good looks made her want to protect him. One of her maids, Dil-aram, who had seen him first, grew very fond of him. She begged him to tell her his true story. Finally, he realized she cared for him and told her everything. He promised to marry her and keep her close. Dil-aram didn't know the riddle's answer, but she knew that a certain man from a faraway place called Waq of the Caucasus had told the princess the riddle.

The Journey to Waq

The prince decided to travel to Waq of the Caucasus. An old man gave him advice on how to get there, warning him about magical creatures like jinns and peris. He was told to take a specific road until it split, then take the middle road for a day and a night until he found a pillar. He had to follow the instructions on the pillar.

He found a warning at the split roads, telling him not to take the middle path. But he bravely took it anyway and found a beautiful garden. To reach it, he had to pass a huge man. A woman in the garden tried to make him change his mind. When she failed, she used magic to turn him into a deer.

As a deer, he joined a group of other deer. He tried to jump out of the magical garden, but each time he ended up back where he started. On his ninth try, the other deer disappeared. A beautiful woman in the garden took him as a pet. When he cried, she realized he had been enchanted by her sister. She turned him back into a human. She gave him a special bow, arrows, a sword, and a dagger that belonged to heroes. She told him he must find the home of the Simurgh (a mythical bird), but she couldn't tell him exactly where it was.

Meeting the Simurgh

The prince followed her directions to a place called the Place of Gifts, where wild animals lived. A lion-king there gave him some hairs, telling him to burn them if he needed help. He was also told to avoid a castle with clashing swords, but he decided to go there anyway, believing in fate. He fought the people there. With the lion's help, he won and rescued a princess. He left her and the castle in the lion's care while he continued his quest.

He found the Simurgh's nest, where only the young birds were. He bravely killed a dragon nearby and fed it to the hungry young Simurghs. They ate until they were full and fell asleep. When their parents returned, they thought the prince had harmed their babies. But the mother bird checked and found her young ones safe and sound. The Simurgh then carried the prince to Waq and gave him three feathers. If he burned any of them, the Simurgh would come to help him.

The Riddle's Answer

At Waq, the prince learned that only the king knew the riddle's answer. He went to the king's court and gave the king a valuable diamond, saying it was his last treasure. The king was pleased and wanted to give him anything he wished. The prince only wanted the answer to the riddle. The king said he would have killed anyone else for asking, but because the prince was so determined, he would tell him.

The king said he was the "cypress," and his wife, who was brought before them in chains and old clothes, was the "rose." He explained that he had once saved some peris and helped them see again. In return, they arranged for him to marry a peri princess. But she had betrayed him, secretly meeting another man every night who treated her badly. The king had killed that man and his friends, but one escaped and told the princess with the riddle. The king then told the prince to prepare for execution.

The prince asked for one last washing. While washing, he burned one of the Simurgh's feathers. The Simurgh appeared and carried him away to safety.

The Prince's Return

On his way back, the prince married the princess he had rescued from the castle of clashing swords, and also the woman who had turned him back from a deer.

When he returned to the city, he demanded that the man the princess had hidden confirm his story. The king found the man, and he confirmed everything. Instead of marrying the princess, the prince took her captive. He made sure his brothers' heads were properly buried. Then, he sent for Dil-aram.

Back home, the prince had the man who had betrayed the king punished. The princess begged for mercy, saying that what happened was fate. The prince forgave her. He married her and Dil-aram, and lived happily with his wives.

Other Versions of the Story

The expert Garcin de Tassy mentioned in 1868 that he knew at least six different translations of this story! Some were from Persian, and others were written by different authors.

Scholars believe this Persian tale is similar to other stories found in The Arabian Nights, like The Splendid Tale of Prince Diamond and The Tender Tale of Prince Yasamîn and Princess Almond.

A version from the Caucasus region was collected by Adolf Dirr, called Von Balai und von Boti.

In a Georgian version, Gulambara and Sulambara, a prince is sent away by his father. He meets a helpful boy and they reach a city. The prince sees a tower with heads on spikes. He learns that the princess asks a riddle: "Who are Gulambara and Sulambara?" The prince knows these are names of flowers and gets a chance to answer correctly.

Movies and TV Shows

Several films have been made in India based on this fairy tale:

• Gul Sanobar (1928) - a silent film by Homi Master.
• Gul Sanobar (1934) - a sound remake by Homi Master.
• Gul Sanobar (1953) - by Aspi Irani.

Gul Sanobar was also an Indian television series based on the legend. It was shown on DD National in the early 2000s.