The White Fish Tale

🐟 The White Fish (Ağbalık)

Once upon a time, there was a Sultan (King). This Sultan was a very good, understanding, and merciful man to his people. The people loved him, followed his word, and caused no trouble in the city. Both his people and the neighboring countries lived in peace.

But the world is never without troubles, and our Sultan had a great sorrow: The Sultan was blind in both eyes. What good is being a Sultan if your eyes cannot see? What good is the whole world if you don't have its light? No matter how many doctors in the country tried, they could not cure their Sultan's eyes.

One day, a Dervish (a wandering holy man) came to the country. The Dervish was a guest in a home. While talking, the conversation turned to the Sultan's eyes. The Dervish said: "Let us do a kindness for the Sultan of this hospitable country. With God's permission, we will cure his eyes."

Hearing this, the people were overjoyed. They immediately took the Dervish to the Sultan. The Dervish looked at the Sultan's eyes: "My Sultan, the cure for your trouble is easy." The Sultan was very pleased to hear this.

The Dervish continued: "The cure for your trouble is a fish from the sea, my Sultan." The Sultan said: "That is very easy! I will immediately send men and bring a fish."

The Dervish said: "My Sultan, this fish is not like the others. This is a fish as white as snow. Its eyes are as beautiful as those of Zeliha. In short, it is a very beautiful fish. You must catch this fish, crush it in a mortar to make an ointment. Take a piece of this ointment and rub it on your eyes, and your eyes will open immediately."

The Sultan said: "Ask whatever you wish from me, Dervish."

But they saw that the Dervish suddenly turned into a piece of bread and disappeared. The Sultan realized that this man was not a Dervish but the Prophet Hızır (Khidr, the helper in times of trouble).

He called his Viziers: "Call my Prince!"

The Sultan said to his son: "My son, there is a fish in the sea with scales as white as snow. If I catch this fish, crush it in a mortar, and rub the ointment on my eyes, I will immediately see. It is my command: Let them catch this fish! The town criers should announce that I will give gifts to whoever catches it."

The Prince heard this and said: "On my head and eyes, Father! I am leaving right away."

The Prince sent criers all over the country. Everyone was told what the Dervish had said. The people were very happy. They celebrated that their Sultan's eyes would be opened! Everyone got to work. They did not leave the sea day and night, but they could not find the fish they were looking for. They wept that their beloved Sultan's eyes would not open.

The Sultan heard this and said: "God is great. What God wills, happens. Just as God sent Hızır, He will surely send the fish."

Just when everyone had given up hope, one morning, an old fisherman said "Bismillah" (In the name of God) and cast his net into the sea to earn his living. After a while, he pulled his net from the sea. What did he see? Among the fish he caught was a fish as white as cheese! This fish was so beautiful that its beauty took the old fisherman's breath away.

The fisherman immediately went and found the Prince and gave him the good news. The Prince went with the old fisherman to the net where the fish was caught. When the Prince saw the fish, his eyes grew wide. His mouth dropped open! How could it not? The fish's color shimmered like the full moon! Its eyes were like the sun.

The Prince did not know whether to be happy that the fish was found or sad. He started thinking sadly: "How can I crush this beautiful animal in a mortar?"

Finally, he made his decision. He said to the old fisherman: "We can surely find something else to cure my father's eyes. Isn't it a shame to harm this beautiful animal?" and he released the fish back into the sea.

As soon as the fish was released into the water, it raised its head out, smiled at the Prince, and then disappeared into the cool water of the sea.

The Sultan, who had been waiting impatiently for his son to bring the fish, heard what had happened. He was furious: "So, the fish is more valuable than me, is it?! I no longer have a son like you!" and he banished the Prince from the country.

The Prince was very sad about this. He took a servant and some gold and left the palace. He traveled to foreign lands. They journeyed for a while, crossing mountains and hills. They came to a well-watered place like Edene. They sat down for a rest. While the Prince rested, the servant spread the table and prepared the meal.

The Prince sat down at the table and, as was his custom, invited the servant to the table: "You come too," he said.

The servant, as if he was ready and waiting, immediately sat down at the table. The Prince was annoyed inside: "A proper invite takes three 'thank yous.' Is this how a servant should behave?" he said to himself.

The Prince would invite everyone, but he never actually wanted anyone to sit at his table. The servant just didn't understand this. Finally, the Prince gave the servant his weekly pay and dismissed him.

He continued his journey alone. He searched for a new servant in the villages and cities he passed through but could not find a person he liked.

Just as he was leaving a village, someone came running after him: "I heard you are looking for a servant for yourself. I would like to work for you," he said.

The Prince looked at the man: he was tall, handsome, and seemed hardworking and gentle. His speech was as sweet as sugar. The Prince hired this man as his servant.

"What is your name?" asked the Prince. The man replied: "My name is Ağbalık (White Fish), my master."

Ağbalık was actually the magic fish that the Prince had saved and released into the sea! He had not forgotten the kindness the Prince showed him. When he learned that the Prince had been banished from the palace because of him, he went straight to the Prince's side. But he did not reveal his true identity to the Prince.

They continued their journey together. They traveled until they reached an inn. Ağbalık immediately prepared the meal and invited his master.

The Prince said to Ağbalık: "You come too." Ağbalık replied: "You eat, may it bring health to your soul."

The Prince thought to himself, "This is exactly the servant I was looking for!"

After they ate their meal, the Prince lay down on his bed and went to sleep. Ağbalık did not sleep. After night fell, Ağbalık started hearing noises. This inn, it turned out, was actually a palace of fairies (peris)! They did not like the strangers who came here.

Ağbalık looked out the window and what did he see? The whole square was full of fairies! Ağbalık immediately grabbed his bow and arrow and wrapped a piece of cloth around the tip of the arrow. He soaked the cloth in kerosene and lit it. He shot the arrow toward the square where the fairies were. When the fairies saw the fire, they scattered in fear. The arrow hit the head of a fairy. That fairy instantly turned into a black piece of cloth.

Anyway, morning came. The Prince woke up from his sleep, unaware of what had happened during the night. They packed up and set off.

They traveled for a long, long time until they reached a big city. They saw that people were gathered in one place, and criers were shouting: "Is there anyone who wants to be a groom? Is there anyone who wants to be a groom?"

The Prince and Ağbalık looked at each other: "What is this? Do they choose grooms like this? What a strange custom!"

Ağbalık immediately grabbed one of the men in the crowd by the shoulder: "Brother, what is this crier saying?" he asked. The man said: "You must be strangers." Ağbalık said: "Yes." The man explained: "Our Vizier has a very lovely, beautiful daughter. A beauty who says, 'Let the moon and sun not rise, I will rise.' The time for her marriage has come and gone. She has been married several times, but the grooms do not survive the night. All the grooms die. That is why single men are afraid to marry her."

Ağbalık understood the situation and immediately said to the crier: "We want to be the groom!"

The Prince was surprised, but before he could say anything, they grabbed his arms and took them straight to the Vizier's palace. They washed the Prince in the Turkish bath, dressed him, and after the evening prayer, the Prince and the Vizier's daughter were married.

Ağbalık immediately took his bow and arrow and stood guard outside the door.

At night, when the bride and groom fell asleep, Ağbalık looked through the keyhole of the door. His goal was to find out what was causing the grooms' deaths. While watching, what did Ağbalık see? A black snake came out of the bride's mouth!

He immediately understood the problem. He knew the snake was killing the grooms. He quickly fitted an arrow to his bow and shot it. The snake died before it could reach the Prince. Ağbalık immediately went inside on tiptoes. As he took the dead snake and left, the snake's tail touched the Prince's nose. The Prince opened his eyes and saw Ağbalık by his head: "What was that cold thing that touched my nose?" he asked. Ağbalık said: "It was nothing, my Prince. A cat had come in. I took it out."

The Prince fell asleep again. Ağbalık started watching the room again. At one point, Ağbalık almost fell asleep, but it felt as if forty people poked him. He looked and saw another snake had come out of the bride's mouth and was about to bite the Prince! There was no time to set an arrow to the bow. He pulled the knife from his belt and threw it. The knife killed the snake. He quickly slipped inside, quietly grabbed the snake, and pulled it out. Of course, the snake's tail touched the Prince's nose again, and he woke up again!

The Prince saw Ağbalık and asked: "What happened this time?" Ağbalık said: "My master, this is an old palace. Rats and cats wander around. You rest easy; I will take them out of the room."

To make a long story short, morning came. Everyone in the city gathered in front of the Vizier's palace, wondering what had happened. They were also preparing for a funeral. When they saw the Prince at the palace window, they were very surprised, and everyone rejoiced!

The Prince and Ağbalık took the bride and set off again. After going quite a distance, they came to a river like the Euphrates. They decided to sit down and rest.

Suddenly, Ağbalık grabbed the Prince's wife and shook her. The bride was terrified and, when she opened her mouth to scream for help, a pile of baby snakes fell out of her mouth! Both the bride and the Prince were shocked by what happened.

Ağbalık said: "My master, forgive me. I had to do this while the bride was unaware. The night you married, I saw the snakes coming out of my sister-in-law's mouth and killed them. That is why you saw me in your room. I suspected something when the people said all the grooms died at night. That is why I watched your room at night, saw the snakes, and killed them. I thought there might be baby snakes in our sister-in-law's belly. You saved my life, and I wanted to save yours," and Ağbalık revealed his true identity to the Prince.

The Prince got up and hugged Ağbalık: "From now on, you are my brother," he said.

Ağbalık said: "Come, my Prince, your father is waiting for you. Go to your country." The Prince said: "I can't go back there now. How can I return when my father cannot see?"

Ağbalık said: "That is easy, my Prince. Close your eyes." They closed their eyes. "Open them," he said, and they opened them. They found themselves by the seaside!

Ağbalık said: "My job is finished here, my Prince. Take these fish scales and rub them on your father's eyes. Hopefully, he will see. Forgive me my wrongs," and he threw himself into the sea.

As he hit the water, he turned back into the white fish.

The Prince came to his father's palace with his wife. He said "Bismillah" and rubbed the fish scales on his father's eyes. In that instant, his father's blind eyes could see! The Sultan hugged his daughter-in-law and his son. The Prince told his father everything that had happened. Thus, the father and son were reunited.

They ate and drank and got their wishes. May God grant you your wishes too.

Whatever a person does comes back to them one day. Whoever does good finds good. Whoever does evil finds evil. When you are in trouble, the good you do rushes to help you like Hızır. What we call Hızır is the goodness in a person. Whenever you are in trouble, God brings the goodness you did before you. Our elders said that God's help is Hızır. Our Prophet said, 'Do good, even if it is half a date.' That is why our elders said, 'Do good and throw it into the sea. If the fish does not know, the Creator knows.' You should never turn away from doing good...

• Edene: A village in Şanlıurfa with a large spring and a stream running through it.

• pısık: Cat.