One day, the king's storyteller from Jerusalem, who was well known to the king and whom in the past he had liked very much, was finally ordered to come to the king's court. He was an old Jewish man, whose name was Saad ("Lucky"). He was from an old religious Jewish tribe.  His name was known in the entire empire from the Mediterranean Sea in the west, to Asia Minor in the north, to the Nile and all the way between the Nile and the Indian Ocean in the south, and to India in the east. He had the reputation of being the best storyteller. He was very discreet and was respected in every palace. His stories were appreciated, as they were full of wisdom. He knew many of the languages spoken in that area. This was also one of the reasons why every king welcomed him. The noble and rich families liked him, as he had access to every king's court. His knowledge, art, character and trustworthiness earned him respect and honor.  The kings liked to listen to his stories and some of his advice. He had saved the life of many persons who were in trouble with the authorities. His family lived in Jerusalem enjoying a good lifestyle and security. No king or Caliph could afford not to listen to his advice or his stories.  His schedule was prepared by a good secretary and booked almost a year in advance. Zaafer Lebranki had to send a courier to Jerusalem to invite him for one evening. The message was formulated as follows:
       "Honorable Mr. Saad, Harun al-Rashid needs you urgently, please come for the end of this month." When Saad read the message he understood that he had to go. Although another king had booked him for that time, he knew well that no one would be upset, as Harun Er Rachid was the strongest king in the region. Saad left Jerusalem a week after the messenger left with his confirmation. As soon as he received the word from Saad, Zaafer Lebranki sent out couriers with invitations to the guests. In the palace everyone waited for Saad's arrival with great expectation and hope.
        It took more than a week from Jerusalem to Bagdad; the long journey was tiring and he had to pass many hurdles. His caravan had to go through the desert and through a few dangerous rivers to reach Bagdad. The caravan was composed of horses and donkeys and was protected by a platoon from the Tuvia Army, recognized by the Romans as the most reliable tribe to bring merchandise from every corner of the Middle East. His staff comprised 20 people who helped him in his mission. When Saad reached the palace, he entered the king's courtyard with his caravan, which carried him and his servants. His rabbi accompanied him everywhere, as Saad was a religious and observant man. The donkeys with all their belongings were part of the caravan.  Saad's arrival alerted Zaafer and the guards, who were well prepared for and waiting for this moment with great expectation. This time Saad noticed that he was receiving a greater welcome than ever before. He didn't know the reason, but, as usual, he didn't bother to inquire.  Saad was patient and said, as was his custom: "We will know at the right time". The population of the palace was waiting for him. Saad didn't pay much attention to this special reception that was ordered for him.  Saad was used to being received with acclamation and fanfare. They gave him all the honors usually reserved only for royal dignitaries.  He was assigned guest quarters in the king's palace and received at his disposal servants, a kosher cook, a masseur who took care of him, and one of the king's equerries and his helpers, who took care of his horses, of his donkeys, and of his huge trunks.
       Saad brought with him a large wardrobe, as he never knew how long the trip would last and what kind of dignitaries he might encounter. He wanted to be ready for every occasion and always at ease. When he arrived, his clothes were covered with dust from the journey. He refreshed himself and changed his clothes. The next day, after a good night's sleep, he wore his silk gown and ceremonial robes. Then he savored some fruit brought to him by the servants.  After that he closed the door to prepare himself quietly for the nightly performance. Saad knew the king from the past, but no one had told him about the king's new condition and the passing of the queen. Only a few people in the king's closest entourage were informed about his actual state of mind.  
       In the evening the large hall was slowly, slowly filling up with dignitaries from many neighboring countries. Every one of the guests was patiently awaiting Harun al-Rashid 's arrival.  They were eager to see him after such an extended absence from the public eye. The princesses had come mainly to see and to be seen by the widowed king. Now and again the audience stood up to greet a well-known dignitary as he entered the hall. Many knew Saad from his various performances. When the king was about to approach the door, they signaled Saad to enter first. He entered through the large interior door of the reception hall. The room was decorated with rugs from every major province; this created a magnificent festive atmosphere. After a while, the king finally appeared, and the sound of the applause produced a sense of solemnity. Saad welcomed the king with a faint smile. As he tried to kiss his hand, as custom required, the king reacted immediately with a gesture and said:
       "My dear Saad, I have missed you, and I have missed your stories." Saad smiled graciously and responded:
       "Your Majesty, it is an immense honor for me to be called again to your royal palace, and it will give me great pleasure to share my favorite story with you and your guests." The king smiled for the first time since his wife had passed away. A wind of life blew into the king's soul.  His face lit-up, and the guests sensed this new air. "Harun al-Rashid is alive and well", said Zaafer Lebranki loudly. The king seemed to have been resuscitated. His entourage praised him with applause:
       "God bless our King and Caliph of Bagdad Harun al-Rashid! God bless our King Harun al-Rashid!" The king greeted his entourage. Then he called Saad to sit next to him, which was not usual in that part of the world, but he wanted to give special attention to his guest, according to the Muslim custom. He chatted a while with him, then he let him go to his place. Saad's small stage was made up of a white chair, which was draped with red silk. It was on the other side of the hall, facing the king's throne, and was ready for the storyteller. 
       The noise from the audience was suddenly cut short.  The king had just made a sign to Saad to sit down. Then another signal! This time, with a blink of his eye. The splendid room was now entirely quiet. One could sense that the noise in the air had come to a sudden halt. A complete silence took over. The guests waited for Saad to commence. The king's face brightened up. He remembered Saad from the time when his wife was still alive. Saad too recalled clearly the royal couple when he was here for the last time, and he remembered the charming queen. This time she was missing, but Saad didn’t say anything, as he did not know if the queen was late or was absent. Contrary to the Muslim custom, the king's daughter Khayet sat next to Harun al-Rashid. Khayet’s presence did not escape Saad’s furtive glance. The princess was a gracious and charming hostess. Many princes and princesses were invited for this unique event. The guests’ eyes were directed towards the king and his lovely daughter. Khayet was so well dressed and had such a wonderful and elegant appearance that one might have thought that she was the queen.  She looked like her mother. Saad was making a few small moves to attract the audience's attention. He was comparable to a violinist, tuning his violin. Then he picked up the glass of water next to him, took a sip, and adjusted his position on the chair to feel more comfortable for the evening. Once he felt at ease, he moved his head, first towards the king, then he looked to the right, then to the left, and then he spoke with a soft but firm tone as he looked at the special and magnificent audience, which was dressed up for the occasion.  Then he said:
       "Your Majesty, and honorable guests..." At the same moment a flow of servants in red silk turbans entered the hall, streaming from many directions. Each one was holding a tray filled with nuts and dates. They were followed by a parade of servants with white turbans, each one holding a teapot and a tray with cakes dipped in honey. The room was tumultuous again. Saad smiled politely towards the servants, as if to say:
       "It is all right, do what you have to do." He had stopped short, but this was part of Saad's way of performing. With the permission of the king he liked to master and to orchestrate every action in the room during his performance. This way he avoided any surprise, or any wrong action from anyone in the room, which might have interfered with his story. He always consulted the king's court as to how everything should be handled. He himself timed each sequence of the evening. He let everyone enjoy his tea and his dessert quietly. Of course, the guests exchanged words among themselves, which created some uproar. Once everyone was served, Saad winked to the chief servant. The latter was dressed in baggy white silk breeches, and his waist was wrapped with a large red belt made out of a special red felt. He stood at the wide entrance to the room like an officer supervising the servants' movements and actions. With his simple wink all the servants disappeared as quickly as they arrived. The king relished this small intermission as he enjoyed seeing his servants offering his guests delicacies. Then Saad cleared his throat in a way that everyone could hear him. He smiled furtively towards the king and continued:
       "What a great evening we are having!" Like a magician, he waved his hand. Suddenly, twenty young belly dancers appeared with the violin and flute players and the tam tam. The sound of the oriental instruments created an extraordinary atmosphere. The music and the rhythm of the belly dancers created a vibration. The entire audience seemed pleased and enjoyed the rhythm. The king moved his eyes from left to right. The sound of the music seemed to distract him. Khayet was very happy to see her father in a better mood. She glanced toward the guests.  The young princes looked happy to see Khayet in a good mood, and everyone tried to stand out in order to attract her attention. She was cheerful and had created a festive ambiance among the princes and princesses. Saad too was sipping tea once in a while. He was used to such splendid evenings; it was his job and his art to make people happy. He kept greeting the dignitaries with a simple and gracious movement of his hand and his head. He mastered the art of making everyone feel unique and special. This was one of the reasons he was beloved by all.  
       The marvelous hall was set this way: the men were sitting on one side and the women were sitting in an adjacent room. The women's room was connected with the main room. The separating wall was half height. There were no panels on the top, but instead it was draped with a slightly transparent silk veil. The women could see the men, but the men could not clearly distinguish the women, as it was prescribed by the Islamic rules. They saw only shapes; this was also the custom of the empire. Khayet was an exception. She was sitting with her father, the king. The eyes of all the men and women were directed to her, but she was smart and played her role very well. 
        Saad had known Farah, the deceased queen, from past appearances. He had met her on a few occasions in her palace. She was young and beautiful. At that time, Farah was the only woman in the palace who dared enter the room where the king was sitting. She was an open-minded queen. She used to question the guests and many times put some dignitaries in an awkward position. The king never rebuked her. He liked the way she spoke with other kings.  Sometimes she gave him an edge in his discussion with his counterpart. Saad was very fond of her; she was like one of his daughters. She had always been kind to Saad. He had felt at ease in her presence. Even though he was not a Muslim like her, she had shared many thoughts with Saad that she could not have shared with anyone in the palace. She was broad-minded, which was rare at that time. Saad knew where her family came from. He recalled that one day a dignitary had said to Saad:
       "Eat the meat, it tastes very good!"  Knowing that Saad would eat only kosher meat, Farah understood the provocation and told the gentleman:
       "How can you keep your vows to your wife?" The man was first surprised that the queen had asked such an unusual question, but he nevertheless answered her politely:
       "Your Royal Highness, that has nothing to do with the meat!" Then she replied:
       "Our guest Saad made a vow not to eat non-kosher food, and you want him to break his vow and his faith for a piece of meat?" Since that day, the dignitary respected Farah and never dared say anything inappropriate in her presence. At that time in the Persian Empire they trusted Jewish men more than Muslim subjects. Saad was a unique man. He had thoroughly studied the Bible before becoming a storyteller. He had inherited the stories from his father. 
        The noise in the hall diminished gradually. It seemed that someone had given a signal. Then the king looked to the right, to the left, and finally he looked at Saad who was waiting for his wink. A light breeze came from the two opposite doors. They were opened for a moment, to enable Saad and the guests to breathe some fresh air just before the start. Again a sudden silence cut the noise as if with a sharp knife. This gave the impression that no one was breathing anymore. Saad, with a clear and succinct voice, began his story.