The Three Gifts of the Jinn – A Turkish Fairy Tale of Wisdom and Prudence

Short Description: A Turkish fairy tale about a poor man who receives three magical gifts from a jinn but realizes that it is important to value not only the gifts themselves but also his own intelligence. A story about wisdom and prudence.

Once upon a time in a small village lived a poor man named Ahmed. He and his wife Zeinab worked from morning till night but barely made ends meet. One day, Ahmed went into the forest to collect firewood and happened upon an old bottle. When he opened it, a jinn flew out.

The jinn looked at Ahmed and said, "You have freed me from the bottle where I was imprisoned for many years. In gratitude, I will grant you three wishes. But remember: each wish changes your destiny, so think carefully."

Ahmed thanked the jinn and returned home. He told Zeinab everything, and they began to ponder what to wish for. "Let's ask for wealth," Zeinab suggested. "Then we won't have to work anymore." But Ahmed was cautious: "If we ask for too much, we might lose our peace."

The next morning, they decided to try their first wish. Ahmed said to the jinn, "We wish for a sack full of gold coins." In that moment, a sack filled with gold appeared before them. The couple was thrilled but soon noticed that their neighbors began to look at them suspiciously. People started asking where the poor couple got so much money. Ahmed and Zeinab realized that wealth brings not only joy but also envy.

A few days later, Zeinab proposed their second wish: "Let's wish for a large house outside the village to live peacefully." Ahmed agreed. The jinn granted the wish, and a magnificent house appeared before them. However, they soon found that living in solitude was difficult. They missed friends and social interactions, and the large house required a lot of time and effort to maintain.

Then Ahmed thought, "We have only one wish left. We must use it wisely." Finally, he said to the jinn, "I wish that we are happy and content with what we have."

The jinn smiled, "That is the wisest wish. You have learned to appreciate what you possess." After that, the gold disappeared, and Ahmed and Zeinab returned to their old home. They began to work again but now felt happy because they understood that happiness does not lie in wealth but in living in harmony with themselves and the world around them.

From then on, Ahmed and Zeinab lived in contentment, and their story was passed down from generation to generation as a reminder that wisdom is more important than any wealth.

Moral of the Story: The story teaches that material wealth does not necessarily guarantee happiness. True happiness comes when one values what they have and finds joy in simple things.

Questions about the Story:

• Why did Ahmed and Zeinab decide to be cautious with their wishes?
• How did each wish affect their lives?
• What does this fairy tale teach?