The Unicorn Princess
A Fable 
(I dedicate this to Pamela Guerrieri and her Arabian horse).

Chapter 1

In the 10th century,  the Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad was very ill after he had been poisoned at a banquet and the witchdoctors said that only if he drank a potion of the tears of a virgin in the white horn of a white unicorn would he be cured and his life would be saved.

"But where can we find a unicorn?" asked the Abbasid Caliph.

"Ahmad ibn Fadlan told us of the Tropic of the Unicorn," replied one of the chief scribes. Indeed, Ahmad ibn Fadlan had seen a unicorn in a distant land during his travels and he was summoned by the Abbasid Caliph.

"There is nearby a wide steppe, and there dwells, it is told, an animal smaller than a camel, but taller than a bull. Its head is the head of a ram, and its tail is a bull's tail. Its body is that of a mule and its hooves are like those of a bull. In the middle of its head it has a horn, thick and round and as the horn goes higher, it narrows (to an end), until it is like a spearhead. Some of these horns grow to three or five ells, depending on the size of the animal. It thrives on the leaves of pen of trees, which are excellent greenery. Whenever it sees a rider, it approaches and if the rider has a fast horse, the horse tries to escape by running fast, and if the beast overtakes them, it picks the rider out of the saddle with its horn, and tosses him in the air, and meets him with the point of the horn, and continues doing so until the rider dies. But it will not harm or hurt the horse in any way or manner," Ahmad bn Fadlan narrated to the Abbasid Caliph.

They gasped when they heard how the unicorn could kill with its horn.
Ahmad ibn Fadlan belched and told them more about the unicorn.

"The locals seek it in the steppe and in the forest until they can kill it. It is done by climbing the tall trees between which the animal passes. It requires several bowmen with poisoned arrows; and when the beast is in between them, they shoot and wound it unto its death. And indeed I have seen three big bowls shaped like Yemen seashells, that the king has, and he told me that they are made out of that animal's horn," He said.

They sighed and were satisfied to hear how the unicorn could be killed. 

The Abbasid Caliph commanded Ahmad ibn Fadlan to lead an expedition to the Tropic of the Unicorn to either capture or kill the unicorn he had seen and return with the horn. Ahmad ibn Fadlan said only a virgin maiden could lure and tame a unicorn and one of the daughters of the Abbasid Caliph offered to go with them, but her father objected and preferred that another virgin maiden should be found and taken along in the expedition.

"But my father, whose virgin tears would be more precious for you to drink, mine or the tears of another virgin maiden who is a stranger,?" said Princess Benazir who was the most beloved daughter of Abbasid Caliph.

The father agreed and warned the captain of the selected soldiers to protect her by all means and make sure that she returned safely without any harm.

"Let me not see even a scratch on her skin when you return safely, lest your heads would be cut off," warned the Abbasid Caliph.

"We shall sacrifice our lives to save the precious life of our beloved princess," said the captain.

The expedition left Baghdad with a caravan. The princess was carried in a palanquin on a camel.

It was a very long journey and they were attacked by desert bandits, but they fought them off. Finally, they arrived the kingdom where Ahmad ibn Fadlan had seen the king's bowls made out of the horns of unicorns. He led his entourage to the palace and told the king their mission.

"What a great task, but not an impossible mission,” said the king.

"My beloved father's life is at stake," said Princess Benazir.

The king gazed her with glints of admiration in his eyes. She was very beautiful from the crown of her head to her feet. He was captivated by her beauty.

'I will give you my best archers to help you kill the white unicorn you seek," said the king. "But what would your king give me in return?" he asked.

"I cannot speak for the Abbasid Caliph. But I know that he is one of the most generous rulers on earth," said Ahmad ibn Fadlan. He could guess what the king desired from the lustful way he admired Princess Benazir.

"Alright then! You are most welcome! I always welcome royal guests with a royal feast and the Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad is a great ruler!" The king exclaimed excitedly.

He feted Ahmad ibn Fadlan and his entourage and whilst they were feasting, he presented precious gifts of sapphire, pearls and gold jewels to Princess Benazir.

It was a memorable night of great merriment and excitement, but Ahmad ibn Fadlan only thought of their mission. The sooner they found a white unicorn, killed it and took the white horn back to the Abbasid Caliph the better. They must not delay saving his precious life.

Early the following day as the sunrise kissed the skies; Ahmad ibn Fadlan said they must go hunting for the white unicorn. The king summoned his best archers and commanded them to lead the hunt.

They went to the wide steppe where they had found and killed some unicorns seasons ago. They searched for days, but there was neither the sight nor scent of any unicorn.

"The unicorns must have gone farther away from our land in fear of being killed," said the king's unicorn hunters.

"We cannot return to our Caliph with bad news of our fruitless search. We must keep on searching until God leads us to the object of our quest," said Ahmad ibn Fadlan.

They were sleeping after another day of unsuccessful hunt when the neigh of a horse made Ahmad ibn Fadlan to stir. As he raised his head from his pillow to see what made one of their horses to neigh, he saw a young fair woman dressed in flowing white garment like an Arabian maiden. He thought he was seeing a midnight fairy as she walked by. Then Ahmad ibn Fadlan saw the most astonishing sight of all his expeditions since he was born. There before his very eyes was a white unicorn galloping after the fair young woman in flowing white garment. He did not want to raise an alarm, because an alarm could frighten them and they would flee from their reach. He quietly crept after them and followed them to a grove where there was a pond. This must be their abode. Then Ahmad ibn Fadlan crept back to his company and alerted them in whispers. Then he led them to where the young fair woman and the unicorn were. They quickly surrounded them and Ahmad ibn Fadlan greeted the young fair woman.

"Good morning fair maiden!"

She was startled and the white unicorn neighed.

She saw that Ahmad ibn Fadlan was not alone. She saw the unicorn hunters and her heart skipped.

"What do you want?" she asked.

She knew they were hunting for unicorns.

"Do not fear. We will not harm you," said Ahmad ibn Fadlan.

"But you will harm my unicorn," she said.

Ahmad ibn Fadlan swallowed lumps of his saliva and sighed. He could not lie to her. He nodded.

"You have to kill me first," she said and put her slender hands around the white unicorn.

"You would rather die than let us kill the unicorn?!' exclaimed the chief archer of the king.

"If she dies, I die," she said.

Ahmad ibn Fadlan admired the beauty and dignity of the young fair woman as she stood in defence of her unicorn.

"I have reared her since her mother was killed by some heartless unicorn hunters three years ago,' she said.

"What is your name?" Ahmad ibn Fadlan asked her.


By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima
2008.

© EKEMYERENGOZI MICHAEL CHIMA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.


N.B:
THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS FOR A CHILDREN'S BOOK.