The Immortal Flower of Koh-i-Qaf
The Queen of Fairies made a grand royal announcement across her realm:
"From this day forward, no one shall enter the gardens of Koh-i-Qaf without my permission."
Everyone agreed with the Queen's decree, except for Gul Fairy, who remained silent. She used to visit the garden every day to gather fresh flowers. Hearing the announcement filled her with anxiety, and she quietly slipped away.
For several days, no one set foot in the garden. Gul Fairy could only gaze at the vibrant blossoms from a distance, well aware that the punishment for disobeying the Queen was severe.
One day, the Queen set off to attend a banquet in a neighboring kingdom, accompanied by her royal throne and a court of seven fairies. Seeing her chance, Gul Fairy rushed into the garden, hastily gathered a huge bundle of flowers, and returned home overjoyed.
When the Queen returned that evening, she summoned all the fairies, including Gul Fairy. The Queen was furious.
"Until today, no one has ever dared to disobey me," she declared sternly. "Yet today, someone did precisely what I forbade."
Gul Fairy froze in fear. How could the Queen possibly know?
The Queen continued, "The pearl necklace around my neck reveals all secrets to me."
Gul Fairy began to tremble with fear. Pointing her magic wand at Gul Fairy, the Queen waved it, instantly transforming her into a little sparrow and banishing her to a tree branch.
"You shall remain in this form," the Queen announced, "until you bring me a flower from the gardens of Koh-i-Qaf that will never wither."
Days passed, and the helpless sparrow-fairy was lost in thought, growing more hopeless with each passing morning. Then, early one day, she saw her dear friend, Safaid Fairy, hurrying toward her with a bright smile, holding a heavy book.
"I took this book from the Queen’s private cabinet!" Safaid Fairy said excitedly. "It says that if you prick your wing and drop a single drop of your blood onto any flower, it will never fade or wither. Present that flower to the Queen, and she will break the spell!"
Overjoyed, Gul Fairy flew alongside Safaid Fairy straight to the garden. There, she pecked her wing with her beak, letting a single drop of blood fall onto a beautiful flower. She plucked the blossom and carried it straight to the Queen.
The Queen was surprised by Gul Fairy’s quick success and said, "I will keep this flower for one full day. If it remains fresh, your punishment will be lifted."
The next morning, the Queen found the flower as fresh and vibrant as the moment it was picked. She gathered all the fairies, waved her wand over the little sparrow, and restored Gul Fairy to her true form. To top it off, the Queen granted her full permission to visit the gardens and pick flowers whenever she wished.
Gul Fairy was overwhelmed with joy and expressed her deepest gratitude to her true friend, Safaid Fairy, whose help had saved her.