ISSN: 2397-9607 Issue 255
In this 255th issue of the Baba Indaba’s Children's Stories series, Baba Indaba narrates the story of “THE STORY OF THE SECOND ROYAL MENDICANT”.

In Issue 253, “THE STORY OF THE PORTER THE LADIES OF BAGHDAD”, three visitors knock on the door of the house of the three beautiful women. They claim to be mendicants and visitors to the city and have become disoriented and lost on their way back to their lodgings. In reality they were the Kaleefeh (King), his Vizier and Jafar, and They are invited in and given refreshments the porter during this time they hear the stories of the porter and of two of the ladies.

After this the lady of the house invites the three mendicants to relate their stories. This they do, and this is the story of the second of the three mendicants:
He said he was not born with only one eye; but his story should serve as a lesson to those who would be admonished. He claims he is a King, and the son of a King he has read the ?urán according to the seven readings. He studied the science of the stars, and the writings of the poets and became proficient in all the sciences; so that he surpassed the people of his age. His hand-writing was extolled among all the scribes, and his fame spread among all countries, and among all Kings.

On hearing of him, the King of India requested his father allow him to visit his palace. His father, therefore, prepared six ships, and his party proceeded by sea for the space of a whole month, after which they came to land. Having disembarked the horses which they had with them in the ship, they purchased and loaded ten camels with presents, and commenced our journey.

What happened next you may well ask? He obviously survived the desert, but how? And how did he lose his eye? Why didn’t he return to his father’s kingdom and resume his royal duties? Surely he too would have been a king by now instead of a travelling one-eyed mendicant? What other adventures did he have and how did he feed himself? And there are so many other questions to be answered?
Well the only way to find out is to download and read this story for yourself, or, read it to some of the “little people” in your family.

Baba Indaba is a fictitious Zulu storyteller who narrates children's stories from around the world. Baba Indaba translates as "Father of Stories".

Each issue in the Baba Indaba Children’s Books has a "WHERE IN THE WORLD - LOOK IT UP" section, where young readers are challenged to look up a place on a map somewhere in the world. The place, town or city is relevant to the story. All the places mentioned can be found using Google maps.

It is our hope that in looking up these place names using Google Maps, that young people will be able to see the images and read about other peoples and cultures from around the world. Through this, it is also our hope that young people will not only increase their understanding of world geography, but also increase their understanding and tolerance of other people and their cultures.

10% of the profit from the sale of this book will be donated to charities.

INCLUDES LINKS TO DOWNLOAD 8 FREE STORIES