Ramadan Arabian Nights 2023: Tale of Mando “The Midwife” #EP8

Ramadan Karim 😀

We continue our tale for this year, the tale of Mando.

Now a little confession, the illustrations you see here in the post starting from the second episode are AI-generated art. They were all made by Midjourney using the descriptions of characters and styles of different famous illustrators whom I love their 1001 depictions above Maxfield Parrish and Edmund Dulac.

I am more than amazed. It is not easy to get good results though when you ask for illustrations but thanks to dear Sherif Kozman who introduced me to a way to use Chat GPT to get better prompts. It is quite amazing to see the results but it takes a hell of a time to the level that I must say that real human illustrators should not be worried. 

Now to our episode tonight which is a little sad and shocking.

First, refresh your mind with last night’s episode.

Now to the eighth episode of our tale or the 470th episode in Egyptian state radio’s One Thousand and One Nights show.

The synopsis

Oh, most perfidious of Viziers! His wickedness knows no bounds, for he covets not only power but the throne itself! And yet again does he plot and scheme, with no heed for the lives he seeks to destroy in his mad quest for glory.

Verily, the Queen carries the seed of King Kahlan within her, and the Grand Priest watches over her with the utmost care. The Vizier seeks to thwart this, and so he strives to make her drink a potion that would cause her to miscarry. But his vile plan comes to naught, for the vigilant Priest permits her to ingest only that which he has inspected.

Meanwhile, Shahlan remains undeterred in his pursuit of malice. His wicked scheme now seeks to bring about the death of Sheikh Saber's unborn child, by hiring a midwife to commit this heinous deed as soon as the babe draws breath. Cunningly does he plot, for he plans to have in hand both a son and many daughters to betroth, no matter what the King might receive.

Thus, it is that Hubhan procures the services of a certain Harbaya, who has already shed innocent blood for gain. But fate, that fickle mistress, has other plans.

The midwife as imagined by Midjourney 

For on the very night when Harbaya prepares to perpetrate her abominable act, she encounters a certain Tanbal, who is the man that carries away the refuse of the city. And lo! A new plot is hatched, for Tanbal offers Harbaya a pound of silver should she deliver to him the babe that she is to slay.

Verily, Evil Harbaya hath acquiesced to the scheme. Alas, poor Marzouka, after bearing a comely babe, did swoon in exhaustion.

Whilst without, Tanbal held the corpse of a babe. Thusly, a bargain was struck and Saber's child was surreptitiously swapped with the deceased newborn.

But the Fates are not yet finished with this tale, for King Kahlan is blessed with a most wondrous daughter, whom he names Wardshan, for she is fair as the very roses themselves.

The Vizier, in his insidious machinations, seeks to assure the King that all is well and that Sheikh Saber's son was stillborn. The King, in his blissful ignorance, commands that a great procession be arranged to offer thanks to the Almighty for this happy event.

Yet let us not forget that destiny is not so easily deceived. Tomorrow, inshallah, shall bring its own surprises, and the Vizier shall once again learn that his treachery is not without consequences.

Here is the episode televised.

Till tomorrow night inshallah.