The MERCHANT of BABEL

CHAPTER 1 Once upon a time, there was a city full of treasures and miracles called Babel. Babylonian people designed a tower that reached the sky, meant to serve the gods they belived in.Their King Nabuchadnezzar also got the hanging gardens of Babylon built.These gardens was one of the seven wonders of the Ancient world. Our story takes place during the reign of King Kurigalzu son of Nebuchadnezzar.Kurigalzu had a sister named Anatu.She was one of the most beautiful girls in the world. She married a rich merchant named Ammenon. Ammenon was a poor boy who once worked with caravan of camels. No one knows how he became the richest merchant of Babel.

They had a son named Zaidu. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.He was the happiest boy in Babel until his mom's death. Zaidu was only seven years old when his mother passed away.

Ishtar was one of the maids in Ammenon's house.She was very beautiful, hardworking, caring woman.She behaved Zaidu with much love and patience. She paid a lot of attention to Ammenon's son, and took care of him as if he was her own son. Due to all these woman's qualities Ammenon began to fall in love with her more and more as time went on. Despite being the richest man in Babel, Ishtar loved him for his moral qualities and the wisdom he had. Realizing that they loved each other unconditionally, they married. Soon after, they had a son. They named him Baladan. Baladan was the second son of Ammenon, the half-brother of Zaidu. He was very intelligent, handsome and had an overflowing personality.He was always cheerful.But time passed very fast and Ammenon died when Baladan was 18. Baladan inherited a spirit who is living in a blue magical glass bottle from his father. The spirit of the blue bottle or the jinn was the real reason for Ammenon's good fortune and fame.That genie would also help Baladan, by giving him wise advices and help him making the right decisions in life. He didn't know anything about the Jinn named Urhammu until shortly before his father's death.

The father told his son in his death bed secretly that: -Use the genie's advices wisely and do not waste the Spirit's counsel! Baladan promised Ammenon that he would not pass indifferently over the words of the Spirit and listen to all his exhortations. After his father's death,Zaidu was very unhappy and angry because his half-brother, Baladan would inherit half of his father's fortune. As the first son of Ammenon and grandson of King Nabuchatnazzer, he believed that he was a prince and his father's whole wealth was his birth right! Baladan was just a housemaid's son, and he had no right on his own father's wealth. Also he believed that Ishtar and Baladan stole Ammenon from him. Because of being nephew of King Kurigalzu, he wanted help from him to get rid of his half brother and his mother.King Kurigalzu,at first said ''That is not the proper way!''But,Zaidu convinced him to give order to assessins for killing Baladan.But King spared Ishtar's life and ordered his nephew not to harm his step mother. Killing Baladan was a secret mission for two assessins.But one of them had known Ammenon and Baladan and went against the King's order.He informed Baladan about conspiracy and exhorted him to leave city at night immediately!

Baladan couldn't believe that Zaidu was planning his own brother's death but he was also feeling hostility of his older brother.So, he packed his stuff,took a thousand gold coins in a bag and said himself '' Less is better than nothing!''.He also took the blue bottle with him and left the city on a camel in the dark of night.He was concerned about his mother but he was sure that Zaidu can't hurt her against the will of King. He rode his camel all night to the south.He stopped near a ruin of an old castle.It was about sunrise so he decided to hide there until sunset.In case of being followed, he hid inside the ruins.In a great despair, he took the blue bottle in his hands and started to cry. His father told him the name of the genie but couldn't tell him how to call Urhammu for help.He whispered to the bottle and said ''Urhammu,I need your help!'' Suddenly, a low voice was heard from the bottle.Then a blue silhouette appeared in the shadows of the walls. Baladan was very surprised to see the blue genie.It was flowing in the thin air and wasn't a frightining being. He said:

-Hello Baladan,at last we could meet!Don't be afraid of me! -Hellllo,Urhammu,I am not afraid of you,my father told me something about you, and now I need your help! -Help for what? By the way where are we now? -I am escaping from my brother's wrath now, and I don't know where to go and how to protect myself!Help me,please! You are a genie and you can do anything, can't you? -Oh, that is a little bit complicated!I can't create anything, I can't destroy anything and I can't know everything! -What is the use of having a genie then? -I have some abilities and knowledge! And knowledge is very important my little one! How did your father Ammenon,once a caravan of camels boy, become the Merchant of Babel,the richest man in Babylonia? Do you know your own father's story? -No, said Baladan! - I now understand that I don't know anything about my family's past.I just know that he once was a poor young man working for

caravans of camels but, but how he managed to create such a trading empire, I have no clue! -Magic my boy, said Urhammu. -Your father had me and three magical words with me! -But you said you have no magical power! -I know what I said dear Baladan.I have no magical power but I have something more valuable! -What is it, please, tell me what is it? -It is wisdom my boy,I have wisdom and a deep foresight. -I have you now, what are these three magical words you taught my father.Please,teach me them. Urhammu smiled and said: -These three words are my child THRIFTINESS,PERSEVERANCE AND HARDWORK! CHAPTER 2 Urhammu's first advice was moving to a distant city from Babel. So they decided to settle in Ur. Ur was the second most crowded city in

Babylonia and it was near the sea. Baladan wanted to buy a beautiful house with his golden coins. He found a house with a garden. It was 900 gold coins but Urhammu said ''Save up something for a rainy day.'' He listened Urhammu's advice and bought a house with half of his money and hid the rest for the future. Urhammu had some plans for Baladan. First,Urhammu wanted him to be a strong man.He believed, a strong body is very important for a strong mind. Baladan was a weak boy because he had never worked with his hands and body. So,Urhammu advised him to work with a blacksmith for a year. Baladan didn't want that at the beginning but Urhammu reminded him the magical words: -THRIFTINESS, you behaved thrifty while buying the house. Now it is time for PERSEVERANCE and HARDWORK my dear Baladan, said wise genie.Baladan started to work for a blacksmith in Ur.It was a hard job for a weak boy but his master was a good man and loved Baladan like his own son.He was an old man but he was an expert in his job. He taught forging various iron objects such as hooks, chains and many more to Baladan. Baladan used a heavy iron hammer for days and nights. His body was changing from a weak lad's body to a strong man's body. He was also happy because producing and creating something for people was a pleasure for him. He started to learn trade in this blacksmith's workshop. He bought wood charcoal from a young lad, and bought raw iron from old merchants from distant lands. Also he sold the materials they produced in bazaars. He was happy as a blacksmith but wise genie had other plans for him. -A year is over my dear Baladan,you are a strong man now. But you don't know anything about nature. You have to learn everything about plants, animals and earth! - But how? said Baladan.

-You will work in a farm and learn everything about nature, watch everything around you. Observe the rain and camels and birds and clouds. Baladan found a job in a farm near Ur. It was a big farm and owners were a noble family. He worked in fields and harvested wheat. He herded camels and sheep. He sold wheat in Ur's bazaar and took a herd of camels to Nippur. He always observed nature and people. Another year passed. One day,Urhammu appeared again and said: -You did very well dear Baladan. You learned two magical words and applied them in your life. You learned the importance of thriftiness while buying your house and spending your money all around. You learned the importance of hardwork. Now it is time for perseverance! In Baladan's times people didn't have glass for their windows. They could produce small pieces of glass to make ornaments and they were very expensive. There were small glass workshops but they didn't produce glass in large quantities. Urhammu advised Baladan to open a glass workshop but Baladan was angry now. He said: -I spent a year with a blacksmith then another year in a farm and now you want me to open a glass workshop! I thought you had wisdom but you always find a way to distract my attention for another job! Why Urhammu why? Urhammu said: -Remember your promise to your father Baladan! You promised him to follow my advices. Last magic will come true but I need your perseverance! -Where should I work now? In a small glass workshop? Should I produce little glass beads for little girls or fancy rich women? -Of course not! You will establish your own glass workshop and will make a difference, a miracle my boy! -How? Will you show me something magical in the end? -Not magic but craft! -A craft? Are you a glass expert now?

-I am and I have been for four hundred years! I have never needed my skills but now I am ready to teach you everything about glass. -Can this make me rich, can I be the Merchant of Babel like my father, is that possible with producing glass? Oh gods! I spent two years and Urhammu's only advice is producing glass! Urhammu looked at the strong, young man in front of him and thought how he has changed in these two years. -We are about to achive everything you need dear Baladan.Just be patient and trust me! -Baladan remembered the word he gave to Ammenon and said: - Thrift is a great revanue! We have enough money to establish a workshop and hire some men. But at first you should teach me everything about glass. Maybe one day you want to tell me where did you learn producing glass and giving shape to it. And maybe we can talk about your past! -Promise you Baladan, in a year from now, I will tell you everything about my past but first you have a lot to learn! Baladan bought an old blacksmith workshop. He knew everything about forge and turned that forge into a workshop to shape large glass blocks. Urhammu was a good teacher and when they were alone he gave the secrets of producing flat and stained glass for windows. In that age people were using wooden shutters for their windows. Baladan understood why Urhammu advised him to work in a blacksmith's workshop for a year. He learned to control fire and for fire how to choose best charcoal. He need molds for producing glass for windows and produced them in his own workshop. He learned there how to sell a product and make profit. He learned soil in the farm and learned also everything about desert. He found the best metarials to produce the best glass. He, at last,understood the intention of Urhammu and accepted his wisdom. Over time,Baladan began to produce more and more glass objects, such as stained glass, Windows glasses, vases and various and different forms of bottles. With the help of intelligent advice from the Urhammu spirit, he became one of the richest man in Ur.

Then he sent his products to Nippur and other cities. He began to work harder with his men. He taught them how to color bottles in various attractive and wonderful shades. He made stained glass windows with well-defined details and painted them very carefully. When people in Ur heard the news that the new glass workshop is one of the best, they were very curious to see some of his works. They were invited to see how the glass was being produced and with what art and craftsmanship.While young Baladan was designing his products, people were watching him and it was amazing to see his speed and skill. Baladan was at the height of his happiness that he could do something that everyone liked. Besides the fact that he was proud of his success, he loved to work with glass and give it those strange shapes. Of course, Urhammu always played a very important role in Baladan's achievements, urging him to create as many shapes as possible and paint them as interestingly as possible. He always urged him to go the right way and suggested a lot of possibilities to create and to earn money. -''Perseverance'' said Baladan himself. That word has a real magic and now I understand everything.Maybe one day, people will go to Mars because of their perseverance. People wanted to buy a few bottles and vases, but the most requested prodect was stained glass for windows, so they could be used in temples and palaces. People were delighted to have such a man in their city and in a short time his works were very appreciated. He sold a lot of stained glass and glass Works. Thus he managed to earn more and more money.

Chapter 3 Another year passed and Baladan and his products were very famous all around Babylonia.Baladan thought that maybe it was time to go back to Babel and see his mother.Indeed he had some news from other travellers about his half brother Zaidu and his own mother Ishtar.Everybody told that he was cursed with three words.These words are WASTEFULNESS,LAZINESS AND IRRESOLUTION.In three years he learned a lot of new things and he was blessed with three magical words.THRIFTINESS,HARDWORK and PERSEVERANCE has had a magical effect on him and now he could turn back to Babel with honour and glory.Some travellers said Zaidu had lost everything he inherited from Ammenon.Even his uncle King Kurigalzu was angry with him and didn't want to see him again.Baladan felt sorry for his brother but also thought, that is the poetic justice of gods and he deserved it. Baladan decided to turn back to Babel and started to prepare for travel.Urhammu supported him with this idea and promised to tell his own story near the ruins they met for the first time.People of Ur was sorry because of Baladan's seperation and came to see Baladan off.Baladan came Ur with just a thousand gold piece but now leaving this city with hundreds of camels loaded with chests full of golden coins and materials to build a glass workshop in Babel.He also had tens of guards and servants with him.He was turning back to his motherland as a mature man and he would be called as the Merchant of Babel as his father had been called. When Caravan of Camels arrived the ruins where Baladan and Urhammu talked for the first time, they stopped.Baladan ordered everybody to stay away from the ruins and he went inside the ruins alone.Then he sat the same place where he sat before and took the blue magical bottle out of his bag.

Baladan whispered to bottle quietly and said: -I need you Urhammu! Urhammu appeared in the thin air and smiled, -I don't think so young man!You don't need me anymore, you have wisdom now and that is the only thing you need in this life! -Thank you wise advisor and good friend, I owe you a lot but you owe me one thing! -I know and time has come to pay my debt! Baladan guggled and said: I have been waiting for it for a long time and I hope it is worth it! -I swear, said Urhammu, it is worth it! -I should start with my mother, indeed, our mother because she is all genies' mother on Earth.Her name is Lilith and she is an immortal on the contrary of her children.Yes, my friend I am not an immortal being and getting old like you. -Whatever, let's go back to my story! Lilith,our mother lived in the Valley of Silence with her thousands of children.She hated mankind and didn't want to be close them.In this valley far away from people, we dwelt.But one day, a King and his army found that valley in the desert of Gehinnom.

In this valley ,there was water and everywhere was green.The King liked that place very much and ordered his army to build a castle there.But soon, at night, they found out that they were not alone!Screams and whispers were everywhere and soldiers couldn't sleep all night.They spoke among themselves and felt the same thing! ''There are some things in the dark and they don't want us here!'' That was true and our mother was so angry.She ordered us to scare the soldiers and the King.Because they couldn't see us, we whispered their ears and entered their tents.The soldiers were about to die of fear. But the King wasn't afraid and even we couldn't get closer him.I soon understood that he was not an ordinary man.He had a seal on his ring and it was impossible to get closer him.Then I saw the second man who could be seen only by genie eyes, he was blazing like a flame and saying something magical! We were trying to scare people but we felt the fear for the first time.The King shouted: -I can see you and order you to stop playing games with my soldiers! I want to talk to your Queen mother Lilith! My brothers went to mother and informed her about the king and the blazing man next to him.

Mother was also confused because she had never seen such a power in a person.And in the middle of the valley they talked,they talked for hours and had an agreement in the end.I don't know what did they talk but mother ordered a hundred of us to help the King to build a temple for his god and a palace near a lake.I never understood why mother accepted to send her own children to work for the king. Baladan asked excitedly: -Who or what was that blazing man? -He was Al'atar, an ancient wizard who has auld days erudition and power.He was the person who prisoned me in this blue glass bottle! I was his captive for years. -Then? -Then, dear baladan we changed shape and took the form of humans with the help of Al'atar's magic. -Why King wanted you to build his temple and palace?He had thousands of men for those jobs,why did he need you? -Dear Baladan, he wanted us to build something never seen before and uncomparable with any other buildings.We were ten times stronger than humans and resistant to fire. -Fire? But for what? -Because, he wanted his buildings to survive for thousands of years and so people would remember him and his works!

-They are all in ashes now because of Nabuchadnazzer! said Urhammu sadly. -You said fire but didn't explain, why did you use fire to build a temple and palace! -The King made us to build huge kilns to melt metal.Then we poured this melted metal to the bases of the temple and the palace.Then we added hot metal between huge stone blocks.One day the King wanted something miraculous!A material that lets sunlight in but doesn't let in wind and sound from outside.Al'atar found a way to produce this stuff and taught us how to produce it.

-You learned the secrets of glass making from a wizard,that is unbelievable! said Baladan. -Yes, we were about to finish building the Temple and the Palace at the same time but the King suddenly died.We were free now because the agreement was between the King and our mother.One side of the agreement was dead and the agrement was void.We went to Al'atar and asked for our freedom.He was not strong as before and he let others to leave but somehow captured me with a spell and imprisoned me in this magical bottle. -How did you meet with my father,Urhammu? -Al'atar tried to control me for some magic but I never obeyed him, then before he died, he offered the blue bottle to the Temple.He made a spell,and I couldn't come out for years!

-One day,Babylonian army and King Nabuchadnazzer invaded the city upon hill and destroyed the Temple.Soldiers looted the treasures of the Temple and one of them took the blue bottle with him back to his homeland.That soldier was living in a village near Babel.He was poor and he joined Jerusalem campaign for loot but he only got some golden stuff and he already sold them on the way.He had only this useless blue bottle and hid it.Maybe one day he could sell it for a good price.He had a son named Ammenon. When Baladan heard his father's name, he had a great surprise. -Was that soldier my grandfather? asked Baladan. -Yes,Ammenon was ten when his father turned back from the campaign.The blue bottle stayed in their house for five years.When your father was fifteen he started to work for caravan of camels and went to other cities and countries for trade.He always took the blue bottle with him.Your father believed that,the blue bottle was something like a lucky charm. -Why didn't you talk to him for years? -I couldn't! -But you met someday, how?

-When Ammenon was seventeen, his father died.He felt so lonely and started to talk to me.Indeed not to me but to the bottle.He holded bottle and started to cry and pray! -What did he say? - He said: Oh,God, I am all alone and weak and poor in this world, I am afraid and I don't know what to do.I want to believe that everything will be good for me,please send me a sign to believe in good days to come! -Then? Baladan was so excited and tired anymore. -Then,something unexpected happened and the spell was broken!I was free and happy now. That day, I promised this young lad to help him with my whole strengt and knowledge.You know rest of the story.Your father,with my advices became the richest man in Babylonia.He used his fortune for good deeds and helped others.Zaidu was not like your father and lost everything he had.Now Baladan it is time to fix a mistake that was done by Zaidu three years ago.You will enter the city through Ishtar gate with glory and fame.And your brother will meet you in great sorrow and repentance. Baladan was not sure about his feelings now.But he was sure that in the future he would be called as the Merchant of Babel like his father and his story would be told for centuries. THE END





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Öğrencilerimiz ARDA BÜYÜKYORULMAZ BEREN KARAŞAHİN ÇAĞAN ENES KAHRAMAN EGE ARSLAN EYLÜL ÇİFTÇİ GÜLŞEN BECERMEN IŞIL KARADAL İREM ÇAKIR Manisa Bilim ve Sanat Merkezi öğrencileri tarafından My Fairy Tale Bus eTwinning Projesi için mentor öğretmenimiz Selçuk Gürlekoğlu eşliğinde hazırlanmıştır.