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Overview

A Mesopotamian king’s treasured garden is repeatedly torn up during the night. His older son abandons watch, but younger Prince Muhammed extinguishes his lamp and waits. At midnight an intruder arrives with thunderous noise and knocks the gate against him. The prince attacks with his sword, cuts off one ear and holds the being. It pleads for freedom, offers a binding promise never to return and promises wealth. Released, it gives him a ring and hairs through which it can be called. The prince repairs the gate, and his father finds the garden flourishing the following morning.

The blood trail leads to a deep well and an underground palace complex. Muhammed descends and eventually fights a separate seven-headed captor. The narrative expressly notes that this later opponent does not know about the ring received from the garden encounter. After victory and his brother’s betrayal, Muhammed mistakenly rides a black spirit dog into a remote desert, forgetting his earlier ring. He finally reaches home disguised and works for a shoemaker. The rescued women refuse proposed marriages unless their unusual leather vests are supplied, putting the master under threat of execution.

Muhammed at last uses the garden being’s ring to call it and orders a vest fetched from the specified palace. The helper promptly delivers it. A second vest is similarly brought, enabling the younger rescued woman to recognise that Muhammed is alive in the city. The prince’s subsequent public appearance challenges the attempted marriage. The helper remains an obedient transporter of existing objects; the vests are not described as garments it manufactures from nothing. Its earlier loss of an ear and later summoned service distinguish it from the seven-headed being killed underground.

Night garden destructionThunderous arrivalLoss of one earRing-linked appearanceDelivery of existing objects
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Origins & earliest records

Hans Stumme, Märchen der Schluḥ von Tázerwalt (Leipzig, 1895), tale 17, Die Geschichte von einem Sultan, seinem Sohne, einem Garten und von zwei Mädchen nebst ihren Westen: complete German pp. 146–166. Abdulla Ben Mhammed, contributor; collection Preface v–vi.

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Records & interpretation

Whole German tale 17 read through final wedding confrontation. Garden donor and seven-headed captor distinguished by narrative statement that the latter does not know of the earlier ring. Regeneration belongs to printed explanatory note; white dog’s successful journey is an instruction, black desert transport is enacted.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    Märchen der Schluḥ von Tázerwalt

    Abdulla Ben Mhammed, dictating contributor; Hans Stumme, recorder and German translator · 1895

    Tale 17, whole German pp. 146–166: garden donor pp. 148–150, captive/duel pp. 151–155, dogs pp. 155–158, fetched vests pp. 162–165; Preface v–vi.

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Primary collected Tashelhit transcription with German translationOriginal bilingual collection: Garden, Prince and Two VestsResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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