A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

Overview

A boy is killed after his father cheats in a firewood-gathering wager. His sister discovers what happened and, following her teacher’s advice, gathers his bones, washes them with rose-water and buries them in the garden beneath a marking reed. Her weekly Qur’anic recitation and visits form the story’s specific devotional setting.

After seven weeks a bulbul emerges from the reed and sings the history of the murder and burial. He steals needles to put into his stepmother’s mouth and sugar-candy to give his sister, using requests to repeat his song as the means of delivery. The ending leaves him a bird; it does not restore his human body or state that all bulbuls originate from human souls.

Murdered child reborn as a singing birdNamed textual version
01

Origins & earliest records

Kermani storytelling, Iran

02

Records & interpretation

Complete tale and all continuation pages directly read; original edition contents checked for regional division and locators.

Selected bibliography

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

  1. 01

    Persian Tales

    D. L. R. Lorimer and E. O. Lorimer, collectors/translators · 1919

    Kermani tales; XIV, pp. 89–93

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.

Primary records and illustrations

Direct primary record

D. L. R. Lorimer and E. O. Lorimer, Persian Tales (London: Macmillan, 1919)

Kermani tales. Tale XIV, pp. 89–93

Complete narrative, including every continuation page, read; historical scan OCR contents confirms regional ordering. Individual narrator not supplied. Modern site presentation is not treated as a new authored tale.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

References

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

  1. Historical translated folktaleD. L. R. and E. O. Lorimer, Persian Tales (1919), tale XIV, pp. 89–93Research access: 2026-10-05
  2. Historical editionOriginal 1919 scan: Internet Archive persiantales00loriialaResearch access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

A sourced illustration has not yet been added. This gap is included in the coverage record.

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