Join us at the campfire for tales from around the world, told by storytellers of all backgrounds and creeds. From the heros and heroines of old, let us relearn and rediscover the wisdom of our ancestors. Shhh..the story begins..

There was once a great King of Persia who was much beloved by his people. The day he died, the country fell into deep mourning for he had been a wise and brave leader. In a little more than a month, however, the sorrowing would be over and the King's son would be crowned. But before the young Prince could ascend to the throne, he would have to prove his courage, just as every prince before him had done, by fighting the Red Lion.

One day during this time, the vizier visited the Prince and urged him to prepare for the contest which would soon have to be faced. The Prince trembled for he had always been afraid of lions. He had been told that the Red Lion was the most ferocious of all and so, he decided to run away. That night, when it was very dark, he crept out of his bedroom, mounted his horse and rode off. The Prince rode for two days and two nights. On the morning of the third day, his horse cantered into a grove of trees and the Prince heard a sweet melody carried on the breeze. Dismounting, he walked quietly until he spied a shepherd sitting cross-legged in the middle of a clearing. The shepherd was playing a flute and it was this delightful music that had reached the ears of the Prince. Even the sheep seemed to be entranced by the song, for they stood perfectly still around the shepherd lost in the splendor of the tune.

"God be with you," said the shepherd to the Prince as the last notes faded from the clearing. "And with you," replied the Prince, "but please...do not stop playing." The shepherd placed the flute to his lips. He played for the clouds...he played for the winds...he played for his sheep...and he played for the Prince.

When he was finished, the Prince spoke again. "I am sure you are wondering who I am and I wish I could tell you my name, but it must be kept a secret. I hope you know that I am no enemy but an honorable youth who has been forced to flee from his home."

"You are welcome to stay with me if you so desire," responded the shepherd. "In fact, I would be glad of the company and I can show you a place that will cause you to forget all your troubles."

For many hours, the Prince and the shepherd walked; the Prince leading his horse by the reins and the sheep following behind the shepherd. Just as the shimmering sun began to set, they came upon the most glorious valley the Prince had ever seen. It was quiet and the air radiated with peaceful tranquility. The Prince and the shepherd sat on the lush grass and gazed in wonder at the delicate shades of purple and indigo which illuminated the hills in front of them. Suddenly, the shepherd sprang to his feet.

"Time to go!" he declared. "Why must we leave so quickly," asked the Prince. "There can be no other place quite this lovely and I would like to stay here for a while longer."

"It is indeed beautiful," agreed the shepherd. Then, he raised his sleeve to reveal a cruel red scar which stretched from his wrist to his elbow. He traced his finger along the jagged scar and said, "Lions! Once I was late returning to my village and the gates had been closed. This is the result and I do not want it to happen a second time."

"Then please return to the village with your sheep," the Prince told the shepherd. "I cannot go with you." The Prince mounted his horse and rode north. He rode for two days and two nights. On the morning of the third day, he came upon a desert. Both the Prince and his horse were hungry and thirsty and the strong wind blew the gritty sand into the Prince's face.

Suddenly, the Prince heard his horse neigh and, through the rolling dunes, he saw the colorful tents of an Arabian camp. His horse began to prance, but the Prince pulled back on the bridle and continued his ride at a leisurely pace to show that he came in peace. An Arab sheik greeted him with much courtesy and offered the Prince food and drink. One of the sheik's attendants led the horse away and made sure that the animal was fed and cared for.

After the Prince had eaten, he said to the sheik, "Please forgive me if I do not reveal my name to you. Because of certain troubles, it must remain a secret. I do have jewels and precious stones, however, and I would gladly give them to you if you would allow me to remain here." "You are welcome as our guest," the noble sheik replied, refusing to accept any of the Prince's treasures.

The next morning, the sheik provided the Prince with a magnificent white stallion and, for the next three days, the Prince rode with the sheik and his companions as they hunted antelope. On the third evening, the sheik came to the Prince and said, "My men are pleased with your spirit and your skill at the hunt, but there will soon be a battle. We need to know if we will be able to rely on your strength and courage. To the south of here there is a mountain range known as the Red Hills. It is lion country. Ride there tomorrow on the stallion and take with you your sword and spear. Bring back to us the hide of a lion so that we may know we can count on you when the day of combat arrives."

That night, when everyone was asleep and all was still, the Prince slipped out of his tent. He stroked the arched neck of the stately stallion, whom he had come to love, and whispered his sorrowful goodbye. Then, he mounted his own horse and rode toward the west.

The Prince rode for two days and two nights. On the morning of the third day, he reached a country of rolling meadows and rich green fields. In the distance, he could see a splendid palace fashioned from red sandstone. Upon arriving at the gates, the Prince removed his ring and asked the guard to present it to the emir. Immediately, the Prince was invited to enter the palace. As he was explaining his predicament to the emir, the emir's daughter appeared. Her name was Perizide. The emir, being very impressed with the Prince's fine speech and respectful manners, said to his daughter, "My child, show this young man around our palace and gardens and invite him to join us for the entertainment this evening."

Perizide guided the Prince through the rooms of the sumptuous palace and then took him outside to the exquisite garden, where trees and flowers of every kind imaginable grew and flourished. In the middle of the garden was an oval pool filled with rose water and, upon the mirrored surface of the pool, floated a lily. It was perfect but, in the eyes of the Prince, could not compare to the captivating Perizide.

After dinner in the cool evening air, Perizide provided the evening's recreation by playing the lute and singing. As the Prince listened, he felt his soul rising higher and higher. "This is the reason why I was obliged to run away," he thought, "so that I might find the fair Perizide."

"Rrraaagggh!"

"What was that?" cried the Prince fearfully as he jumped to his feet.

"Oh," said Perizide with a smile. "It is only our guard Boulak. He is yawning. He does that when the hour grows late. I must bid you goodnight now." After Perizide had retired, the emir stood up. "It is also late for me," he said to the Prince. "Come...I will show you to your bedroom."

They had just begun to climb the staircase when the Prince glanced upward. He hand froze on the rail of the banister. There, at the top of the landing stood an enormous lion. The emir chuckled. "Don't be alarmed," he reassured the Prince. "That's just Boulak. He is as gentle as a kitten and will do you no harm. He never attacks unless someone is afraid of him."

The Prince took a step back. "I, ah, I am not quite r-r-ready to, ah, go to s-s-sleep yet," he stammered. "As you wish," responded the emir. "When you get tired, you will find your room through the first door on the right at the top of the stairs."

The Prince fled to the safety of the music room and locked the doors. He sat in a chair and waited. All too soon, he heard the lion padding down the stairs. Then, he heard the lion maul at the doors, which shook violently under the force of the animal's clawing. The lion roared: "Rrraaagggh!"

The Prince was terrified. Any minute, he thought the lion would tear down the door and devour him...but he just sat there, paralyzed with terror, as his hands tightly gripped the seat of his chair. The lion roared again: "Rrraaagggh!"

The Prince listened as the lion roared a third time. Suddenly, the Prince realized that the roars were not threats...they were warnings. Boulak was telling him, "Three times you have run away. If you run away again...wherever you may go...a lion will be waiting." The Prince finally understood...a lion would always be waiting for him until he went home to fight his own lion. The Prince continued to listen, but Boulak did not roar again and soon the Prince heard him padding back up the stairs.

Early the next morning, the Prince explained to Perizide and her father that he had to return home at once. He mounted his horse and, thinking of nothing but the Red Lion, rode day and night until he reached his own palace.

At the appointed time, the Prince entered the crowded arena. The emir, Perizide, the sheik and the shepherd were all present seated in the stands, but the Prince did not look up. He focused only the heavy bronze doors from which the Red Lion would emerge...and he waited.

The doors flew open and the lion sprang out. The Prince stood firm with his spear held high in his hand. The lion roared and then leapt...it leapt right over the head of the Prince. When the Prince whirled around to throw his spear, he saw that the Red Lion was lying on his back, waving his paws in the air like a playful puppy. Rolling over, the lion shook his magnificent mane, trotted over to the Prince and then licked affectionately at the royal hands.

The Red Lion was tame. In fact, every lion that had ever fought a prince of Persia had been tame...only fear would make him ferocious. So, the young Prince was crowned King of Persia and, in due time, married his cherished Perizide. The couple lived for many years and were very happy together. The new King came to be dearly loved by his people and proved to be as wise and as brave a leader as his father had been before him. From that time forward, he never failed to confront his fears, considering each one to be not so much a threat as a challenge...a challenge to be faced, understood and, in so doing, surmounted.