Dancing Garden
Ease & Gratify With an uplifting nature that also brings a sense of ease and relaxation, the richness of this tea is gratifying and helps to refresh and lighten the mood.
Ingredients*: Spearmint, lemongrass, cinnamon sticks, ginger, carrot, chamomile, nettle, lemon myrtle, turmeric, goji berry, moringa leaves, rosemary.
*All certified organic ingredients.
Khalid the Dreamer Khalid was a poor gardener who lived with his mother on the edge of the village in the mountains. Though he was poor he was a very talented gardener and people from the village came just to see his bountiful and beautiful garden.
Khalid had long been troubled by his dreams. His dreams weren’t scary or worrying dreams, they were dreams of palaces, kings, and a princess, always the same beautiful princess. He never told anyone about his dreams in case he would be ridiculed. But he heard stories of the beauty of the daughter of the King who lived in the city below the mountains, and be began to believe that his dreams must be of her.
As Khalid grew his skill as a gardener developed his reputation spread and he was spoke of all around the region. One day a rich merchant was visiting the village who had heard tell of the talent of this young gardener so he went to see the garden that Khalid had tended at his home. The merchant was very impressed, so much so that he offered Khalid a job as the head gardener on his estate in the city. Khalid and his mother knew this was an opportunity not to be missed so they agreed and travelled to the city with the merchant, as sad as it was to leave behind his precious garden in the mountains. They were given a small but respectable house in the walled garden of the estate.
Being a gardener for a wealthy estate afforded Khalid the ability to try out new plants and methods that he was unable to try before. Under his naturally skilled hand the garden thrived and grew more than it ever had before. Even in this new place his dreams of the princess continued.
One evening when Khalid was working late in the garden he heard the sound of laughter and voices coming from behind the bushes. Quietly he peered over to see what was there and he witnessed a group of little people dancing, singing, and playing. As awestruck as he was, and equally as curious, Khalid carefully walked away so as not to disturb them. He went out the gate and back to his house.
Later that evening there came a light knocking at the door, and when he opened it Khalid was surprised to see the little people standing there.
‘Could you open the gate?,’ they asked, ‘The latch is too high for us to reach.’
Khalid opened the gate and watched as the little people skipped away.
As Khalid was about to go back into his house he noticed something on the ground, it was a sparkling jewel. He brought it inside and his mother said it must be a gift from the little people and he should sell it at the market, because although they lived on this fine estate they still didn’t have much money. Although Khalid did not really want to sell the jewel he listened to his mother and agreed.
The very next day Khalid took the jewel to the market and a cunning merchant offered him 10 dinars for it, though knowing it was worth much much more. But Khalid, not knowing any better took the money and was content with it.
Later that night there was a knock at the door, it was the little people again but they were upset and crying. They told Khalid they had lost their most precious jewels and wondered if Khalid had seen it. Khalid now felt very guilty and told them to come back the next night and he would have it for them.
The next day Khalid went back to the merchant asking to buy the jewel back for 10 dinars, but the merchant denied even knowing anything about the jewel and said he had never seen Khalid before. They began to argue when a voice spoke up, that of a young woman, saying, ‘I know of your crafty ways merchant, give him back the jewel right this minute.’
The merchant and Khalid both turned to see a young woman dressed in the finest of clothes with the most enchanting appearance. Khalid froze to the spot, it was the princess he had seen in his dreams!
“Yes, your highness!’ said the merchant. Taking the jewel from under his table and handing it to Khalid while quickly recovering his 10 dinars from Khalid’s hand. Khalid shook himself to his senses and made his way back home, quite unsettled by seeing the woman of his dream in reality.
Later that evening there came a light knock at the door and the little people were given back their jewel, just as Khalid had promised. But Khalid was very sad to have seen the princess but believing there was no way he could ever get to know her, with her being a princess and him but a lowly gardener. The next day when he worked with a heavy heart.
That night there came another knock at the door, it was the little people. They said they had noticed the sadness of Khalid and wanted to give him a gift to cheer him up. They handed him a smooth piece of wood that was shaped like an almond and could fit in the palm of his hand. The little people told him that when it was rubbed it would play music to cheer him up. Khalid tried it out and the most mysterious and joyful music emanated from the wooden almond.
When Khalid’s mother saw the almond and heard the music she insisted that he should sell it at the market because they needed the money. Khalid didn't really want to do that but he listened to his mother and went to the market the next day. He stood in the square and rubbed the almond in order to attract buyers who might want it, the joyful music filled the air. People began to gather round and dance and laugh to the music and drop coins at Khalid’s feet. When he stopped the people dispersed and Khalid and more money than he could believe.
Everyday Khalid returned to the market square to play the wooden almond and make money, he also delighted in seeing the joy that it brought to everyone. Word of this spread until the princess heard and she requested that Khalid come to play for her at the palace. Of course Khalid was overjoyed and dressed in his finest clothes for the visit.
The princess was impressed with the music and, being used to getting what she wanted, insisted that she would buy it from him. The king could see that Khalid was troubled by parting from the wooden almond so he told Khalid he would give him whatever he wanted for it. Khalid said he wanted a ring from his daughter’s hand. The king agreed but when the princess tried to play the almond nothing happened, nor could anyone else get it to play, except Khalid. So the princess told Khalid he would have to stay in the palace and play the music for her every day, and so he was hired as the Court Musician.
You could not turn down a royal order so Khalid and his mother moved into the palace. Khalid was delighted that he could spend all his time near the princess. This situation was alright at the beginning but it didn’t take long before it grew tired. The princess only gave orders to Khalid and never really spoke to him, and she was proud and a snob; the effect of which caused Khalid to really miss his garden. He longed to leave.
News reached Khalid that the nation was at war and young men were leaving to become soldiers. Khalid wishing to be away from the princess and the palace asked the king if he could go to war, but the princess refused saying that she would not allow it because she wanted her music.
Khalid returned to the garden to ask the little people for help. They told him they would take back the wooden almond and then the princess would release him from his role. The princess was very upset by this and told her father she wanted Khalid beheaded for his betrayal. Now the king thought this was too extreme and offered that he could send Khalid to the war to serve as a soldier. And so it was, Khalid was sent away to the war, glad to be free of the princess and the palace and to see some greater purpose with his life.
While Khalid was away a train of servants turned up at the palace with many extravagant gifts for the princess, telling her they were from the King of the Forest who wished to marry her. The princess, who had become bored with her life, was enamoured by the gifts and the possibility of marrying such a mysterious character. The king was not so please but at the persistence of his daughter agreed to allow her to leave and marry the King of the Forest.
A carriage arrived to take the princess away and took her deep into the forest, where the skies grew dark and thunder began to boom all around her. Her maidservants became so scared they ran away to hide and when they came back to find her in the daylight the princess was no where to be found.
Khalid returned from the war, and he was changed, he had grown strong and commanding. He had become a leader who guided many men to victory in battle. The king was so impressed that he made Khalid the captain of the palace guard.
The story was told of how the princess had gone to marry the King of the Forest and had disappeared. Khalid became very worried and went to speak with the little people in the garden who told him that the King of the Forest was a dangerous spirit who had put the princess under his spell. The little people told Khalid where to go and gave him the wooden musical almond to protect him.
Khalid immediately set out to find her and when he was deep in the forest it grew dark and thunder boomed around him, but Khalid stood his ground and in amazement saw the ground opening up. He hid behind a tree and watch as a regiment of soldiers emerged from the split in the ground, once they were out Khalid swiftly jumped inside.
There was a strange dim light under the ground and Khalid saw many strange scenes of huge men fighting with each other and with dangerous animals who were subjected to the worst sort of treatment. Then Khalid saw the King of the Forest seated on his throne, he was a gigantic man with red glistening skin and a bushy beard, servants constantly brought him large platters of meat, some of which he ate and some he threw to his warriors and to the creatures.
Khalid strode into this scene with his sword drawn and demanded that he the princess be brought to him. The King of the Forest merely laughed at him, but Khalid insisted that he fight the King’s greatest warrior for the freedom of the princess. The King called on Gagorah, who was lead into the circle by men with chains and turned out to be an enormous bear with long razor sharp claws. Khalid feared this might be the end of his life.
It was then that Khalid remembered the wooden almond and took it from his pouch and began to play it. The bear began to dance and the King of the Forest bellowed out for everyone to cover their ears. But it was too late they had all fallen under the charm of the music and danced their way out of the hall. Even the King rushed out after them.
There was then the sound of the singing of a bird coming from somewhere in the cavern. Khalid followed the sound until he found the bird who was sitting in a cage next to the princess. But the princess had changed, she was dirty and exhausted crouched on the floor of the cave, staring at the floor. Khalid realised she was under a spell and began to play the wooden almond which revived the princess, although she was still in a state of deep sadness and weariness.
They returned to the palace where the princess was washed and dressed in her fine garments, then given time to recover. It wasn't long before she began to feel better but she was much more humble that before, gone were most of her inflated pride and haughtiness.
Needless to say Khalid and the princess fell in love, both of them finding new life and purpose within themselves. It wasn’t long until they were married and grew eventually to become wise and just rulers of the kingdom.
A version of this story can be found in the book The Storyteller of Marrakesh, retold by Tony Barton.