The Knight, the Princess and the Magic Rock: A Classic Persian Tale

The romance of Bijan and Manijeh is found in the Book of Kings (Shahnameh), the national epic poem of Iran. Bijan, a warrior prince, is asked by the king to rid the country of wild boars, which he successfully does. On his way back from his mission, he meets and falls in love with Manijeh, a princess of an enemy kingdom. Rather than be parted from him, Manijeh tricks Bijan into drinking a potion that keeps him with Manijeh. When he is inevitably discovered, he is imprisoned in an underground pit, covered by a magic rock. The knight Rostam eventually rescues him, and the wiser, chastened lovers live happily ever after. Azizi’s retelling of this major Persian tale emphasizes its mythopoeic themes; Sadeghian’s gorgeous color illustrations bring to vivid life both the tale and classical Persian art. Supplemental interpretive commentary gives more mature readers food for spiritual thought. Ages 4-8. (June 30)