Totally lost my frickin train of thought... Something, something pumpkins - also the work I was all geared up for today has been postponed a week. Parties, there are parties to prepare for... Trying to map out a plan b for today instead. Like reworking a tapestry, that.

Stories? Here's a translation from the latest in the 1,001 nights. Which reminds me, I've got to get a copy of the unabridged version...

So this guy, Jubar. He is the recipient, along with his two brothers, of a significant inheritance. Jubar's an ok guy, but his brothers are two pieces of work. First off, they lose all their money in luxury, while Jubar is taking responsibility for the care of his mom. Then, when Jubar has to leave town, they treat their mom like crap. Yeesh.

Jubar had to leave town because of the following series of events:
*Jubar is a fisherman, who couldn't catch anything
*Jubar was running up debt from a local baker
*He tries fishing at another lake and gets mobbed up with this proto-djin guy who gets Jubar to lob him into the lake in a knotted heap for 1,000 dinars.
*Jubar leaves the guy for dead, as he was instructed
*Jubar takes the guy's donkey in to town to get the 1,000 dinars from a merchant, as he was instructed
*This happens twice more - one guy dies, one guy is spared and rescued by Jubar
*Jubar, well-tested, is accepted by the remaining guy for an adventure to recover gold from a far away land

He goes on his trip, is tested further by means of very complex directions - screws up and has to wait a year to try again. Meanwhile, he's accepting the role of a servant. The year comes up and this time, he's not defeated by the tests and gold is won. Jubar goes home rich, accompanied by magic bags which endlessly deliver any food dish asked for, when asked.

Jubar's brothers won't quit. When they discover - from rumors about town - that Jubar is back and wealthy, they want money from him but feel busted because while he was gone they cast their mother out as a homeless woman. But they figure that Jubar will just forgive them, so they go find him anyway and are admitted, fed and get the secret of the bags.

Yes, they take them. They arrange for Jubar to serve on the galley of a ship, involuntarily. He's kidnapped and the brothers take over. Jubar is discovered years later by the proto-djin guy - given a magic ring that contains a genie - and sent home.

When Jubar gets back home, he finds that his brothers have been imprisoned. This makes him nuts, as he's constantly having to reassemble his family. But, he wants to be with his mother and brothers so he comes up with a plan. He has the genie build a palace overnight. The next night he has the genie bring all of the King's gold. Then he has the genie bring his brothers back. The king gets pissed, tries to slay Jubar in several typical ways, finds that he can't and becomes friends with him instead. Jubar gets to marry the King's daughter and his brothers get to be wazirs. The brothers conspire to kill Jubar, succeed - then one brother has the other killed. The remaining brother marries Jubar's widow. He's warned not to interrupt her mourning, but ignores the warning. She gladly takes him to her, feeding him and filling his cup. It's poisoned and Jubar's brother dies. Jubar's widow goes to the people and tells them it's time to pick a new king.

The end.

More to come.