Book Report by Levi Y.
Book Report by Samantha H.
Sharazad was Marjan’s hero. Marjan lived with her Auntie Chava and Uncle Eli. One day on a trip to the harem(selling things) Marjan told a story to the harem children. A girl a little older than Marjan listened to the story. After the story was over the girl asked Marjan if she knew other stories, Marjan said yes.
The girl took Marjan down many hallways and secret passages. Finally the girl introduced herself as Dunyazad, Sharazad’s younger sister. Dunyazad was taking Marjan to Sharazad.
When they got there Dunyazad told Marjan to tell Sharazad the tale she had told the children. Marjan started telling the tale to Sharazad but Sharazad stopped her. She had already told that tale to the Sultan. Marjan told tale after tale to Sharazad. Finally Marjan told a tale that Sharazad had not told.
That night Marjan could not sleep. She was too worried about Sharazad. What if the story was to boring? She waited impatiently for morning.
“She lives” the best words Marjan had ever heard. The Sultan did not think the story was boring. He had not killed Sharazad, as he had killed all his other wives. Sharazad had been telling stories for nearly three and a half years. In that time she had given birth to three sons. One just that past week.
A eunuch came, to take Marjan to Sharazad, forever. Auntie Chava gave Marjan her hair comb. Then Marjan left.
Marjan was washed and scrubbed and then brought to meet the Khaton (the Sultan’s mother). The Khaton was not fond of Sharazad.
When the Khaton excused Marjan, she went to her chamber. After awhile Dunyazad came to fetch Marjan. As it turned out there was more to the story that Marjan had told Sharazad then she knew.
Later Marjan went to explore up on a terrace she met Zaynab. They spent some time together before Marjan had to go back to her room. When they were sharing a drink, Marjan and Zaynab heard the Khaton and one of her maids talking. The Khaton said that once Sharazad ran out of stories, she would be killed. Then her servant could tell the stories.
The next day Marjan could tell that Sharazad and Dunyazad had not found the story teller who Marjan had heard the first part of the story from. Sharazad and Dunyazad help Marjan sneak out into the marketplace. She looks for the storyteller who told her the story. Finally found a boy who could bring her to the storyteller. The boy brought her to him. After hearing most of the story, Marjan had to leave.
She told every word of the part of the story she had heard to Sharazad. Sharazad was safe for another night. But since Marjan had not gotten all the story she would have to go back the next day.
This time Dunyazad went with her. They brought some of Zaynab’s pigeons who could carry the rest of the story back to the palace. When it was time to leave, the girls could not go back the same way as they had came in jars. They had to sneak in as part of a group of musicians. But they were able to get the story to Sharazad.
The Khaton wanted to see Marjan. But when Marjan went to see her, the Khaton trapped her. Days later, one of the children who had listened to Marjan’s story the first day. She told Marjan to go to Zaynab, she would help her escape.
Zaynab gave Marjan some money and then lowered her down in a basket. She went to the story tellers house. She stayed there for awhile and then she had an idea.
She went back to the palace and told them that she wanted to tell the Sultan a story. Marjan told the Sultan how a merman king was killing a wife a night and that one night a mermaid sang him a song, and stopped in the middle of it. So the next night she sang some more. And this went on for quite a while. But after awhile the mermaid didn’t know any more of the song, so she found someone who did.
The Sultan listened to Marjan and then he told Sharazad that she only had to tell stories when she wanted to, then he had a real marriage ceremony. And as for Marjan, she went and lived as Zaynab’s helper in the Sultan’s, brother’s, old palace.
Book Review about Shadow Spinner, by Teacher Wigowsky
Links to other sites on the Web
Back to MAIN PAGE
Shadow Spinner Book Cover
