Alp and the Rain

a folktale from Turkey

for my Pet Dog Chico

Map of Turkey

Alp and the Rain

Once upon a time in a land far far away near the springs of Pamukkale there
was a small village. In this village a terrible thing happened, the rainy season got skipped and now stay in the past for the last three months it hadn't rained. No grain grew and no plants survived. The beautiful hot springs almost didn't have any water. As the springs were still full of water they glanced in beauty as the sun slowly disappeared behind the Pamukkale Mountain. The springs shined blue, green, and a light orange as the sun, looking like a big gold coin, was shining on the precious spring water. Everyone in the village gathered to pray on Friday, hoping that Allah would hear them and let it rain. The men walked to the mosque with their orange caftas ,turkish clothing, and their big blue turbans, while the women fully covered in green, orange, and blue, and many textures and designs, appeared outside of the mosque. The town folk washed themselves, took off their shoes, and then the genders divided themselves up into different praying rooms in the mosque. They prayed for three hours, but they did not think that Allah heard them, because in the next three days it still didn't rain. Finally, one day the village chief decided to do something. After all village elders came together, they decided to vote for a person, who would go to Allah's Cave and ask him to let it rain in their village. On the big voting day every soul in the village gathered around the biggest Pamukkale spring. The air was fresh and the hope of rain grew as fast as a bean grows. Now every pair of eyes was looking to the village chief. "We, the village elders and I have decided, that one of us has to take the fearsome journey to the Allah and ask him to let it rain, " the village chief or Ahmed said in his old, heavy voice. "Nobody will ever be able to successfully go this path,"someone in the crowd shouted out.

Then, suddenly everybody started yammering. "Who will do this", "Impossible," and "Do you want to kill us," started echoing through Pamukkale. "Bum Bum Bum, " the Davul, a drum, from itself, and the people looked at the drum right next to the village chief. "Stop acting so ridiculous," Ahmed commanded",this is our only chance, what else should we do?" This time nobody had an idea. For two seconds it was quiet, nobody talked, nothing moved. "I will be the one," somebody in the crowd said, and walked up to the podium,"I will be the person which will get the rain back." The crowd shrieked and gave a thundering applause. "You are sure that you want to take this risk, only to ask Allah for rain," Ahmed asked him. "Yes," Alp the brave replied. That night as Alp had dinner with his family on the day before hitting the road, Alp's Dad asked him, "Why did you volunteer to do this? Everybody who tried to go to the Allah's Spirit died on his journey. I don't want to lose you." "Come on, you know people can't live without su ,turkish for without water. I want to save our village," Alp replied. "Okay, but promise to try your hardest and not die," his father asked. "Okay, I promise!" The next day as the sun was still hiding behind the big Pamukkkale hill, a great crowd was waiting for Alp to come to the entrance of the city. "There he comes. Our hero is awaiting us," a man with a long black beard and a yellow turban shouted out.

Alp slowly marched towards the big entrance and exit Gate of the city. It was decorated with many stones and mosaics and at the top of it it said," merhaba to Pamukkale ,Welcome to Pamukkale," in the nicest writing a kisi , a turkish for human, has ever seen. As Alp now rapidly went through the gate, he said ,"I will come back with glory and rain". The crowd cheered and waved with handkerchiefs, as white as a dove, to say good bye. As soon as Alp disappeared from sight, the crowd quickly disappeared. As Alp traveled along the path, he soon stumbled upon a huge, fast and very dangerous river. He sat down to think. What could he do? How could he cross the river? He thought and thought, and after about an hour of thinking, he knew how he could cross the river. He got a big tree trunk and gently placed it in the water. Then he got another tree trunk, and placed that tree trunk in front of the other tree trunk, and he continued that process until finally as the sun was on the highest part, he finished. He then meandered carefully over the swimming bridge. As Alp arrived on the other side, he knew that he was lucky that he made it to the other side, because the water was very shallow. Alp took a three minute rest, and then continued his hike towards Allah's Cave. Soon the sun disappeared behind the mountains and it was too dark to continue his journey, so Alp decided to make camp. Soon he found a big boulder, under which he rested. He took some bread, a villager gave him out of his pocket, and filled his hunger needs. As the brave man finished eating his bread, he lay down, under the huge rock. Soon he peacefully fell asleep. In the night a fearful band of robbers marched through the open fields and the small forests. As the

three robbers saw Alp laying on the ground they stole all his belongings. Next, the robbers "kidnapped" Alp and took him to their hideout. In the morning as Alp woke up, he was somewhere different. It was definitely not the rock under which he fell asleep. It was the hiding place of the robber band. Alp wanted to shout Where am I?, but he noticed a small red blanket was tied around his mouth. Next, he wanted to put away the blanket which was tied around his mouth, but he couldnt, because a fat, scratchy rope in a gray-brownish tone, didnt let him do that. Alp stood up, but he immediately fell down again because the same rope which tied his hands to his back, also tied together his feet. Now Alp noticed it, he was held prisoner from by somebody. Alp was stuck in a small chamber, which had a small table in the left corner, a chair was also there. He was lucky the door was not locked, but he still couldnt go out. Then he had an idea. He slowly slithered to the chair next to the table. As he finally reached the chair, he went to the brownest corner of the chair, and scrubbed the rope, against the corner. After three minutes of scrubbing, the rope finally snapped. As his hands were free, Alp put away the blanket from his mouth, and then scrubbed the rope, which were on his feet, against the sharp corner of the chair. Finally, Alp snickered, while he carefully tiptoed out of the chamber he was in. As Alp was outside of the chamber, he noticed that he was in cave. His heart bursted as fast as a human could run. His blood raced through the small channels quicker as the strongest river. "I made it, I am actually alive," Alp whispered full of Alp quickly ran out of the cave, and into the green. Soon Alp saw himself infront of a gigantic mountain. As it was already dark, he decided to climb the mountain on the third day of his adventure. Alp soon fell asleep, and dreamed. He dreamed about the whole village celebrating him, for bringing back the rain. On the next day as Alp woke up, he almost got frightened by how tall the mountain was. He stood up, and started climbing the mountain. He was sweating, was hungry, and thirsty. He didnt eat since one day and one night, so he decided to eat a apple, which he picked from a tree. After one painful hour of marching, Alp decided to take a rest. After three restful minutes a giant boulder was rolling towards him he jumped to the side, and could rescue himself in the last sec-

ond. From that moment Alp never took a rest. Two hours later Alp reached the top of the mountain, and it took him three hours to come back down again. As Alp reached the valley, he continued marching, and then saw a big cave. According to Alp's description of the villagers, Allah's spirit is in a cave. So, Alp decided to walk into the cave. He took three steps into the cave as he suddenly heard something. Who are you and what do you want, a heavy voice started echoing through the cave. My name is Alp, Alp pushed out of himself, I am here to ask you if you can make it rain in Pamukkale?" He still remembered that Allah lived in a cave, so he assumed it was him. "You are not worthy to get rain," Allah roared, "when you want rain you have to proof yourself worthy to get rain." "How can I do that?" Alp asked. "If you can successfully go to the lowest part of the cave and get only true Qu'aran from the silent river, only then I will make it rain." "I accept the challenge," Alp replied and walked deeper into the cave. Three hours already have passed since Alp accepted the challenge and walked off. It was really cold and Alp felt like a blind person, because he couldn't see anything. He was shivering so fast, like he would swim in the coldest lake of the of the Himalayas. I will never be able to do this Alp thought to himself. The farther he walked into the darkness, the more fear he had. Suddenly he had an idea, he could rip off a piece of wool from his pants. Then he searched the floor with his bare hands for two rough stones. Because of the darkness it took Alp a long time to finally find two rough stones. Next Alp carefully and full of power rubbed both of the stones together. After three minutes a small spark, then after another spark came Alp quickly held the piece of cloth infront of the spark. Rapidly the piece of cloth catched fire. As Alp could see again, he sprinted through the cave, for now he has light. Soon the fire on the piece of cloth was getting smaller and smaller, so Alp decided to rip off another piece of cloth and lightened the piece of cloth with the burning piece. Three hours later Alp arrived at the silent river. He didn't know what to do, so he just looked around. Suddenly he saw a big dent in the cave wall. He looked inside of it and noticed that a big book was laying there.

"I made it, "started echoing through the cave walls. Now with the book in his hand and torn up pants, Alp arrived at the start of the cave again six hours later. Okay, the voice echoed through the cave again after three days, I will let it rain! Full of power and joy , but also tiredness, thirstiness, and hungriness, Alp walked back home again. On the way home he could finally sleep, eat, and drink. After three days and three nights, Alp arrived in Pamukkale again. As he walked through the big decorated gate, everyone was cheering, while the rain was bucketing down onto the village. "You are our kahraman, you are our kahraman, hero in turkish," a plethora of people chanted, as Alp ,brave or hero in Turkish, proudly paraded through the village. "I knew you could do it, I am proud of you," Alp's Dad greeted Alp, "I am glad to see you again." "Thank you dad. Today I really feel like a kahraman," Alp replied while eating bazlama,turkish for bread. And soon everything went back to normal again. The springs were full of water again, the farmers, could plant again, and there was enough water to drink. Ahmed the village chief gave Alp land and lots of money, and he lived with his family happily ever after. From now on Allah never refused to let it rain again in Pamukkale. From this story we learn that you should never give up, and that everyone can be a hero.

The End

Glossary
Ahmed-a turkish name Allah- Arabic or Islam God Alp- a name in turkish or brave and hero bazlama- a turkish bread cafta- turkish loose clothing in various bright colors kahraman- hero in turkish kisi- human in turkish merhaba- welcome in turkish mosque- the place of prayer for muslims Pamukkale- place in turkey where there are fascinating natural springs (see Map of Turkey) qu'aran- the holy book of the muslims su- water in turkish turban- a towel over the head to cover the hair

Citations
Map of Turkey- Apple iOS Maps App (Maps by TomTom) acknowledgements url: http://gspa21.ls.apple.com/html/attribution.html Added features by Remarks App for iOS book made with Pages for iOS

About the Author

Rafael D. Schulz wrote the book "Alp and the Rain", he received an A on that story. "Alp and the Rain" is Mr. Schulz's first book he has written. Rafael Schulz has a German Nationality and he was also born there. With three months he moved to Mexico, three years later to the United States of America, and then he moved back to Germany. After he lived in Berlin for five years, he moved to India and attended AES. Now Rafael is twelve years old and he is still working on his writing.

copyright by Rafael D. Schulz patent pending for educational use only Contact Rafael Schulz: rafaeldschulz@gmail.com

"Very well written," Michaela Schulz "Nice Pictures," Jose Schulz "Overall pretty good," Rafael Schulz

Read the wonderful folktale Picture Book by Rafael D. Schulz

Alp and the Rain is a folktale about a boy called Alp, who lives in a village near the Pamukkale Springs. It hasn't rained since a long time, so Alp want's to save his village and he goes on a journey. On his journey many dangers will face him...