A ruler in Bagdad, tired yet content, spends a lazy afternoon when his trusted minister laments his financial inability to buy a pedlar’s curious merchandise. The pedlar’s wares include a mysterious snuff-box containing a powder and a paper inscribed with magical words. A renowned linguist deciphers the inscription as a Latin formula: anyone who takes a pinch of the powder and pronounces a particular word, "Mutabor," may transform into an animal and understand their language, with the ability to revert provided he bows thrice to the East and repeats the word—provided no laughter disrupts the process. Enthralled by the prospect of experiencing this magic firsthand, the ruler and his minister decide to test it at a pond amid storks. They take the powder, recite the incantation, and instantly transform into storks. However, when an observing stork performs playful antics, their laughter causes them to forget the magic word needed for reversion. Cursed to remain in the form of storks, they wander through fields and over the city, suffering the inconveniences of their new bodies and missing the comforts of their previous lives. During their exile as birds, they eventually notice unusual festivities in Bagdad hinting at a rival, the son of an enchanter who once vowed revenge against the ruler. In their despair, the transformed pair seek a solution through a weeping night-owl inhabiting the ruins of a former castle. The night-owl, who later reveals herself to be a cursed princess marked by the same vengeful enchanter, recounts her own tale of woe—that a sorcerer had transformed her for personal vendetta against her noble father. She informs them that the enchanters assemble monthly for licentious feasts where they might inadvertently utter the magic word. Agreeing to a risky plan, the ruler and his minister, with the guidance of the night-owl, spy on the enchanters’ gathering from a hidden vantage point. They overhear one discussing the Latin magic word “Mutabor.” At this point, a peculiar condition is imposed: for the night-owl’s promised assistance in recovering the word, one must offer his hand in marriage. The minister declines this dubious bargain, leaving the ruler to accept the condition. With the night-owl’s lead, they locate the gathering in a brightly lit hall festooned with lamps and opulent decorations. Under careful observation, the ruler and his minister perform the prescribed ritual: they bow thrice to the East and attempt to recite the magic word. Their efforts, bolstered by the overheard secret from the gathering, eventually succeed in breaking the spell. In a sudden transformation, the ruler regains his human form and is astonished to find that the once-cursed princess has reacquired her former beauty; she, too, is freed from her enchantment by the fulfillment of the bargain. Restored both in form and authority, the ruler returns triumphantly to Bagdad accompanied by his newly recovered wife and his minister, who too is now human. The city’s people, having mourned the presumed loss of their ruler, welcome him as their rightful leader. The ruler exacts retribution against those responsible for his magical misfortune: the elder enchanter is executed, and his misguided son is condemned to remain as a stork, confined in a cage within the ruler’s garden. The narrative weaves themes of enchantment, unintended consequences, and the intertwining fates of those who fall victim to magical intrigues. It combines elements of humor, irony, and social commentary through the absurdity of powerful figures reduced to birds, their plight offering both comic relief and a cautionary tale. The ruler’s escapades as a stork, the challenges of restoring his human form, and the eventual reclamation of his position serve to underline the unpredictability of magic and the capricious nature of fate in a vividly imagined, fantastical Bagdad.
By Wilhelm Hauff · First published 1826 · Genre: Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Adventure