Fate has a different meaning, and it functions differently, in each tale. It is not only a system of belief about the world but also an att.i.tude of acceptance of that which is - even when it appears to be incredible, as in the last tale. There are no random events or coincidences; everything that happens is G.o.d"s will. The man and the woman in "The Woman Who Fell into the Well" both readily accept what befalls them, exclaiming, "There is no power or strength save in Allah!" upon falling into the well. Whether as a humble shoemaker or the king"s son-in-law, Maruf accepts his destiny with equanimity. Like Abu Ali, he exhibits a quality of trust in Allah that shields him from all harm. His generosity is literally selfless: he has no self to protect. The same holds true for the poor man"s wife, whose generosity of spirit does not diminish even after she acquires immense wealth.

In "The Rich Man and the Poor Man" and "Im Ali and Abu Ali," fate works like a supernatural force that brings magic into the world; it is the creative power that shapes events, combining the usual with the unusual - or, as in these two tales, transforming the usual into the extraordinary. It is aided in this process by the creative power of language, which is the silent parruer in all literature. The creative role of language in the folktale is made explicit in the last tale, where the pun on the name of the character and his use of imagery at the end serve to bridge the gap between the imaginative and the real.

By shaping events in time, fate also shapes the plots of the tales. Only when the events in time are understood to unfold according to a meaningful sequence does the notion of plot make sense. This process works most clearly in "The Woman Who Fell into the Well," where one action inevitably leads to another and another, until finally the woman is reunited with her brothers. Here again, language helps us to understand how fate works, the names of the children in the tale (Maktub, "that which is written," and Kutbe, "the writing") providing the necessary clues. Although these names would be perfectly acceptable for a boy and a girl, they do not occur in actuality. Their use here exemplifies the metaphorical significance of writing to indicate the fixity of fate. It is said that one"s fate is "written on one"s forehead," or of an event, that it was "written," that is, it was bound to happen. Yet even though the order of events is preordained, new combinations - new plots - are continuously brought into being, such as the marriage of the traveling salesman to the woman and the birth of their children. Thus fate works both as a creative and a determinative principle.

Acceptance of fate is wisdom, and wisdom in these tales is ascribed to women as well as to men. The wisdom of men tends to innocence and pa.s.sivity, whereas that of women tends to thinking and action. The king"s daughter is far more skilled in the ways of the world than is Maruf, and it is Im Ali"s drive and her practical advice that help her husband prosper. In "The Rich Man and the Poor Man," the women are the dominant figures, while the husbands are merely pa.s.sive spectators in their wives" evolving drama. This group of tales, then - which were narrated by both men and women - makes an important statement about the position of women in the society. Indeed, it is clear upon reflection that the tales all along have acknowledged women"s centrality in the social structure and their equality (if not superiority) to men in those fields of action in which men are supposed to excel. The tale of the woman who fell into the well exemplifies the whole collection in this regard. The woman in this tale is not pa.s.sive; her generosity, first in giving the man the bread and then in attempting to pull him out of the well, commits her to a course of action that will change her life. Rather than sitting around, pa.s.sively waiting for her brothers" vengeance, she runs away at night. She gives the children their names and is - as the teller makes clear from her narrative style - the very center of the family.