There was once a man who lived with his family. He had an incredible wife and two fine, honest sons, all of whom he loved dearly.  

 

One day, his wife grew ill. She seemed to grow worse and worse and each day the man would sit by her bedside and ask her what she would like to make her feel better, to which she always replied, “Nothing but your sweet company, my love.”. 

 

One day however she grew almost as pale as the moon and when her husband asked what she would like she replied, “An apple, my love”. Now there were no apples in this part of the country and the nearest trees were a few days ride away, but the man vowed to bring his poor wife some apples.  

That day he set off. It took him five days to find the apples and bring a variety home to her, always worrying that she would have grown worse in his absence. 

 

When he arrived, his wife did indeed look bad, but she managed a small smile and took a small bite of the apple he offered her. The two boys had never seen apples before and were passing them between themselves, smelling them and marvelling at their shiny skin. 

 

The next day, the man dropped his children at the local school and went to work. On the way back, he saw a servant man showing some villagers an apple! He went over immediately and demanded to see it. There was no mistaking this rare fruit and the small bite that had been taken out of it. He asked the servant where he had got it and the servant bragged, “From my lover. Her husband went very far to get it but she gave it to me!” 

 

Something snapped inside the man, he was so enraged. How could she!?! The love of his life! His soul mate! Beside himself with anger, he marched back home, he took a knife from the kitchen and stormed into the bedroom. He screamed at her, asking why she had done this to him, but she was weak with illness and her small voice was not heard above his din. He was so enraged that he chopped her up into many pieces in a crazed fury. Then sense came to him., What on earth had possessed him!? Just at that moment, his son came through the door with a sad look on his face.. “Father,” he confessed, “I took mummy’s apple to school to show the children but a servant stole it from me. Will you please forgive me for taking what is not mine? I have learnt my lesson!” 

 

Well, realisation set in. He had destroyed their world for nothing. So troubled was he that he gouged out his left eye, he was about to gouge out the right one when his elder son walked in. The man explained what had happened. The older boy was quiet and then finally said:, “Father, you have done something unforgivable but if you kill yourself we will be left with no family. I think you should chose the path of a dervish and repent for your sins.” So that is how one barmy night, a wandering dervish with a confession to share turned up at the door of the house of the three ladies. 

 

But what part will he have to play at this mysterious dinner party? 

 

You will have to wait til tomorrow night…