Framed mixed mediumonwood
Created by Mark Mallia & Farrell
Size: 40cm x 40cm

Tin Iswed, Tin Abjad

Rael kien miexi meta lema sira miguda tin iswed. Waqgetlu aqqu u niel fl-galqa u kiel minnha kemm fela. Ma damx ma nteba, ida li sforz dak it-tin kien kibirlu denb twil iswed! Minnufih deher quddiemu xi li tah parir jiekol tin abjad minn sira li kien hemm qrib. U meta kiel minnha, id-denb geb. Ir-rael qata salt tin iswed u abjad, u l-gada mar bit-tin l-iswed dejn il-palazz tas sultan. Kien jaf li l-prinipessa kienet tobb afna t-tin. Din xtratu, kilitu, u geliet mhux bi ftit meta ftit wara kibrilha denb twil u iswed. Is-sultan ikkonfonda u bagat gall gorrief, tobba u professuri kollha li kien hemm fis-saltna biex ifejqulu l bintu. Ida add ma kien jaf minn fejn ser jaqbad jibda. Meta ra li s-sultan kien iddispra sew, u beda jwieged li jewwe lil bintu lil dak li jirnexxilu jeilsu minn dan l-gali, ir-rael gamel amm mit-tin l-abjad, u deher quddiem is-sultan. Qallu li mill-mediina spejali tiegu, il-prinipessa kellha tieu sitt imagref kuljum. Il prinipessa kienet tieu din il-mediina bil-qalb gax kellha togma tajba ta tin u ma kinitx morra bal tat-tobba. U fi mien ftit jiem, id-denb kien sa ma sparixxa gal kollox. Is sultan amm kelmtu u r-rael iewwe lill-prinipessa. U dakinhar li sar sultan, rea tfaa quddiemu x-xi li spjegalu li hu kien irjali minn twelidu u li kien misruq u maad mir-renju tiegu meta kien gadu tarbija.

Black Figs, White Figs

One day a man was walking when he spotted a tree full of black figs. He jumped into the field and feasted on the ripe fruit. Unfortunately, he did not realise that by eating the fruit he had grown a long black tail! An old man appeared before him and advised him to eat from the tree that gave white figs. The man obeyed and the tail got smaller as he ate the white figs, until it disappeared altogether. He picked as many black and white figs as he could carry, and the following day he went to sell the black figs next to the palace, knowing that the princess loved figs. She bought and she ate and she grew a tail. The king sent for all the wise men and doctors, but no one could find a solution. In despair, he declared that he would offer his daughters hand in marriage to the man who healed her. Upon hearing this, the man made some jam using the white figs, went to see the king and told him that the princess had to take six spoonfuls of the medicine daily. The princess liked this medicine because it tasted just like figs. And very soon the tail started growing smaller and smaller, until it vanished completely. The king kept his word and the man married the princess. When the man was declared king years after, the old man of the fig trees appeared again and told him that he had been stolen from his kingdom when he was a baby, and that this kingdom had been rightfully his all along.