THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

Hatimtai did not know how he should start looking for the answer to the first puzzles. So he kept on walking.

One day, while walking through a forest he saw a wolf hunting a deer. The deer was running as fast as it could to save itself.

Just when the wolf was about to catch the deer, Hatim ran and stopped him. The deer ran away.

The wolf spoke in a man's voice and said, "Hatimatai you might be very kind, but you have not been fair to me."

"Why? How have I been unfair to you?" asked Hatim.

"You saved the deer but don't you see, you have left me hungry are killing eat now? The pangs of hunger are killing me, "said the wolf.

He said, "You will not go hungry. I have deprived you of your food, so I'll substitute for it."

Hatim cut off some flesh from one of his leg and gave it to the wolf to eat.

The wolf had tears in its eyes when it saw this. It said, "I had heard a lot of your kindness, but you have proved yourself to be greater than my expectations."

Haiti said, "I cannot see anyone hungry or in pain."

The wolf said, "I want to help you Hatimai. What brings you here to the forest?"

Hated told the wolf the story of the seven puzzles of Husn Bano that he had to solve. When Hatim told her about the first puzzles, the wolf told her about the where he could find the answer to this puzzle. It said, "You will find this in a far away land."

The wolf gave him the directions. Hatim thanked him and set out again. On the way, he felt a great pain in the leg where he had cut his flesh. He could not walk as the pain was too much for him to bear any further.

He groaned and felt down. A pair of jackals heard him and came to the help him.

The wife of the jackals said, "We must help this man. He is the great Hatimtai."

The jackals put some herbs on the wound because of which the wound soon got healed.

Hatim thanked them and said, "You have helped me. Is there anything I can do for you?"

The jackal said, "A lion couple always eats our babies. We'll be grateful if you could help us.'

Hatim went straight to the caves of the lion couple to ask them not to kill the babies of any animal.

When Hatim asked the lion couple to be considerate towards the babies of other animals, they said, "We are the king and the queen of the forest. We can kill anyone. Today we will eat you."

The lion and the lioness pounced on Hatim. But brave as he was, he soon overpowered them and took out their nails and teeth.

When they cried in pain, Hatim prayed to God to lessen their pain.

The lion said, "You have taken out our nails and teeth. How will we hunt now? We will have to remain hungry and die."

The jackal came there and said, "I will bring food for you every day. You will not remain hungry."

On being sure of the well being of both jackals and the lions, Hatim felt better and he resumed his journey.