Alexander and the Water of Life

Author's Note:
We have written another version of this story under the title The Water of Life and the Baktak (Nightmare). In both versions, an attempt is made to explain the secret of the long lifespan of certain beings. In The Water of Life and the Baktak, it is the lifespan of the crow and the Baktak that is justified, while in this tale, it is the evergreen nature of the pine and cypress trees.

Alexander, after conquering many lands, decided to find a way to achieve eternal life. He was told that he needed to drink from the Fountain of Life, but the journey would take seventy years. He took several young men aged fifteen to twenty with him. Unbeknownst to them, the father of one of the young men, an old man, secretly joined the group.

After seventy years, they arrived at the Cave of Darkness. However, it was so dark that the horses could not move forward. The old man secretly advised his son, "Scatter some straw ahead so the horses can see the white of it and find their way." The son did as he was told, and Alexander praised him for his cleverness.

They continued their journey until they passed through the darkness and reached several springs. Alexander, however, did not know which one was the Fountain of Life. The son approached his father, who told him, "Take these dried fish and throw them into the springs. In whichever spring the fish come back to life, that is the Fountain of Life." They did so, and in one of the springs, a fish came alive.

Alexander was impressed by the young man's ingenuity and asked how he had come up with such an idea. The son told him the truth, and Alexander rewarded them handsomely. They took some water from the Fountain of Life and began their return journey.

When Alexander was about to drink from the water they had brought, he heard a voice saying, "Greetings to you, Alexander the Two-Horned. May the Fountain of Life bring you blessings." Alexander looked carefully and saw that it was a hedgehog speaking. The hedgehog said, "I, too, drank from the Fountain of Life, and I ended up in this form. My life is eternal, but as you see me now."

Alexander, discouraged by this, decided not to drink from the water. Instead, he ordered the Fountain of Life water they had brought to be poured at the roots of citrus, palm, and pine trees. Since then, thanks to Alexander's efforts, these trees have achieved eternal greenery.

اسکندر پس از فتح سرزمینهای زیاد تصمیم گرفت کاری کند تا همیشه زنده بماند. به او گفتند باید از چشمه‌ی آب حیات بنوشی و این سفر هفتاد سال طول می کشد. اسکندر چند جوان پانزده تا بیست ساله را به دنبال خود برد. پدر یکی از این همراهان که پیرمردی بود پنهانی با آنها همراه شد. پس از هفتاد سال آنها به جلو غار ظلمات رسیدند. اما ظلمات به قدری تاریک بود که اسب ها نمی توانستند پیش بروند پیر مرد پنهانی به پسر خود گفت تو از جلو مقداری گاه بریز تا اسبها از سفیدی آنها راه را شناخته و حرکت کنند. پسر این کار را کرد و مورد تشویق اسکندر قرار گرفت. رفتند و رفتند تا راه ظلمات تمام شد. به چند چشمه رسیدند اما اسکندر نمی دانست کدام یک چشمه‌ی آب حیات است. پسر به سراغ پدرش رفت پیرمرد به او گفت: این ماهی های خشک شده را بردار و توی چشمه بینداز توی هر چشمه ای که ماهی زنده شد آن چشمه آب حیات است. این کار را کردند و در یکی از چشمه ها ماهی زنده شد. اسکندر از ابتکار جوان خوشش آمد و به تعجب افتاد از او پرسید که چطور این ابتکار به ذهنت رسید.پسر حقیقت را گفت و اسکندر انعام خوبی به آنها داد. مقداری آب حیات برداشتند و آمدند. وقتی اسکندر خواست از آب چشمه حیات که همراه آورده بودند بخورد. صدایی شنید که میگفت "سلام من به تو ای اسکندر ذوالقرنین آب حیات مبارکت باد." اسکندر خوب نگاه کرد. دید یک جوجه تیغی است که این حرف را میزند جوجه تیغی گفت :"من هم از آب حیات نوشیده ام و به این شکل درآمده ام عمرم جاودانه است ولی به این صورت که می بینی." اسکندر از خوردن آب حیات پشیمان شد و دستور داد آب حیاتی که به دنبال خود آورده بودند پای درختهای مرکبات و نخل و کاج بریزند. از آن به بعد این درختان با زحمات اسکندر به سبزی جاودانه رسیده اند.»