Keepers of Lore/Regions/Desert of Silhouettes/The Merchant of Sand

The Merchant of Sand

This tale was recorded by Bowie Ironsides to be submitted to the Keepers of Lore. It is an old story shared amongst the people of the Desert of Silhouettes, mainly the shop keepers. It was from one such shop keeper in a little desert village near the border of Sallowwild where Bowie first heard this version of the story. It is popular because of its message.

The Tale

So the story goes. In a village not too far from here, from the depths of the desert there visited a merchant. When this merchant arrived he approached shop keeper after shop keeper trying to sell his product. To each one he said, “Would you like to buy some magic sand?”

Of the first few, one shop keeper said,

“Ha! What kind of a merchant sells sand to people in the desert? Maybe if we lived in the mountains or on islands then you could say your sand is exotic, from the deep desert. Look around you. We live in sand, why would you try to sell sand to desert dwellers? You must be stupid or crazy! Go away from my shop.”

So the merchant continued.

Out of the next couple, one shop keeper said,

“You want me to buy sand? Listen, my friend, this village is surrounded by sand. How do I know you did not pick it up just over there and are now trying to sell me my own sand? You must be a crook! Go away.”

So the merchant kept going.

Then after the next bunch chided him in the same way, he came across a shop keeper who had a sense of humour, and most of all an open mind. When the merchant asked if this shop keeper would like to buy some magic sand the shop keeper said,

“Magic sand? What makes it magic?”

The merchant replied.

“It is white and very cold.”

The shop keeper asked to see the magic sand and the merchant pulled out a thick container filled with frost. The shop keeper was amazed!

“This is what you call magic sand? It’s ice! And you came from the deep desert carrying this? How did it not melt? That is fantastic indeed!”

The shop keeper then told the merchant that he will pay him in gold if he will sell his ice to the shop keeper exclusively. The merchant was very happy to find a partner in the village to trade with, he even said that he has much more back in his yakhchal and that they will have profitable business together from now on.

When the other shop keepers finally realized what this merchant meant by magic sand they all regretted not asking him to show them. The first one to see the ice in the desert would have been rich. Now, the open minded shop keeper is the richest man in the village and the merchant is quite wealthy too.