When the old khan dies without leaving an heir, his pet falcon ‘chooses’ a shepherd boy named Bolotbek to become the next ruler.

Bolotbek turns out to be a great choice but as time passes the people worry there again will be no heir so they beg Bolotbek to choose a queen.

Bolotbek declares that he’ll marry the maiden who can answer three questions:

“What is the distance between the east and the west?”

“What is the distance between the earth and the sky?”

“What is the distance between truth and falsehood?”

This is a different kind of cinderella story, beautifully illustrated by a master of Islamic manuscript illumination, in which both the ‘prince’ and the girl start out poor.

It’s cinderella’s wits that save the day!

Definitely a story with OUTSIDE-THE-BOX critical thinking.

And in the end who doesn’t love a happy ending?