Episode 10: “Porter of Baghdad Part V” The Eldest Lady's Tale

The dramatic conclusion of the “Porter of and the Three Ladies of Baghdad” 1001 Arabian nights Audio Drama from Sir Richard Burton's timeless classic "Arabian Nights Entertainments. continues with Part V “ The Eldest Lady’s Tale and “The Portress’s Tale.” The Eldest Lady in the court of the Caliph begins to unravel the mystery of the two beaten black dogs. The wealthy widow tells a sad tale of her two twice-married sisters, whose profligate husbands left them destitute. She whisks them away on a mercantile sea voyage, only to find a deserted island, whose inhabitants are cursed as black stones. She finds the sole survivor, a young Prince praying in an alcove. Her happiness is short-lived, as her two sisters cast her and her new husband into the sea. On a desert island, she rescues a Serpent Jinniyah from a monstrous dragon. In return, the Serpent transforms the wicked sisters into black dogs, and bids her to beat them daily with one hundred lashes.

The Portress also reveals the secret of the lash scars on her back. She begins her tale as a young widow with the appearance of an old crone, who tricks her into accompanying her to a wedding feast, and soon finds that she is also to be the bride. The mysterious young husband bids her to look at no other man than him, and she tragically suffers the result of her infidelity when the old crone tricks her to kiss a young man at a bazaar. Narrowly escaping death by lashing, she flees to the house of her sister. As the story concludes, more mysteries are unveiled, with the climactic summoning of the Serpent Jinniyah in the Court of The Caliph.

Cast: Eldest lady Natalie Von Sistine, Portress Karen Kahler, Procuratrix Cassandra Wladyslava, Eldest sister Avery Smithhart, Younger sister Melissa Morgan, Sailor Town Crier/ Townsperson/ Jake Ries, Captain Miguel Moran, Bridegroom Faisal Yaqub, Magian King Kamran Nikhad, Serpent Jinnyah Kimlinh Tranh, Crone / Old woman Danielle McRae , Sister of Husband Karen Hayman, Husband Lee Turner, African Slave TJ from Newgrounds, Ja’afar Dustin Darr, Caliph Anthony Abomeli, Poet S. Davis, Scherezade Margritte, Dunyazad Karen Hayman King Shahryar Michael Valenzuela.

Sound effects and sitar arrangement from freesound.org

Music: Endvra “The Bull and the East Wind Blowing” licensed from Red Stream Records at redstream.org Black Seas of Infinity “As the Pythoness Strokes the Lovely Sword” licensed by Jhon Longshaw. Lapis Niger “Black Serpent Dance and “At the Throne of Melek Taus” by permission of artist. ”Sparse Egyptian Wasteland,” “Zimbabwe Drummer’s Circle,” “Tribal Drummer’s Paradise” licensed by footagefirm.com ”Angelic Voices” “Gloomy Wind” “Hovering Dream” , “Meditational Scapes” Deserted Space, Flying Circus, Reverse Universe” by Simon Stockhausen at patchpool.de Opening and ending credits theme / "Enter in" Steve Urwin and "Arabian Adventures" by Music Bakery Licensed by Audiosparx.com Desert Gems Audio Mixed and Produced by S. Davis copyright 2013 all rights reserved.