In a small village, there was a poor man named Soufian living in a small house with his small land, working on shore of one of calm seas. Soufian was working with his poor wife. He was very active, agile, and hardworking. He inherited his profession from his father and grandfather.
He would plow land, plant its soil with good plants. Every day Soufian would get up at dawn to search for work, load luggage, and put food for them. Soufian loved looking at beautiful birds flying on shore, for they were different in shapes and colors and their melodious voices when they called to each other. Soufian was a strong man doing these works every day of his life, his strength and endurance increasing.
One day when Soufian was plowing his land, he heard a voice coming from beside him. When Soufian looked at him, he found he was a huge statue, fat and heavy. Soufian feared from what he saw and wanted to run away, but statue called him and said: Don’t fear from me, I’m a help to you. Soufian tried to calm him with voice and stood between statue and himself. He said to him: What do you want? Statue answered him and said that he was saved from death and his sons because Soufian was trying to kill him, and statue asked Soufian to host him in any safe place for himself from Soufian’s sons.
Indeed, Soufian agreed and hosted him in his house where Soufian’s sons wouldn’t be able to find statue in Soufian’s house, and they wouldn’t think statue resorted to Soufian to save him from death, and Soufian’s sons searched for statue here all day until they gave up searching for him.
When statue felt secure and comfortable, he came at night and woke Soufian and took his food and left. In morning was catastrophe. Sun of dawn had taken all fruits, destroyed farms and took all it had of plants and fruits and water in it.
Soufian’s sons became poor not possessing anything. They told their younger brother Soufian about need to go to work. Soufian worked at one of markets, and in evening sat in front of house door watching Golden River. He found statue he met before standing next to river.
Soufian said to statue: Welcome oh statue. Unfortunately I don’t possess anything to give you. All money I earned has been consumed by Soufian’s sons. Statue said to him: Don’t worry, oh good-hearted young man. I’m here to give you not take from you. Go to river’s source, take with you three jars of fresh water and pour them in river to become fresh. But be careful water must be fresh, otherwise it will turn into black poison.
Soufian’s sons heard statue’s words, so Soufian went to river’s source to seek fresh water. Indeed, they took some fresh water and food and went to river. But river was high, fast, and dangerous. While walking they saw a small child crying and asking them for some water. Two brothers looked at him cruelly, left him, and went their way. After a while they found a skinny man about to die of hunger. Soufian said to him: You’re a sick man, you’ll die in all circumstances. Leave until we reach river’s source then we’ll throw three jars in river, but they turned into poison.
Soufian heard talk but felt extreme hunger but he didn’t keep jars to pour them in river. But he passed by someone panting from hunger, so Soufian gave him jars to drink what was in them, but he turned to become statue. Statue said to him: Go, Soufian, Soufian’s sons have returned to their homes. He said to Soufian: They brought pure water because they refused two hunger cases. Come, oh Soufian, go throw these jars in river. Indeed, Soufian did then returned to Fruits Valley and found all their trees had become green again and kindness filling place. Soufian understood what statue meant when he said river would become fresh.