The Magic Horse

The Magic Horse is the story of two brothers, one skilled in all the practical arts, and the other, Prince Tambal, considered by most people to be only a dreamer. Their father, the King, announces a competition to produce "interesting and useful devices" – the entry produced by a woodcarver appears to be a simple wooden horse – apparently of little value. Prince Tambal discovers, however, that the horse is able to magically transport its rider to whatever place is in his mind. In this way, Prince Tambal comes to learn a great many things, and eventually, comes to know "his heart's desire."
The Magic Horse is one of the hundreds of stories collected by Idries Shah from sources in the Middle East and Central Asia. In the Sufi tradition there is a continuum between the children’s story, the entertainment or folklore story, and the instructional or instrumental story. A story can help children deal with difficult situations and give them something to hold on to. It can, at the same time, stimulate a deeper understanding in adults.
Through the instrumental function of this rich body of oral and written material, we and our children can now learn to develop the capacity to be more flexible and to understand many more things about ourselves and about life.