Fons

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GenitaliaSex changeMagicDeceitful advisorDeceptionBodily transformationCross dressingCross dressing: man in women’s clothesMagical beings (spirits, demons, djinn, witches)Marriage

The Fountain

A prince travels to a nearby kingdom to be wed, accompanied by a wicked advisor. On the journey, they come to a great desert, in the middle of which is a magical spring. The advisor knows that this spring transforms any men who drink from it into women, so he stays back while the prince drinks, then returns to the king's court and reports that the prince has been killed by a lion. The prince is gravely distressed by his transformation, and wanders in the desert until he meets a someone (a man, or a djinn) who offers to help him. He is transformed back into a man, and marries his bride.

Note
See the combined story Striga and Fons which mixes elements of this narrative with elements of the Striga story.

Critical Literature
Nishimura (2001), Clouston (1884)

Fons appears in the following versions and secondary versions
Version Original Language Branch of Tradition Adapted from Arabic Version A (The Seven Viziers) Arabic Book of Sindbad Arabic Version A1001 (Thousand and One Nights) Arabic Book of Sindbad Arabic Version A101 (Hundred and One Nights) Arabic Book of Sindbad Libro de los Engaños Old Spanish Book of Sindbad Arabic Version A101 (Hundred and One Nights)

Fons is narrated in the following occurrences

Narrator Pages Empress Arabic Version A1001 (Thousand and One Nights), Arabic Version A101 (Hundred and One Nights), Berlin Staatsbibliothek Sprenger 1368, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 3660, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 3662, Leiden Universiteit Or. 14.303, Libro de los Engaños, Madrid Real Academia Española 'El Conde Lucanor', Ms. 15, Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France Arabe 3639, Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 3660, Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 3661, Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 3662, Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 3670, Toronto Aga Khan Museum 00513, Tunis Bibliothèque nationale de Tunisie, MWT 04576

Fons appears in the following manuscripts

Manuscript Language Siglum (Version) Language Group within Version Berlin Staatsbibliothek Sprenger 1368 Arabic Arabic Version A (The Seven Viziers) Leiden Universiteit Or. 14.303 Arabic Aramaic Arabic Version A101 (Hundred and One Nights) Madrid Real Academia Española 'El Conde Lucanor', Ms. 15 Spanish Libro de los Engaños Old Spanish Libro de los Engaños Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France Arabe 3639 Arabic Arabic Version A (The Seven Viziers) Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 3660 Arabic Arabic Version A101 (Hundred and One Nights) Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 3661 Arabic Arabic Version A101 (Hundred and One Nights) Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 3662 Arabic Arabic Version A101 (Hundred and One Nights) Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arabe 3670 Arabic Arabic Version A (The Seven Viziers) Toronto Aga Khan Museum 00513 Arabic Arabic Version A101 (Hundred and One Nights) Tunis Bibliothèque nationale de Tunisie, MWT 04576 Arabic Arabic Version A101 (Hundred and One Nights)