Moments after twin sisters Pembe and Jamila are born in a Kurdish village, their mother falls into a 40-day silence.
When a young Turkish man named Adem arrives in their village, he falls in love with Jamila, but takes Pembe as his wife.
Jamila is recalling images from her past that she would much rather forget.
“There was a piercing cry, then nothing,” says Jamila, large tears welling up in her dark eyes.
When the nurse went to fix the cord she saw tears falling from its eyes, and that it was dejected and sorrowful 'O Lady Jamila!
Then Jamila was sure it was a man, and said: 'Be comforted, I will restore you to your own shape.'
Here they halted for a night, and at dawn said good-bye to the king-lion and set out for Jamila's country.
Even when he was a deer the prince had much admired Jamila now he thought her a thousand times more lovely than before.
The mother looked in despair when she heard this, as she said, “Jamila will cry if she cannot have her meat and bread and pillau!”
