Murad the Unlucky, and Other Tales

"Murad the Unlucky" by Maria Edgeworth is a compilation of stories from the 1800s that considers the ideas of luck, destiny, and the traits that people have. The stories frequently compare opposite people, especially through the characters Murad, who everyone thinks is unlucky, and his brother Saladin, who is seen as lucky. The stories examine how the decisions people make and things that happen to them affect their fate, and they also discuss how society views luck and success. The story "Murad the Unlucky" starts with the grand leader of Constantinople who is interested in luck and wants to find out more about the stories of Murad the Unlucky and Saladin the Lucky. When the leader and his advisor talk about fate, they meet Murad, who is sad about a broken vase. Murad tells them about all the bad luck he has had since he was born. He talks about how his father predicted bad things, how his brother was lucky, and all the terrible things that happened to him. The leader's interest in Murad's story leads to a talk about how people's luck is related to their actions and choices in life.