The Shekarestan Book Collection is a written narrative of the attractive Shekarestan animation series, published by Soore-ye Mehr Publications. Each volume of the Shekarestan book is published in 24 pages and relates to an episode of the animated film, containing a story based on ancient Iranian fables, narratives, and legends. The collection will consist of 100 volumes, of which 30 volumes have been released so far. The characters play different roles in each episode based on the dramatic requirements of each story. The tales of this collection were selected based on the ancient Iranian / oriental stories, proverbs, fables and folklore and then, they were rewritten in a modern and up-to-date style. The titles of the published volumes of this collection are: “Half a Fistful of Salt”, “Anti-theft Spells”, “The Water Tap”, “The Magical Feather”, “Uncle Nowrooz and the Forty Thieves”, “The Lost Brother”, “The Treasure Chest”, “Donkey is Gone and Donkey is Gone”, “Consequences of Being Crafty”, “The Bohlol’s Flea”, “The White Ear, The Black Tail and the Others”, “The Wise Man and the Maniac”, “Smart and Smarter”, “The Broken Jug”, “The Foundling”, “The King’s Dream”, “A Rare Friend”, “The Great Horse Racing”, “The Ordinary Fortuneteller, The King’s Fortuneteller”, “Enchanted Chickens”, “The Friendly Policeman”, “The Mat Weaver and The Bandits”, “Happy Shoemaker”, “The Thief and Golensa”, “Cart Wheel Spokes”, “Ancestral Keepsake”, “Chickens and Floods”, “Pennilessness Patient”, “The Donkey Riding the Pharaoh”, and “The Unknown Illness”.
In Shekarestan, everyone was happy by the arrival of spring and the Nowrooz (New Year), except for Zafar the Thief. He was unemployed and looked for a job before the beginning of the New Year. He went to The Forty Thieves Co. and asked to be hired, but because he had no record of grand theft in his file, they did not hire him. Zafar the Thief decided to commit an important burglary and plotted to kidnap Uncle Nowrooz. He went to the Nanny Cold and tied her arms and legs. As Uncle Nowrooz entered the Nanny Cold’s house, Zafar, the thief, caught and tied him with rope and took him to a cave. Everybody in Shekarestan was worried why Uncle Nowrooz had not arrived. Soon, the news of Uncle Nowrooz kidnapping spread in Spokesman. Zafar the Thief demanded a thousand coins from the people for the release of Uncle Nowrooz. The people who did not have much money were no longer concerned about Uncle Nowrooz and the arrival of spring. Zafar the Thief decided to sell Uncle Nowrooz to the forty thieves and so on and so forth . . .
