Detective Story: Hidden Object 1.3

The earliest known example of a detective story is found in "The Three Apples," one of the narratives recounted by Scheherazade in the collection "One Thousand and One Nights" (commonly referred to as Arabian Nights).

In this tale, a fisherman stumbles upon a heavy, locked chest along the banks of the Tigris River. Selling it to the Abbasid Caliph, Harun al-Rashid, he inadvertently sets off a chain of events. Upon breaking open the chest, the caliph discovers the dismembered body of a young woman hidden within.

Faced with this grisly discovery, Harun tasks his vizier, Ja'far ibn Yahya, with solving the murder within three days. Failure to do so would result in his execution. The narrative masterfully builds suspense through multiple plot twists, establishing an early blueprint for the genre of detective fiction.

This story invites readers to engage with its intricate puzzle. It challenges them to uncover the layers of mystery and ultimately reveal the truth behind the murder.

For those intrigued by such enigmas, an array of free detective, crime, and murder mystery stories await exploration, each presenting unique puzzles to solve and narratives to uncover.