Background[]
The Golden Fruit is the magic fruit of Tamir. It grows on the Tree of Life once ever hundred years. It cured all illnesses, including Fell magical disease, and confers longevity possibly even immortality on whoever eats the whole thing.
The Cornucopia of the Bountiful Woods in Realm of Eldritch is filled with unlimited magic fruits, magic vegetables, and magic grain. Of the enchanted fruits found there is the enchanted Pomegranate of ancient legends (and Hades) which can defy death, give rebirth and regenerate and restore the user. Others that could be seen in the horn of plenty looked like grapes, apples, pears and plumbs (fruit colors including purple, yellow, cyan, red, and green).
In Etheria can be found another magic fruit, the sacred food of the gods known as Ambrosia that can bring immortality to those who eat it. The ambrosia is capable of bringing food to the Cornucopia Maiden.
A mysterious and invisible magical red apple grows in Daventry. It has the power to confer great strength, invulnerability and health on whoever eats it. However it makes the user nude, with only a piece of the mask hiding their most private of possessions. It grows in a tree possibly a sprout from the same tree Satan tempted the first humans to eat from to gain Knowledge of Good and Evil. And understanding of Life and Death. It does not confer immortality like the Tree of Life.
Of three princes, all brothers, one discovered a magic fruit that cured sick people of most mortal diseases. One sniff was enough to do the job. The prince was able to save the princess's life with it, having been transported to the fruit on his brother's magic carpet.[1]
Another enchanted fruit a magic poisoned apple appears in the story of Snow White unlike most good magic fruits this one causes death instead of bringing life. On the third occasion a witch queen tried to kill Snow White, Snow White was given a poisoned apple, which she bit into and died. The grieving dwarfs placed her body in a glass coffin and put the coffin in the prettiest part of the woods. The coffin was found by a young prince Charming, who was smitten by the dead girl's beauty. He told his servants to carry the coffin back to his palace, but as they picked it up, one of them stumbled and jarred the coffin. The shock dislodged the piece of poisoned apple from Snow White's throat, and she came back to life. Then they journeyed to his palace and were married.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
If the story of the three princes is any indication there is more than one source for the Magic Fruits.
In the Arabian Nights story of the three brothers attempting to win the hand of the same princess (see Magic Carpet). In many of these stories it as a resistant and forever useful fruit/artifact, and has been around for much time.
The version most likely referenced by the King's Quest Companion is probably The Story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Paribanou from Andrew Lang's Blue Fairy Book. In this story Ahmed is the youngest son, and the one who finds the magic fruit in the city of Samarkand. He finds a crier who had an 'artificial apple' in his hand and trying to sell it at great price. To the outside the apple looked 'worthless', but its properties, virtues, and the great were to the benefit of mankind. It is described as curing all sick persons of the most mortal diseases, and if the patient is dying it will recover him immediately and restore him to perfect health, and this is done in the easiest manner, by the patient smelling the apple. He goes onto say many of the merchants in the market would not be alive today if it wasn't for the apple. He then explains it was fruit was created of the study and experiments of a celebrated philosopher of the city, who applied himself to the lifetime study and knowledge of the virtues of plans and minerals, and attained a composition which performed surprising cures in the town and will never be forgotten. But he died suddenly himself, before he could apply his sovereign remedy, leaving his wife and a great many young children behind him. The wife was resolving to sell it to support her family and provide for the children. Great many persons came around to attest to the truth of the truth of the story, and one among them had a friend dangerously ill ,whose life was despaired of, and it was deemed a favorable opportunity to show Prince Ahmed the experiment. Ahmed agreed to buy the fruit at the agreed upon amount, if it was proven to be a success. The crier assured it would always have the desired affect, and the experiment succeeded, and the merchant was paid. Later after returning to the castle, the prince only had to put the apple under her nose, and moments after the princess opened her eyes, and was able to rise form her bed, as if she had waken from a sound sleep.
In one verison of the story the Princess Nur Al-Hihar and Jinniyah), the prince the youngest of the three brothers named Husain travels to the city of Samarkand al-Ajam where he visited a market and discovered a merchant carrying an apple in his hand. The apple is described as being as large as a melon, and red on one side, and gold on the other. The merchant was attempting to sell it for great price (between 30,000 and 40,000 dinars). The merchant explains the reason for the price that its appearance is nothing to its smell, and that the smell is nothing to its virtue for the good of mankind. The prince is allowed to take a whiff, and to his suprrise its suave and penetrating odor is enough to remove all the weariness of his great journey, and he felt like he had been born again. Since the prince has experienced a bit of its power, the hawkish merchant then tells more about the fruit. It was not a natural fruit but made by the hand of man, it was born not a blind tree, but of the study and vigil of a great philosopher. This philosopher who studied his long life the curative properties of all plants and minerals, and with his knowledge mingled his knowledge and life-giving simples in the world into the apple. He goes on say there is no disease whether it be plague, purple fever, leprosy, or the awful coming Death himself, which cannot be cured by smelling at the fruit. He explains that the apple has saved many a merchant that now works in the bazaar. The merchants standing around listening to broker's story attest to its power saying its all true... They describe it as the queen of apples and the universal remedy of time. As they mention this a blind and paralytic man is carried by. The broker stood before the man and put the apple up for him to whiff. The old man immediately arose from his basket, leaping over his porter's head like a young cat, ran swiftly away, turning the eyes of youth to see what he could see. The prince was now convinced, and agreed to pay the merchant's great price for the miraculous fruit.
Later the prince learns from a Princess of the Jinn, that she had been the one who made sure the apple came to that broker's hand, as she had been watching over Husain since he was a child, and had wanted to marry him when he came of age. She had made sure all her actions would lead him to her.
In some versions of the story it can even be preserved as an ointment in a vial. The vial holds a magical healing ointment. One dab of it will restore the health of anyone, no matter how sick. And they say if it's rubbed with true love, can even restore youth.