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1-2 -
The
Merchant and the Genie:
Story
of the First Old Man
The
first old man started telling his story - "You see this black dog
with me, it is my wife. We didn't have any child that is why I had adopted
a son of my slave. I was going to make him my heir. I knew it very late,
that my wife didn't like the child and his mother. When he became 10 years
old, I had to go on a journey for one year. I made sure that my wife
should take proper care of the boy and his mother in my absence. During my
absence, my wife learned magic to carry out her evil scheme. When she had
learnt enough magic, she changed the boy into a calf, and gave it to one
of my servants. She changed my slave also in cow and gave it to that
servant to look after.
When I
came back home, I asked about my slave and her child. She replied - "Your
slave is dead and I have not seen her son for two months, I don't know
where he is." I grieved for my slave as she was dead, but I had a
hope to find her son as he only got disappeared. I thought I would find
him one day. Eight months passed but there was no sign of that boy. Then
the day of the Feast of Bairaam came. To celebrate it, I asked my servant
to bring a fat cow. He brought a cow for me. Unfortunately he brought the
same cow which was given to him by my wife - my slave. I tied her and as I
wanted her to kill, she looked at me with tearful eyes. It was great
surprise to me, I got moved by her tears, so I asked my servant to remove
her from there and bring another one.
My
wife was seeing everything. She said - "What are you doing? Cut this
cow, she is the best cow we have for this day." I again tried but I
could not cut her because of her tearful eyes. I cried - "Take her
and kill her, I cannot kill her." My servant took her and killed her.
To the surprise of all, when he skinned her, he found only bones, no
flesh, although she looked so fat. I gave that to my servant and asked him
another calf if he had one. He brought a calf which was also very fat. I
did not it, but he was my son.
As I
was about to cut him, he fell on my feet, his head down as if he asking my
mercy not to cut him. I was again surprised to see this. I gave that calf
to my servant to take care of it, and asked him to bring another one. My
wife again said - "What has happened to you, Why don't you cut the
calf?" I told her that I could nt cut that calf and I cut another
one.
Next
day my servant wished to speak to me in private. I asked him "What is
that you want to say?" He said - "What I want to say to you you
might like to hear it. I have a daughter who knows magic. When I took the
calf back, first she smiled, then she cried. I asked her the reason. She
spoke - "Father, This calf is the son our master, and that cow was
his mother. I smiled to see this calf alive and wept to know that his
mother has been sacrificed. In fact our master's wife had changed them
because she hated both the mother and her son."
O
Genie, I was so surprised to hear this that I immediately went to his
house. First I went to the place where that calf was kept and caressed
him. He positively responded my touch. Then I talked to my servant's
daughter if she could change that calf to my son. She said - "Yes,
But on two conditions: one that you will give him to e as my husband, and
two that you will allow me to punish that woman who has done this to
him." I agreed to her both conditions, except that she would spare my
wife's life. She said - Do not worry, I will treat her as she has treated
your son."
She
took some water, read a few words over it, and threw it on the calf, he
immediately changed into a young boy. I embraced him dearly and said
- "This girl has saved your life, I hope to show your gratitude you
will marry her." The boy readily agreed to marry her. Before getting
married, she changed my wife into a dog. This is the same dog you are
seeing now. Since then I am a widower and have been traveling. I do not
want to leave my wife under somebody else' care, thus she is always with
me. Isn't it a beautiful tale?"
"Yes,
it is." Said Genie, "And because of it I grant you the third
part of his punishment." At the same time another old man, who had
two black dogs, spoke - "Now I tell you my story. I am sure you will
like it more than his story. If you like it more than his, then grant me
his 1/3rd punishment." "Sure, but if only I like it more than
the dog one." And with this second old man began his story --
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