|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Wife," I answered, "I will not sacrifice this
calf," and in spite of all her remonstrances, I remained firm.
I had another calf killed; this one was led away. The next day
the steward asked to speak to me in private.
"I have come," he said, "to tell you some news which I think you
will like to hear. I have a daughter who knows magic. Yesterday,
when I was leading back the calf which you refused to sacrifice, I
noticed that she smiled, and then directly afterwards began to cry.
I asked her why she did so."
Heading One
"Father," she answered, "this calf is the son of our master. I
smile with joy at seeing him still alive, and I weep to think of his
mother, who was sacrificed yesterday as a cow. These changes have
been wrought by our master's wife, who hated the mother and son."
"At these words, of Genius," continued the old man, "I leave you
to imagine my astonishment. I went immediately with the steward to
speak with his daughter myself. First of all I went to the stable to
see my son, and he replied in his dumb way to all my caresses. When
the steward's daughter came I asked her if she could change my son
back to his proper shape."
Heading Two
"Yes, I can," she replied, "on two conditions. One is that you
will give him me for a husband, and the other is that you will let
me punish the woman who changed him into a calf."
"To the first condition," I answered, "I agree with all my heart,
and I will give you an ample dowry. To the second I also agree, I
only beg you to spare her life."
"That I will do," she replied; "I will treat her as she treated
your son."
Then she took a vessel of water and pronounced over it some words
I did not understand; then, on throwing the water over him, he
became immediately a young man once more.
Heading |
Heading |
Heading |
Heading |
|
|
|
|
text goes here |
text goes here |
text goes here |
text goes here |
|
|
|
|
text goes here |
text goes here |
text goes here |
text goes here |
|
|
|
|
"My son, my dear son," I exclaimed, kissing him in a transport of
joy. "This kind maiden has rescued you from a terrible enchantment,
and I am sure that out of gratitude you will marry her."
He consented joyfully, but before they were married, the young
girl changed my wife into a hind, and it is she whom you see before
you. I wished her to have this form rather than a stranger one, so
that we could see her in the family without repugnance.
Since then my son has become a widower and has gone travelling. I
am now going in search of him, and not wishing to confide my wife to
the care of other people, I am taking herr with me. Is this not a
most marvellous tale?
| Item one |
| Item two |
| Item three |
"It is indeed," said the genius, "and because of it I grant to
you the third part of the punishment of this merchant."
When the first old man had finished his story, the second, who
was leading the two black dogs, said to the genius, "I am going to
tell you what happened to me, and I am sure that you will find my
story even more astonishing than the one to which you have just been
listening. But when I have related it, will you grant me also the
third part of the merchant's punishment?"
"Yes," replied the genius, "provided that your story surpasses
that of the hind."
With this agreement the second old man began in this way.
The Story of the Second Old Man, and of the Two Black Dogs
Great prince of the genii, you must know that we are three
brothers-- these two black dogs and myself. Our father died, leaving
us each a thousand sequins. With this sum we all three took up the
same profession, and became merchants. A short time after we had
opened our shops, my eldest brother, one of these two dogs, resolved
to travel in foreign countries for the sake of merchandise. With
this intention he sold all he had and bought merchandise suitable to
the voyages he was about to make. He set out, and was away a whole
year. At the end of this time a beggar came to my shop. "Good-day,"
I said. "Good-day," he answered; "is it possible that you do not
recognise me?" Then I looked at him closely and saw he was my
brother. I made him come into my house, and asked him how he had
fared in his enterprise
"Do not question me," he replied, "see me, you see all I have. It
would but renew my trouble to tell of all the misfortunes that have
befallen me in a year, and have brought me to this state."
I shut up my shop, paid him every attention, taking him to the
bath, giving him my most beautiful robes. I examined my accounts,
and found that I had doubled my capital--that is, that I now
possessed two thousand sequins. I gave my brother half, saying:
"Now, brother, you can forget your losses." He accepted them with
joy, and we lived together as we had before.
Some time afterwards my second brother wished also to sell his
business and travel. My eldest brother and I did all we could to
dissuade him, but it was of no use. He joined a caravan and set out.
He came back at the end of a year in the same state as his elder
brother. I took care of him, and as I had a thousand sequins to
spare I gave them to him, and he re-opened his shop.
One day, my two brothers came to me to propose that we should
make a journey and trade. At first I refused to go. "You travelled,"
I said, "and what did you gain?" But they came to me repeatedly,
and after having held out for five years I at last gave way. But
when they had made their preparation, and they began to buy the
merchandise we needed, they found they had spent every piece of the
thousand sequins I had given them. I did not reproach them. I
divided my six thousand sequins with them, giving a thousand to each
and keeping one for myself, and the other three I buried in a corner
of my house. We bought merchandise, loaded a vessel with it, and set
forth with a favorable wind.
Continued
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|