第10章 THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND ONE NIGHT(8)

And when it was the second night Dunyazad said to her sister Shehrzad'O my sisterfinish us thy story of the merchant and the genie.'With all my heart，'answered she'if the King give me leave.'The king bade her 'Say on.'So she began as follows：'It has reached meO august king and wise governorthat the first old man continued his story as follows：'O lord of the Kings of the Jinnas I was about to kill the calfmy heart failed me and I said to the herdsman'Keep this calf with the rest of the cattle.'So he took it and went away. Next day the herd came to meas I was sitting by myself，and said to me'O my lordI have that to tell thee will rejoice theeand I claim a reward for good news.'Quoth I'It is well.'

And he said'O merchantI have a daughterwho learnt the art of magic in her youth from an old woman who lived with usand yesterdaywhen I took home the calf that thou gavest meshe looked at it and veiled her face and fell a-weeping. Then she laughed and said to me'O my fatheram I become of so little account in thine eyes that thou bringest in to me strange men？'

'Where are the strange men？'asked I. 'And why dost thou weep and laugh？'Quoth she'The calf thou hast there is our master's son，who has been enchantedas well as his motherby his father's wife. This is why I laughed： and I wept for his motherbecause his father slaughtered her.'I wondered exceedingly at this and the day had no sooner broken than I came to tell thee.'When（continued the old man） I heard the herdsman's storyO genieI went out with himdrunken without wine for stress of joy and gladnessand accompanied him to his housewhere his daughter welcomed me and kissed my hand；and the calf came up to me and fawned on me. Said I to the girl'Is it true what I hear about this calf？'YesO my lord，'answered she'this is indeed thy son and the darling of thy heart.'So I said to her'O damsel，if thou wilt release himall that is under thy father's hand of beasts and goods shall be thine！'But she smiled and said'O my lordI care not for wealthbut I will do what thou desirest upon two conditionsthe first that thou marry me to this thy sonand the second that thou permit me to bewitch the sorceress and imprison her （in the shape of a beast）；else I shall not be safe from her craft.'I answered'Besides what thou seekest，thou shalt have all that is under thy father's handand as to my wifeit shall be lawful to thee to shed her bloodif thou wilt.'When she heard thisshe took a cup full of waterand conjured over it；then sprinkled the calf with the watersaying，'If thou be a calf by the creation of the Almightyabide in that form and change not： but if thou be enchantedreturn to thine original formwith the permission of God the Most High！'With that he shook and became a man： and I fell upon him and said to him'For God's saketell me what my wife did with thee and thy mother.'So he told me what had befallen them and I said to him'O my sonGod hath sent thee one to deliver and avenge thee.'Then I married him to the herdsman's daughterand she transformed my wife into this gazellesaying to me'I have given her this graceful form for thy sakethat thou mayest look on her without aversion.'She dwelt with us days and nights and nights and daystill God took her to Himself；and after her deathmy son set out on a journey to the land of Indwhich is this merchant's native country；and after awhileI took the gazelle and travelled with her from place to placeseeking news of my sontill chance led me to this gardenwhere I found this merchant sitting weeping；and this is my story.'Quoth the genie，'This is indeed a rare storyand I remit to thee a third part of his blood.'Then came forward the second old manhe of the two greyhoundsand said to the genie'I will tell thee my story with these two dogsand if thou find it still rarer and more marvellousdo thou remit to me another third part of his blood.

Quoth the genie'I agree to this.'Then said the second old man，'KnowO lord of the Kings of the Jinnthat The Second Old Man's Story.

These two dogs are my elder brothers. Our father died and left us three thousand dinarsand I opened a shop that I might buy and sell thereinand my brothers did each the like. But before longmy eldest brother sold his stock for a thousand dinars and bought goods and merchandise and setting out on his travelswas absent a whole year. One dayas I was sitting in my shopa beggar stopped before me and I said to him'God assist thee！'But he said to meweeping'Dost thou not recognize me？'I took note of himand beholdit was my brother.

So I rose and welcomed him and made him sit down by me and inquired how he came in such a case： but he answered'Do not ask me： my wealth is wasted and fortune has turned her back on me.'