Story - Arabian Nights - The first old man and the hind
The first old man is waiting along with two other old men and a merchant for a genie who is coming to kill the merchant for accidentally killing his son.
When the old man, who led the hind, saw the Genie lay hold of the merchant, and about to murder him without mercy, he threw himself at the monster's feet, and kissing them, said, "Prince of the Genii, I humbly entreat you to do me the favour of listening to me. I wish to relate my own history, and that of the hind, which you see here! and if you find it more wonderful and surprising than the adventure of the merchant, whose life you wish to take, may I not hope, that you will at least remit a third part of the punishment of this unfortunate man?"
After meditating for some time, the Genie answered, "Good, I agree to it."
The History of the First Old Man and the Hind
"I am now going," said he, "to begin my tale, and I request your attention. The hind, that you see here, is my cousin; nay more, she is my wife. When I married her, she was only twelve years old; and she ought therefore to look upon me not only as her relation and husband, but even as her father.
We lived together thirty years, without having any children; this, however, did not decrease my kindness and regard for her. Still my desire for an heir was so great, that I purchased a female slave, who bore me a son of great promise and beauty. Soon afterwards my wife was seized with jealousy, and consequently took a great aversion to both mother and child; and she kept this from me until it was too late.
When my son was about ten years old when I was obliged to make a journey. Before my departure, I recommended both the slave and the child to my wife, whom I trusted implicitly, and begged her to take care of them during my absence. I was to away from home for a year.
I had no thought at all that she would harm them, but as soon as I left, she applied herself to the study of magic; and when she was sufficiently skilled, she took my son to a distant place. There, with a wave of the magic wand, she changed him into a calf. She gave him to the steward, and told him it was a purchase of hers. She asked him to feed it well in order that it be ready for killing in a short time. Not satisfied with this, she changed the slave into a cow, which she also took to the steward with orders to fatten it well for slaughter.
When I returned home I inquired after my child and his mother.
"Your slave is dead," said she, "and it is now more than two months since I have beheld your son; nor do I know what is become of him."
I was deeply affected at the death of the slave; but since she said that my son had only disappeared, I hoped that he would soon return home. Eight months however passed, and I heard no tidings of him.
When the festival of the great Bairam was approaching; to celebrate it, I ordered my steward to bring me the fattest cow I had, for a sacrifice. He did so; and the cow he brought me was my own slave, the mother of my son. Having bound her, I was about to offer her up; but she lowed most sorrowfully. I noticed the tears streaming from her eyes. This seemed to me so extraordinary, that I took pity on her; and I was unable to strike the fatal blow. I therefore ordered the steward to bring me another cow.
My wife was there at the time and she was extremely angry, because I didn't kill the cow. "What are you about, husband?" said she. "Why not sacrifice this cow? You don't have another cow as suitable for the sacrifice."
Wishing to oblige my wife, I again approached the cow in order to kill it, but she began bellowing in such a way that my heart would not let me put the knife in her. Then I ordered my steward to kill her himself.
The steward was less compassionate than I; he quickly killed her. On taking off her skin, we found her greatly emaciated, though she had appeared very fat. I told my steward to take her out of my sight and to do with her as he saw fit. I also told him that if he had a good, fat calf, to bring it to me.
In a short time he came with a calf. Although I was ignorant that this calf was my own son, yet I felt a sensation of pity arise in my breast at the first sight of him. As soon as he perceived me, he made so great an effort to come to me, that he broke the cord that was around his neck. He lay down at my feet, and he did every thing he could, in order to get me to pity him and to let me understand that he was my son.
I was still more surprised than I had been by the cow. I couldn't not feel a great pity for the poor creature, when I saw the state he was in.
I said to the steward, "Take this calf back, and take all possible care of this calf, and in its stead bring me another."
As soon as my wife heard this, she exclaimed, "What are you about, husband? Take my advice and kill this calf this minute."
"Wife," answered I, "I will not sacrifice him. Do not be asking me to do any such thing."
This wicked woman did not care whether I would or would not. Because of the great hatred she had for my son, there was nothing she wanted but for him to die. I was compelled to yield. I bound the calf; and when I was going to cut his throat with the knife, he looked at me sorrowfully, and tears running from his eyes. I couldn't kill him. The knife fell from my hand, and I told my wife I was entirely against killing him; but to please her, I promised that I would kill him at the feast of Bairam on the following year. I sacrificed another calf that day in his place.
The next morning my steward desired to speak with me in private. "I am come," said he, "to give you some information, which, I trust, will afford you pleasure. I have a daughter, who has some little knowledge of magic; and yesterday, as I was bringing back the calf which you were unwilling to sacrifice, I observed that she smiled on seeing it, and the next moment began to weep. I inquired of her the cause of two such contrary emotions.
"My dear father," she answered, "that calf is the son of our master; I smiled with joy at seeing him still alive, and wept at the recollection of his mother, who was yesterday sacrificed in the shape of a cow. The wife of our master greately hated both of them, and with magic she changed them into a cow and calf."
These two metamorphoses have been contrived by the enchantments of our master's wife, who hated both the mother and the child." "This," continued the steward, "is what my daughter said, and I come to report it to you."
"Imagine, O Prince of Genii," said the old man, "my surprise at hearing these words: I immediately went with my steward, to speak to his daughter myself. I went first to the stable, where the calf had been placed. My son was there, but although he could not speak, but he tried to show me as well as he was able that he was my son."
When the daughter of the steward made her appearance, I asked if she could restore the poor creature to his former shape.
"Yes," replied she, "I can."
"Ah!" exclaimed I, "if you will do that, I will give you all all I possess."
She then answered with a smile, "You are our master, and I know how much we are bound to you. But I can't restore your son to the shape he had before unless you promise that you will give me two things I ask of you. Firstly, that you bestow him upon me for my husband; and secondly, that I may be permitted to punish her who changed him into a calf."
"To the first condition," I replied, "I agree with all my heart; I will do stillmore, I will give you, for your own separate use, a considerablesum of money, independent of what I destine for my son. You shall perceive that I properly value the important service you do me. I agree also to the stipulation concerning my wife; for a horrible crime like this is worthy of punishment. I abandon her to you. Do what you please with her; I only entreat you to spare her life."
"I will treat her then," she said, "as she has treated your son." To this, I gave my consent, provided she first restored me my son.
The damsel then took a vessel full of water; and pronouncing over it some words I did not understand, she thus addressed the calf: "O calf, if thou hast been created as thou now appearest, by the all-powerful Sovereign of the world, retain that form; but, if thou art a man, and hast been changed by enchantment into a calf, reassume thy natural figure!" As she said this, she threw the water over him, and he instantly regained his own form.
"My child! My dear child!" I exclaimed. "it is Allah, who hath sent this damsel to us, to destroy the horrible charm with which you were enthralled, and to avenge the evil that has been done to you and your mother. I am sure your gratitude will lead you to accept her for a wife, as I have already promised for you." He joyfully consented; but before they were united the damselchanged my wife into this hind, which you see here. I wished her to have this form in preference to any other, that we might see her, without repugnance, in our family.
"Since that time my son has become a widower, and is now travelling. Many years have passed since I have heard any thing of him; I have therefore now set out with a view to gain some information; and as I did not like to trust my wife to the care of any one, during my absence, I though proper to carry her with me. This is the history of myself and the hind. Can any thing be more wonderful?"
"I agree with you," said the Genie, "and in consequence, I remit to this merchant a third part of his penalty."
When the old man, who led the hind, saw the Genie lay hold of the merchant, and about to murder him without mercy, he threw himself at the monster's feet, and kissing them, said, "Prince of the Genii, I humbly entreat you to do me the favour of listening to me. I wish to relate my own history, and that of the hind, which you see here! and if you find it more wonderful and surprising than the adventure of the merchant, whose life you wish to take, may I not hope, that you will at least remit a third part of the punishment of this unfortunate man?"
After meditating for some time, the Genie answered, "Good, I agree to it."
The History of the First Old Man and the Hind
"I am now going," said he, "to begin my tale, and I request your attention. The hind, that you see here, is my cousin; nay more, she is my wife. When I married her, she was only twelve years old; and she ought therefore to look upon me not only as her relation and husband, but even as her father.
We lived together thirty years, without having any children; this, however, did not decrease my kindness and regard for her. Still my desire for an heir was so great, that I purchased a female slave, who bore me a son of great promise and beauty. Soon afterwards my wife was seized with jealousy, and consequently took a great aversion to both mother and child; and she kept this from me until it was too late.
When my son was about ten years old when I was obliged to make a journey. Before my departure, I recommended both the slave and the child to my wife, whom I trusted implicitly, and begged her to take care of them during my absence. I was to away from home for a year.
I had no thought at all that she would harm them, but as soon as I left, she applied herself to the study of magic; and when she was sufficiently skilled, she took my son to a distant place. There, with a wave of the magic wand, she changed him into a calf. She gave him to the steward, and told him it was a purchase of hers. She asked him to feed it well in order that it be ready for killing in a short time. Not satisfied with this, she changed the slave into a cow, which she also took to the steward with orders to fatten it well for slaughter.
When I returned home I inquired after my child and his mother.
"Your slave is dead," said she, "and it is now more than two months since I have beheld your son; nor do I know what is become of him."
I was deeply affected at the death of the slave; but since she said that my son had only disappeared, I hoped that he would soon return home. Eight months however passed, and I heard no tidings of him.
When the festival of the great Bairam was approaching; to celebrate it, I ordered my steward to bring me the fattest cow I had, for a sacrifice. He did so; and the cow he brought me was my own slave, the mother of my son. Having bound her, I was about to offer her up; but she lowed most sorrowfully. I noticed the tears streaming from her eyes. This seemed to me so extraordinary, that I took pity on her; and I was unable to strike the fatal blow. I therefore ordered the steward to bring me another cow.
My wife was there at the time and she was extremely angry, because I didn't kill the cow. "What are you about, husband?" said she. "Why not sacrifice this cow? You don't have another cow as suitable for the sacrifice."
Wishing to oblige my wife, I again approached the cow in order to kill it, but she began bellowing in such a way that my heart would not let me put the knife in her. Then I ordered my steward to kill her himself.
The steward was less compassionate than I; he quickly killed her. On taking off her skin, we found her greatly emaciated, though she had appeared very fat. I told my steward to take her out of my sight and to do with her as he saw fit. I also told him that if he had a good, fat calf, to bring it to me.
In a short time he came with a calf. Although I was ignorant that this calf was my own son, yet I felt a sensation of pity arise in my breast at the first sight of him. As soon as he perceived me, he made so great an effort to come to me, that he broke the cord that was around his neck. He lay down at my feet, and he did every thing he could, in order to get me to pity him and to let me understand that he was my son.
I was still more surprised than I had been by the cow. I couldn't not feel a great pity for the poor creature, when I saw the state he was in.
I said to the steward, "Take this calf back, and take all possible care of this calf, and in its stead bring me another."
As soon as my wife heard this, she exclaimed, "What are you about, husband? Take my advice and kill this calf this minute."
"Wife," answered I, "I will not sacrifice him. Do not be asking me to do any such thing."
This wicked woman did not care whether I would or would not. Because of the great hatred she had for my son, there was nothing she wanted but for him to die. I was compelled to yield. I bound the calf; and when I was going to cut his throat with the knife, he looked at me sorrowfully, and tears running from his eyes. I couldn't kill him. The knife fell from my hand, and I told my wife I was entirely against killing him; but to please her, I promised that I would kill him at the feast of Bairam on the following year. I sacrificed another calf that day in his place.
The next morning my steward desired to speak with me in private. "I am come," said he, "to give you some information, which, I trust, will afford you pleasure. I have a daughter, who has some little knowledge of magic; and yesterday, as I was bringing back the calf which you were unwilling to sacrifice, I observed that she smiled on seeing it, and the next moment began to weep. I inquired of her the cause of two such contrary emotions.
"My dear father," she answered, "that calf is the son of our master; I smiled with joy at seeing him still alive, and wept at the recollection of his mother, who was yesterday sacrificed in the shape of a cow. The wife of our master greately hated both of them, and with magic she changed them into a cow and calf."
These two metamorphoses have been contrived by the enchantments of our master's wife, who hated both the mother and the child." "This," continued the steward, "is what my daughter said, and I come to report it to you."
"Imagine, O Prince of Genii," said the old man, "my surprise at hearing these words: I immediately went with my steward, to speak to his daughter myself. I went first to the stable, where the calf had been placed. My son was there, but although he could not speak, but he tried to show me as well as he was able that he was my son."
When the daughter of the steward made her appearance, I asked if she could restore the poor creature to his former shape.
"Yes," replied she, "I can."
"Ah!" exclaimed I, "if you will do that, I will give you all all I possess."
She then answered with a smile, "You are our master, and I know how much we are bound to you. But I can't restore your son to the shape he had before unless you promise that you will give me two things I ask of you. Firstly, that you bestow him upon me for my husband; and secondly, that I may be permitted to punish her who changed him into a calf."
"To the first condition," I replied, "I agree with all my heart; I will do stillmore, I will give you, for your own separate use, a considerablesum of money, independent of what I destine for my son. You shall perceive that I properly value the important service you do me. I agree also to the stipulation concerning my wife; for a horrible crime like this is worthy of punishment. I abandon her to you. Do what you please with her; I only entreat you to spare her life."
"I will treat her then," she said, "as she has treated your son." To this, I gave my consent, provided she first restored me my son.
The damsel then took a vessel full of water; and pronouncing over it some words I did not understand, she thus addressed the calf: "O calf, if thou hast been created as thou now appearest, by the all-powerful Sovereign of the world, retain that form; but, if thou art a man, and hast been changed by enchantment into a calf, reassume thy natural figure!" As she said this, she threw the water over him, and he instantly regained his own form.
"My child! My dear child!" I exclaimed. "it is Allah, who hath sent this damsel to us, to destroy the horrible charm with which you were enthralled, and to avenge the evil that has been done to you and your mother. I am sure your gratitude will lead you to accept her for a wife, as I have already promised for you." He joyfully consented; but before they were united the damselchanged my wife into this hind, which you see here. I wished her to have this form in preference to any other, that we might see her, without repugnance, in our family.
"Since that time my son has become a widower, and is now travelling. Many years have passed since I have heard any thing of him; I have therefore now set out with a view to gain some information; and as I did not like to trust my wife to the care of any one, during my absence, I though proper to carry her with me. This is the history of myself and the hind. Can any thing be more wonderful?"
"I agree with you," said the Genie, "and in consequence, I remit to this merchant a third part of his penalty."