The Arabian Nights | Page 8

and that of the hind I have with me, and if you find it more marvellous than that of
the merchant whom you are about to kill, I hope that you will do away with a third part of
his punishment?"
The genius considered some time, and then he said, "Very well, I agree to this."

The Story of the First Old Man and of the Hind
I am now going to begin my story (said the old man), so please attend.
This hind that you see with me is my wife. We have no children of our own, therefore I
adopted the son of a favorite slave, and determined to make him my heir.
My wife, however, took a great dislike to both mother and child, which she concealed
from me till too late. When my adopted son was about ten years old I was obliged to go
on a journey. Before I went I entrusted to my wife's keeping both the mother and child,
and begged her to take care of them during my absence, which lasted a whole year.
During this time she studied magic in order to carry out her wicked scheme. When she
had learnt enough she took my son into a distant place and changed him into a calf. Then
she gave him to my steward, and told him to look after a calf she had bought. She also
changed the slave into a cow, which she sent to my steward.
When I returned I inquired after my slave and the child. "Your slave is dead," she said,
"and as for your son, I have not seen him for two months, and I do not know where he
is."
I was grieved to hear of my slave's death, but as my son had only disappeared, I thought I
should soon find him. Eight months, however, passed, and still no tidings of him; then the
feast of Bairam came.
To celebrate it I ordered my steward to bring me a very fat cow to sacrifice. He did so.

The cow that he brought was my unfortunate slave. I bound her, but just as I was about to
kill her she began to low most piteously, and I saw that her eyes were streaming with
tears. It seemed to me most extraordinary, and, feeling a movement of pity, I ordered the
steward to lead her away and bring another. My wife, who was present, scoffed at my
compassion, which made her malice of no avail. "What are you doing?" she cried. "Kill
this cow. It is the best we have to sacrifice."
To please her, I tried again, but again the animal's lows and tears disarmed me.
"Take her away," I said to the steward, "and kill her; I cannot."
The steward killed her, but on skinning her found that she was nothing but bones,
although she appeared so fat. I was vexed.
"Keep her for yourself," I said to the steward, "and if you have a fat calf, bring that in her
stead."
In a short time he brought a very fat calf, which, although I did not know it, was my son.
It tried hard to break its cord and come to me. It threw itself at my feet, with its head on
the ground, as if it wished to excite my pity, and to beg me not to take away its life.
I was even more surprised and touched at this action than I had been at the tears of the
cow.
"Go," I said to the steward, "take back this calf, take great care of it, and bring me another
in its place instantly."
As soon as my wife heard me speak this she at once cried out, "What are you doing,
husband? Do not sacrifice any calf but this."
"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."
"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