Chapter 1.
The Tale of the Merchant and His Wife The First Night.
It is said, O wise and happy king, that there once was a rich merchant who planned a visit to another country.
He filled his bags with bread and dates and mounted his horse.
For many nights he traveled under God's care until he reached his destination.
When his visit was finished, he turned for home.
He traveled for three days and on the fourth day he found an orchard and went into shade himself from the sun.
He sat by a stream under a walnut tree, pulled out some loaves of bread and a handful of dates and began to eat, throwing the date pits right and left until he'd had enough.
Then he got up and said his prayers.
He had hardly finished when he saw an old demon before him with a sword in his hand, standing with his feet on the ground and his head in the clouds.
The demon screamed, Get up, so that I may kill you with this sword, just as you have killed my son.
The merchant was scared.
He said, God, I did not kill your son.
How could that have been?
The demon said Didn't you sit down, take out some dates from your bag and eat, throwing the pits about you?
The merchant replied, Yes, I did.
The demon said As you were throwing the pits, my son happened to be walking by and was struck and killed by one of them, and I must now kill you.
The merchant said, Oh, my lord, please don't kill me.
The demon replied, By God, I must kill you as you killed my son.
The merchant said, I killed him.
I did it by mistake.
Please forgive me.
The demon replied, I must kill you.
And he seized the merchant and threw him to the ground.
The merchant began to weep for his wife and children.
The demon raised his sword while the merchant was drenched in tears, saying There's no power or strength, save in God the Mighty.
But...
Morning drew near at this point in the story and Sarazad fell silent, leaving King Sharia burning to hear the rest of the tale.
Then Denarzad said to her sister, What a strange and lovely story.
Sarazad replied, This is nothing compared with what I will tell you tomorrow night.
If the king spares me and lets me live, it will be even better. better and more entertaining.
The king thought, I will spare her until I hear the rest of the story.
Then I will have her put to death the next day.
The Second Night King Sharir worked all day the next day and returned home at night to Sarazad.
Then Denarzad said to her sister Please sister, if you are not sleepy, tell us one of your lovely little stories.
The king added, Let it be the end of the story of the demon and the merchant.
Sarazad replied, With greatest pleasure, dear happy king.
It is said, O wise and happy king, that when the demon raised his sword, the merchant begged the demon.
Please let me say goodbye to my family and my wife and children before you kill me.
The demon asked Do you swear to God that if I let you go, you will come back one year from this day?
The merchant replied, Yes, I swear to God.
After the merchant swore this, the demon let him go, and he mounted his horse and went on his way.
He finally reached his home and came to his wife and children.
When he saw them, he wept bitterly.
His wife asked him, Husband, what is the matter with you?
Why are you sad when we are happy celebrating your return?
He replied, Why not be sad when I have only one year to live?
Then he told her everything that had happened with the demon.
When his family heard what he said, they began to cry.
It was a day of sadness as all the children gathered around their father.
The merchant spent the rest of the year this way.
Then he said his prayers and bid his family goodbye.
His sons hung around his neck, his daughters wept, and his wife wailed.
He said to them, Children, this is God's will.
He turned away, got on his horse, and traveled until he reached the orchard.
He sat at the place where he had eaten the dates, waiting with tearful eyes for the demon.
As he waited, an old man leading two dogs on a leash approached and greeted him, and he returned the greeting.
The old man asked, Friend, why do you sit here in this place full of demons and devils?
For in this haunted orchard there is only sorrow.
The merchant told him everything that had happened with the demon.
The old man was amazed at the tale and said Your promise to return here is a brave one, but I will not leave you until I see what happens with the demon.
Then he sat down beside him and they chatted.
But morning drew near, Sarazad, and she fell silent.
As the day dawned, Dinarzad said to her sister, What a strange and lovely story.
Sarazad replied, Tomorrow night I will tell you something even better and more entertaining.
The Third Night, The next night, Dinarzad said to her sister Please sister, if you are not sleepy, tell us one of your lovely little stories.
The king added, Let it be the end of the merchant's story, for I would like to hear it.
Sarazad replied, As you wish.
I heard, O happy king, that as the merchant and the man with the two black dogs sat talking, they suddenly saw the dust rise and when it cleared, they saw the demon approaching with a steel sword in his hand.
He stood before them without greeting and said to the merchant, Get ready to die.
The merchant and the old man began to weep.
The old man with the black dogs approached the demon and said If I tell you what happened to me and to these two dogs, and if you find it stranger and more amazing than what happened to you and the merchant, will you set him free?
The demon replied, I will.
So the old man began to tell his story.
Demon, these two dogs are my brothers.
When our father died, he left behind three sons and gave us each an equal sum of money.
Each of us took our money and became a shopkeeper.
Soon my older brother.
One of these dogs sold the contents of his shop and left on a trip to trade goods overseas for a lot of money.
A full year went by when I saw one day a beggar in my shop.
Don't you recognize me?
The beggar asked tearfully, and when I looked at him closely, I saw that it was my older brother.
I hugged him and took him into the shop, asking him what had happened to him.
He replied, My money is gone.
I took him home with me and gave him half the money I had, I said.
Live your life as if you had never been this way.
He gladly took the money and opened another shop.
Soon afterward, my second brother, this other dog, decided to take a trading trip as well.
We tried to stop him, but he would not listen.
A year later, he came back, just like his brothers.
I said to him, brother, didn't I tell you not to go?
He cried and said, brother, I have lost everything.
I took him home with me.
After we had something to eat, I told him that I would divide my money equally with him.
He opened another shop and the three of us stayed together for a while.
Eventually, my two brothers asked me to go on a trading trip with them, but I said no, asking, ''Did you learn nothing from your adventures?''
They dropped the matter and for six years we worked in our stores, buying and selling, but every year they asked me to go on a trading trip with them.
Finally, I said, Brothers, I am ready to go with you.
How much money do you have?
They had wasted all their money, but my shop had grown, so I divided my money into two parts.
I split one part among the three of us and said I will bury the other half in the ground in case what happened to you happens to me.
They replied, This is an excellent idea.
After I closed my shop, we bought trading goods, rented a large ship and set off sailing all day and night for a month.
But morning drew near Sarazad, and she fell silent.
As the day dawned, Dinarzad said to her sister, What a strange and lovely story.
Sarazad replied Tomorrow night I will tell you something even stranger.
If our great god, lets me live another day.
The Fourth, The next night, Denarzad said to her sister Please sister, if you are not sleepy, tell us one of your lovely little stories.
The king added, Let it be the end of the merchant story, for I would like to hear it.
Sarazad replied, With great pleasure.
I heard, O happy king, that the old man continued telling his story to the demon.
For a month my brothers and I sailed the salty sea until we came to a port city.
We entered the city and sold our goods, buying other goods to take back to the ship.
When we got to the seashore, I met a woman who was dressed in rags.
She kissed my hands and said Oh, my lord, do me a favor and I believe I will be able to reward you for it.
I replied, I will do you a favor without reward.
She said, Oh, my lord, "'Marry me and take me with you on this boat.'
"'I felt pity for her and, guided by God, I agreed.
"'I gave her a beautiful dress and we were married.
"'Then I took her to the boat and we sailed off again.
"'I felt great love for her and stayed with her day and night, "'ignoring my brother's.
Meanwhile, my brothers grew jealous of me and plotted to kill me.
One night, they waited until I was asleep beside my wife.
Then they carried the two of us and threw us into the sea.
When we awoke, my wife turned into a spirit and carried me across the sea to an island.
In the morning, she said, Husband, I have rewarded you by saving you from drowning.
When I saw you by the seashore, I felt love for you and came to you in disguise, and you accepted my love.
But now I must kill your brothers.
When I heard what she said, I was amazed, and I thanked her for saving me.
I told her all that happened to us since our father had died from beginning to end.
When she heard my story she was very angry and said I will fly to your brothers now and sink their boat.
For God's sake, don't, I said.
These are my brothers, after all.
Eventually I managed to soothe her.
She flew away with me, setting me on the roof of my house.
I climbed down and dug up the money I had buried.
Then I went out, greeting the people in the market, and reopened my shop.
When I came home that evening, I found these two dogs tied up.
As soon as they saw me, they came to me and wept and rubbed themselves against me.
I suddenly heard my wife say, Oh, my Lord, these are your brothers.
They will stay in this condition for ten years.
Only after ten years will they be men again.
Then she told me where to find her. and she left.
The ten years have passed and I was on my way with my brothers to have my wife lift the spell when I met this man here.
When I asked about his own story, he told me you were going to kill him and I promised not to leave him until I found out what happened between you.
This is my story, isn't it?
Amazing?
The demon replied, By God, has you promised?
It is a strange and amazing story.
You win.
I will spare this man's life.
Then the demon let the man go and departed.
The merchant thanked the old man, and the old man congratulated him on his freedom.
The merchant went back home to his family and lived with them for many years until the day he died.
But morning drew near Sarazad, and she fell silent.
Then Arzad said to her sister, What a strange and lovely story.
Sarazad replied.
Tomorrow night I will tell you the story of the fisherman, which is even more amazing.
