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Story Of The Husband And The ParrotStory Of The Husband And The Parrot
Story Of The Husband And The Parrot
There was a certain merchant, of an exceedingly jealous disposition,
having a wife endowed with perfect beauty, who had prevented him from leaving
his home; but an event happened which obliged him to make a journey; and when
he found his doing so to be indispensable, he went to the market in which
birds were sold, and bought a parrot, which he placed in his house to act as a
spy, that, on his return, she might inform him of what passed during his
absence; for this parrot was cunning and intelligent, and remembered whatever
she heard. So, when he had made his journey, and accomplished his business, he
returned, and caused the parrot to be brought to him, and asked her respecting
the conduct of his wife. She answered, Thy wife has a lover, who visited her
every night during thy absence, - and when the man heard this, he fell into a
violent rage, and went to his wife, and gave her a severe beating.
The woman imagined that one of the female slaves had informed him of what
had passed between her and her paramour during his absence: she therefore
called them together, and made them swear; and they all swore that they had
not told their master anything of the matter; but confessed that they had
heard the parrot relate to him what had passed. Having thus established, on
the testimony of the slaves, the fact of the parrot`s having informed her
husband of her intrigue, she ordered one of these slaves to grind with a
handmill under the cage, another to sprinkle water from above, and a third to
move a mirror from side to side, during the next night on which her husband
was absent; and on the following morning, when the man returned from an
entertainment at which he had been present, and inquired again of the parrot
what had passed that night during his absence, the bird answered, O my master,
I could neither see nor hear anything, on account of the excessive darkness,
and thunder, and lightning, and rain. Now this happened during summer: so he
said to her, What strange words are these? It is now summer, when nothing of
what thou hast described ever happens. - The parrot, however, swore by Allah
the Great that what she had said was true; and that it had so happened: upon
which the man, not understanding the case, nor knowing the plot, became
violently enraged, and took out the bird from the cage, and threw her down
upon the ground with such violence that he killed her.
But after some days, one of his female slaves informed him of the truth;
yet he would not believe it, until he saw his wife`s paramour going out from
his house; when he drew his sword, and slew the traitor by a blow on the back
of his neck: so also did he to his treacherous wife; and thus both of them
went, laden with the sin which they had committed, to the fire; and the
merchant discovered that the parrot had informed him truly of what she had
seen; and he mourned grievously for her loss.
When the Wezir heard these words of King Yunan, he said, O King of great
dignity, what hath this crafty sage - this man from whom nought but mischief
proceedeth - done unto me, that I should be his enemy, and speak evil of him,
and plot with thee to destroy him? I have informed thee respecting him in
compassion for thee, and in fear of his despoiling thee of thy happiness; and
if my words be not true, destroy me, as the Wezir of Es-Sindibad was
destroyed. - The King asked, How was that? And the Wezir thus answered: -
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