1 The Tale of the Merchant and His Wife

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 in to 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, "By 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, "O my lord, please don't kill me." The demon replied, "By God, I must kill you, as you killed my son." The merchant said, "If 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 is no power or strength, save in God the Mighty." But morning drew near at this point in the story, and Scheherazade fell silent, leaving King Shahryar burning to hear the rest of the tale. Then Dinarzad said to her sister, "What a strange and lovely story!" Scheherazade 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 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 Shahryar worked all the next day and returned home at night to Scheherazade. Then 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 story of the demon and the merchant." Scheherazade replied, "With the 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 good-bye 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 good

bye. 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. By God, 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 Scheherazade, and she