“Then the demon released the merchant and departed. The merchant turned to the three old men and thanked them, and they congratulated him on his deliverance and bade him good-bye. Then they separated, and each of them went on his way.” (Page 577)
When the merchant arrived at home, he found his farmland desolated with weeds springing up, hearing mourning and crying from inside the house. Astonished and panic, the merchant rushed in. To his surprise, only salves and slave-girls stood in the corner, bowing their heads, with his little kids in their arms. He asked for the salves where his wife, his daughter, and his elder sons went in agony. One of the salves answered, “ My dear owner! Please save your pitiful woman and innocent children! They might have suffered great insult!” The merchant’s eyes widened, anxiously said, “What is the matter with them? Why do you lament like that when I return home?” The slave told him with sob that several days after his departure, three old men came to knock the door, claiming that they were brothers and curious about what was happening for they heard a sound of moan from the house. Then the merchant’s wife stated his husband’s encounter with the demon, which would kill him.
The oldest man sighed, saying, “How unfortunate your husband is! But do not worry, I have come up with an idea to rescue him.” The wife stopped crying, doubted, “How could you save my husband? I appreciate for your kindness, but how can three old men fight against a demon?” The oldest men smiled, “Well, there is only one thing you think right. That demon actually has stronger power than any other demon, while my brothers and I have learnt the spell since we were born. So we have the confidence to save your husband in condition that…” “What? What do you want? Tell me please! I will be driven mad when thinking of his death!”
However, the oldest man came to be silent without immediate answer. His younger brother stood out and said, “Calm down, we need your help. First, our plot need you and three of your children, his flesh and blood, to be animals. Second, the demon is so formidable that we will suffer tremendous loss in strength. Hence, even if your husband has been released, you and your children cannot go back home and must stay with us forever, because we need your figures to absorb vigor and regain power.”
When the wife heard what he said, her face became pale, trembling, “I … I accept your conditions, only if you can swear that my husband can be freed. But my children…” “Mother, do not hesitate. I am willing to sacrifice myself in exchange my father!” One of the elder sons said. Instantly, a daughter and another son initiatively decided to become animals for their father’s life. They huddled together, mourning for the farewell. Afterwards, as the merchant had met, the deer of the fist old man was his wife, the two dogs of the second old man were his two sons, and the mule of the third man was his daughter. They told the demon three different strange and amazing stories, eventually saving his life.
The merchant burst into tears after hearing the truth, his heart being full of grief and guilty. At this moment, one of the salves seemed to remember something suddenly, taking out a lock of hair and gave them to his owner, saying, “The hair comes from your wife. She told me that she had left a message on them and only your blood could make the message appear.”
The sun spread the rose dawn over the sky, and Shahrazad came into silence.
The merchant then took a knife and made a small cut on his hand and spilled his blood on his wife’s lock of hair. The message appeared to him in his wife’s voice saying: ” There’s a way you can save us all dear husband. But the price is great. You must kill one of the three men. Their power is sourced on our human figures. I know this is difficult but you must do it if you want to save our children.All three of them you will find under the tree where you met the Demon.” The merchant rushed back without even thinking. He traveled long days and nights util he approached the three men and found them sitting with his children who are now in animal form. The merchant stood and took a moment to decide which man he was going to kill. He decided that he would kill the first man since he seemed like the least humble. His story about the mistress and his lack of value for marriage made the merchant question him. He drew the same dagger he used to cut his own hand and stabbed the old man from the back. His children immediately turned back to their human form. But the two old men felt betrayed and furious. The two of them claimed that they will find the Demon and have the merchant killed for what he has done.