Great Works of Literature I (Fall 2017)

She insisted, “I must”. He replied, “If you don’t desist, I will do to you what the merchant did to his wife”. She asked, “Father what did the merchant do to his wife?” He said:

[The Tale Of The Noble Merchant & His Persistent Wife]

Long ago there was a noble merchant who had been given the ability of being able to understand animals. The downside to this ability was that if he revealed his secret to anyone, it would result in his immediate death; or so he was told. Therefore, for many years he kept this secret hidden from his family as well as the animals. One night after his wife had cooked them a delicious supper, the merchant looked out his window, and entertained himself by listening to the donkey and the ox. For the donkey had just told the ox how he tired of the hard work he endured and was jealous of the donkey’s luxurious and carefree life. The donkey took pity on the ox and decided to impart some advice on to the ox. He told him, if he tired of his exhausting life he should simply show it. The following day, remembering the donkey’s advice, the ox decided to not listen to the donkey for deep down he knew if he stopped doing his chores. He would be sent over to the butcher and be eaten by the merchant and his wife. As they were having breakfast the merchant was surprised that the ox hadn’t listened to the donkey. He chuckled to himself and called over the herdsman to reward the ox by giving him the day off and giving him better fodder; for he had seen the ox’s strategy. After their conversation, the merchants wife was confused and asked her husband why he had rewarded the ox. The merchant knew that if he explained to his wife what happened between the animals he would surely die. Therefore, he told her there was no reason behind it. Knowing that her husband had never given fair treatment to any of the other ox’s she refused to believe him, and asked him to tell her why he rewarded the ox. The merchant decided to be honest to appease his wife by telling her if he revealed the interaction with the animals, it would result in his immediate death. The wife simply thought her husband was toying with her, and continued to pester him for the truth. It pained the merchant to see his wife so upset, so in order to appease her. He gathered both their family members, established his will, and told everyone that he was about to reveal a secret that would cause his imminent death. The news stunned his family, leaving the room in complete silence as the waited to hear this life threatening secret. Due to his fear, it took him several tries before he was able to tell his family his ability. Once he was able to utter the words ‘I have the power to understand animals’, he waited for death to take him. A few minutes passed and seeing that her husband had not died, everyone began to laugh for they thought he was crazy. The merchant shocked that he was alive, laughed and hugged his wife tightly as she had freed him, from the fear he harbored inside for so long. Their families simply thought it was a practical joke and since they were all together decided to turn their day of mourning into a day of celebration.

Context: The merchant has just killed the demon’s son. (This is not a direct continuation, as the exact moment of his son’s death is not shown in the story. The text below is provided to give context about the incident. )

The Story of the Merchant and the Demon.(Page 568)

“The demon asked, “How much time do you need?” The merchant replied, “One year, so that I may see enough of my children, bid my wife good-bye, discharge my obligations to people, and come back on New Year’s Day.” The demon asked, “Do you swear to God that if I let you go, you will come back on New Year’s Day?” The merchant replied, “Yes, I swear to God.” “

Added Tale: From the Demon’s Perspective:

As the year had passed, the merchant went to his family, grieved, and divided his share of the property and wealth. The demon too, was grieving, but not for the imminent death of the merchant, he could care less about the man. He instead, was grieving for his son. The demon wept, as he recollected the many memories he shared with his son. He cursed the merchant for his carelessness while throwing the pits of his dates randomly on the ground. The demon, helplessly distraught, was recognized by a trader whom he had encountered previously. “Why are you so gloomy and angry demon?”, asked the trader. The demon replied “Because a clumsy and careless merchant has killed my son. He threw his date pits inattentively and one hit my boy.” The trader consoled the demon and told him the story of how a bull had once killed his brother:

“My brother, a keen and noble man, was also a trader. He was walking to the market one day, when he saw a farmer leading a herd of bulls. Worried, my brother began walking faster, but nonetheless, the bulls still attacked him. He died of his injuries within the hour. My mind was teeming. Clearly this was an accident; the farmer had no intention of killing my brother and I cannot hold the bull responsible and compare his cognizance to that of a man. When I had seen the farmer, however, I was enraged. I observed his daily route and at nighttime, when he was tending his herd, I jumped on him and stabbed him with my sword, killing him instantly.”

“And so demon, while I cannot bring my brother back, I am feeling much better and relieved that I know the farmer responsible for this accident was dead,” the trader continued. The demon, now knew what he must do. Accidents happen, but those who cause them must be punished, he thought. “Thank you”, the demon responded, “I will go on and kill the merchant responsible for my son’s death. I am a reasonable demon, however, and I will give him some time if he shows remorse. He has a family and friends with whom he will want to share one last experience. If he is not sorrowful, I shall kill him at once.” The trader and the demon parted ways, and the demon had his plan in place.

Tale in 1001 Nights continued:

“But hardly had he finished when he saw an old demon, with sword in hand, standing with his feet on the ground and his head in the clouds.” (Page 567)

I heard, O happy King, that the second old man with the two dogs said:

[ The Second Old Man’s Tale]

Demon, as for my story, these are the details. These two dogs are my brothers. When our father died, he left behind three sons and left us with some money. We then decided to use the money and buy each of us a house, though next to each other. It was one night during the winter, as each of us was doing our own thing, there is a beggar knocking on my first brother’s door. He opens the door, takes a quick glance at the beggar and asks: “Hello stranger. Who are you?” The beggar answered: “Please, rescue me. I didn’t eat or drink anything for 6 days and 6 nights straight. Winter winds are scratching my skin and the blood is flooding out. Please give me some food and let me stay for one night”. My brother doesn’t bother, shuts the door and minds his own business.
The beggar then goes to my second brother’s house. She knocks the door. My second brother opens the door, takes a quick glance at the beggar and asks: “Hello stranger. Who are you?” The beggar answered: “Please, rescue me. I didn’t eat or drink anything for 6 days and 6 nights straight. Winter winds are scratching my skin and the blood is flooding out. Please give me some food and let me stay just for one night”. Just as the first one, my second brother doesn’t bother, shuts the door and minds his own business.
The beggar, then knocks on my door. I open the door, takes a quick glance and the beggar and asks the same question. She tells me the same thing and I let her in. I cook her food, give her new clothes and tell her to rest until whenever she’s ready to leave tomorrow. I then go to sleep. Next morning, I wake up and realize the beggar has already left. I find a note on the dining table and it says: “I was the Guard sent from above to grant fortune for the kind and punish the pitiless. You has earn your prize with your pity, that you’d live prosperously forever. However, your two brothers show no pity for the poor beggar therefore were poisoned and transformed into dogs. To get them back into true forms, you must bring them to the highest mountain and look for somebody who can help”
Though granted the fortune, these are my brothers and I can’t see them like this. So I pack and while on the journey, I meet this merchant and these two other old men..

“The rooster, who, beating and clapping his wings, had jumped on a hen and, finishing with her, jumped down and jumped on another. The merchant heard and understood what the dog said in his own language to the rooster, “Shameless, no-good rooster. Aren’t you ashamed to do such a thing on a day like this?” The dog replied, “Don’t you know that our master and friend is in mourning today? His wife is demanding that he disclose his secret, and when he discloses it, he will surely die. He is in this predicament about to interpret to her the language of the animals, and all of us are mourning for him, while you clap your wings and get off one hen and jump on another. Aren’t you ashamed?” The merchant heard the rooster reply, “You fool, you lunatic! Our master and friend claims to be wise, but he is foolish, for he has only one wife, yet he does not know how to manage her.” The dog asked, “What should he do with her?”, (p. 566) The Tale of Merchant and His Wife.

 Added Tale :

The rooster replied, “Why you called me “Shameless, no-good roosters!” go and call that wife “a shameless, devil wife” The merchant and his wife; they are not enemy of each other having only thought and desire to have each other’s life gone in order to satisfy themselves but they are wife and husband. I, as an animal, know that life and bond of husband and wife are not comprised only by brain or thought but heart and love. Yet on this mourning day, I didn’t ignore but know what is worth my life to go on. I myself rooster have and know all these hens in front of me. Our master merchant has only one wife; he should know how to handle and should have never let his life perished by a heartless wife’s demand, to know his secret of life. If I were a merchant I will teach this bustard wife to know how heart and life is worth more than her inquisitive desire to know my secret of death.”

Then the dog asked, “But if you were a merchant, how would you do with the wife?”

A rooster told, “Quietly without letting my wife know, I would tell all family, relatives and friend to stop mourning for me but instead persist to see my wife die. In the room full of people whom she loves, I will let everyone sees her slowly die without having them mourning but persist to see her body being viciously in torment. (This imitates the part stated that, “Everybody was happy and the mourning turned into a celebration.” (p. 566, The Tale of Merchant and His Wife)

As a merchant heard a conversation between the dog and the rooster, he pushes his wife into another quiet room in the house telling her that on this day before he would leave this world forever what makes him sad the most are children and those whom he loves, “My feeling that I would leave the world of my beloved ones is killing me. Before I will never meet them again and you will finally know the secret, I want you to think of those your beloved ones like you would be apart from them forever in this quiet and peaceful room.” The husband then comes back to the room, secretly tells people his plan of stopping his wife from knowing his secret of animal’s language. One by one every people in the room are whispering, all family, relatives and friends who are mourning agreed to comply his plan.

The wife in another room, turns out, all those her beloved faces included most relatives and friends morning in another room come to her head, so does a beautiful memory she has with her husband. But the thought that she is betrayed by her husband overcoming; she is crying for the fact that she never knows the secret. Thus, still she insists to know the secret that her husband hides though it would change with his life, and she would lose her husband forever.

Returning back to the same room her husband is waiting for her with oak branches in his hand. Surrounded with most of those whom she loves, the merchant brutally beat his wife. Without mourning but yelling and provoking the merchant to continue cruelly pain her, her heart breaks by seeing those she loves smiling and laughing at , almost, this last minutes of her painful life. She finally loosens and asks her husband for life, screaming that she doesn’t want to know anything anymore.

The merchant learns how to handle his wife, and the wife also learns how love and life is important and worth.

“Father, what happened to the donkey the ox and the merchant?”

There was once a prosperous and wealthy merchant who lived in the countryside and labored on a farm. He owned many sorts of animals and also employed many men, and he had a wife and many grown-up as well as little children. This merchant was taught the language of the beasts on condition that if he revealed his secret to anyone, he would die; therefore even though he knew the language of every animal, he did not let anyone know. One day, a wolf pack came into view from a nearby land. The merchant who was comfortable with beasts of all nature, welcomed the pack into his home. The leader graciously accepted, but told the merchant would need meat to eat. His family questioned the merchant, and ask the merchant how he be so calm with a pack of wild beasts.  All the other animals, the cattle, the donkey, and the ox were scared of the wolf pack. After eating their full, the pack left, but proceeded to return tomorrow, with their bellies waiting to be filled. This time, the merchant refused and the leader of the wolves, said “We will back tomorrow with more of our kind if you do not feed us.” The merchant stood his ground and during the night, along his family barricaded the house and surrounding areas. In the morning, many shadows rose as the sun rose. The merchant and his family along with his favorite animals were cuddled behind the wooden boards that the rays of the suns were slanting through. The leader told the merchant to come outside, and after much debate with those around him, walked outside. Next to the leader stood man in animal clothing, with a bow and sword slung on his back. The Mongols had come.

“The merchant himself went back home to his family, his wife, and his children, and he lived with them until the day he died. But this story is not as strange or as amazing as the story of the fisherman.

Dinarzad asked, ‘Please, sister, what is the story of the fisherman?’ Shahrazad said:…” (577) 

My tale:

There was once a fisherman who lived with his wife and three young daughters. Everyday he would open his eyes at the break of sunlight to the seagull’s songs and get ready to go fishing for the day. The fisherman worked hard, from dusk till dawn, to fish for food and profit for his family. He would fish all day long, and only come home to sleep. He worked very hard to provide for his family that he loved dearly. Although it was hard work, he found solace in watching the waves and ripples in the turquoise waters. It was routine that the fisherman greet the mermen that resided along the shore where he fished daily. The mermen treated him well, always greeting him and asking about his morning. The fisherman took comfort in these engagements since he spent so much time away from his family.

One day the fisherman caught enough fish that produced profits that would last the fisherman and his family an entire week. Jolly with joy, the fisherman rushed to the market to sell his fish for money. With his profits, he decided to go buy his wife and three daughters new swimsuits. The fisherman wanted to be able to bring his family to the sea while finally enjoying the shore, rather than working tirelessly. The family was overcome with joy at the news of a day at the beach for fun.

When it was time to jump in the water, the fisherman’s wife jumped first. Her skin glistened in the sunlight that pierced through the water, on to her glossy long legs and arms. Next, the fisherman jumped in. The water he had spent so much time watching, became something he felt and blissfully basked in while it surrounded him. Lastly, he told his daughters to jump in, he wanted them to feel the joy he felt. His three daughters jumped in all at once. After the splashing, and the white water returned to calmer blue, silence and shock overcame the fisherman’s face. All three of his daughters grew long fishtails, and gills along their hips. The ocean water was no longer a serene place of solace for the fisherman.

The First Old Man’s Tale

The first old man with the deer approached the demon and kissing his hands and feet said, “Fiend and king of the demon kings, if I tell you what happened to me and that deer, and you find it strange and more amazing that what happened to you and the merchant will you grant me a third of your claim on him for his crime and guilt?” The demon replied, “I will.” The old man said:

Tale Begins

Demon this is no ordinary deer, this is my companion from childhood. We both grew up playing games, going to school, and doing everything together. One day, when I was walking with him, we ran into an old man with a broken leg. He requested if we could help him get home, he will grant us a gift. My companion and I took the old man back home traveling very far. Once we got to his house, the old man thanked us for everything we have done and gave us each a small fortune. Both of us soon parted way after my companion wanted to explore with the fortune he acquired and travel the world. I decided to open up a shop in my village and make a decent living. Several months, went by and soon I found a stranger at my shop late at night. I come to realize the stranger was my companion that left for the seas. Crying he told me “I lost everything I made, I longer could feed myself , or cloth myself like I used to”. I gave him half my worth I gained using my store. I would house him in the mean time until he is able to find a place for himself. Soon in the same night, I heard a clinging noise. I would discover my companion was trying to find the rest of my fortune. He has taken my good will for granted and was using me. He would throw ash from a bag in my direction. He  casts a spell on me turning me into a humming bird. My companion tried to catch me, but I got flew away from him. Soon, I would wander around my village until the same old man who has granted me the fortune who captured me and gave me as a present to his niece. His niece questioned the old man on why he brought home a man. She went on to removing the spell and asked if I would like to cast the spell upon my companion for his deeds under the condition she gets to see my companion with her own eyes. I gladly accepted the offer as the niece advised me to make my companion eat leaves into his food. The next day, I would put a surprise gift basket for him on my door steps. I watched from the distance, as my companion took the basket inside. Then I went to the window and witnessed the magic take place. Once he turned into a deer, i was on my way to take him to the old man’s niece when I came upon this merchant.

“Brother, I shall do my business accounts, calculate my net worth for the year, and after subtracting the capital, whatever the profit happens to be, I shall divide it equally between you and myself. When I examined my books and subtracted the capital, I found out that my profit was two thousand dinars, and I thanked God and felt very happy. Then I divided the money, giving him a thousand dinars and keeping a thousand for myself. With that money he opened another shop, and the three of us stayed together for a while. Then my tow brothers asked me to go on a trading journey with them, but I refused, saying, “What did you gain from your ventures that I can gain?”

Added Tale Begins:

It is related, O happy King, that the older brother, one of the dogs in the second old man’s tale said:

[The Second Old Man’s Older Brother’s Tale]

Brother, this is my story about my venture after selling the contents of my shop for a thousand dinars and buying trading goods. I journeyed to a distant land and it was no easy journey. For three months, all I could see was a the never ending blue ocean. I came upon an island. I entered the island, only to find a secluded group of soothsayers and those who practice magic. They did not live a life of trading merchandise and goods but instead traded knowledge and the arts. After growing familiar with these hospitable soothsayers, I met a beautiful young woman. She said, “O my lord, I see you have interest in magic. Be my apprentice and learn the arts.” I replied, “I would be honored and will repay you for your tutelage.” I studied under her for six months. Once this time had passed, she revealed her true intentions. My teacher was intending on using me as a sacrifice for a ritual. I fled, leaving my goods and fortune with her, feeling as if I should still pay her for her guidance. I returned to the shoreline and told my story to the group of soothsayers who had welcomed me so. Despite my poor fortune, they admired my act of gratitude and we worked together to procure a ship that would allow me to sail the seas and return home. I departed without a single dinar but with the blessings of those that I had met on the island. I believe without their kindness and charity, I would not have been able to stand before you today, my dear brothers.

“The ten years have passed, and I was with my brothers on my way to her to have the spell lifted, when I met this man, together with this old man with the deer.”

“That story is nothing compared to the story of the Merchant and the Peasants”, said one of the dogs. Everyone was shocked and amazed to hear words coming out of a dog, but they were curious as to what the dog had to say nonetheless. The dog proceeded to tell the story:

In the village of Ancapajan, there was an immensely wealthy merchant who lived in a huge palace right in the middle of of the village that primarily consisted of straw huts where the common folk lived. He was even richer than the king, who virtually had no power in the village. The merchant was seen as the ruling authority in Ancapajan. He regularly had the common folk do hard labor to improve his land while paying them with the bare minimum of food they needed to survive. There was one peasant who was fed up with this way of living, and wanted to seize the Merchants wealth and redistribute it to everyone in the village. He arranged a meeting for every other peasant to join. His words resonated with the people, and they constructed a plan to seize the Merchant’s wealth.

It was night time, and the people where approaching the Merchant’s palace. They entered his front lawn and were making their way to his front door. They could hear the Merchant drunkenly singing while plucking a disrespected lute with a young laugh in the background. This only increased the hunger felt in the stomach of every peasant. They burst through the doors and almost dropped to the floor when they saw the insides of the  palace. They quickly reminded themselves why they were here, and started to ransack the house. “You savages and leeches! I worked for this! I created this myself!”, he yelled. He then tripped over his own feet while trying to go after the peasants and spilled wine on the floors that one of his maids meticulously cleaned last night. The peasants somehow managed to start a fire in the palace, and were rushing to get out. The merchant barely made it out of there. The peasants enjoyed their spoils for a few days until the food ran out. One peasants was pitiful enough to give the merchant turned peasant the bare minimum of food he needed to survive each day. He had lost his wealthy look and looked just like the rest of the peasants. The former merchant was fed up with this way of living, and called a meeting for everyone in the village except the king.

When the sheikh had finished his story, the demon shook with laughter and granted him a third of his claim on the merchant’s blood.

Then the demon released the merchant and departed. (Thousand and One Nights, 577)

[The Story of the Chief Demon and his wife]

The air around him heated as he traveled through world, and appeared back in his own realm. There, he found his wife, still sobbing on a slab of obsidian. “O Husband!” She cried. “How could you not punish the merchant for his brutal slaughter of our child!” Around her the land was barren except for the small sack of eggs attached to her stomach where their future children lay. In just a few days’ time she would hand them over to him, and he in turn would take them to a field where they would grow and wreak havoc upon the land of men. The demon glared at his wife. Had he not deserved the levity of the stories the merchants told him? Had he not take pleasure in listening to the success of his children and grandchildren ruining the lives of men? For the demon had slaved away centuries carrying their spawn to various ends of the earth and never had he been thanked. The only news he received from his children was in the form of stories relayed to him by mortals.

“Ungrateful wife! You sit here in our kingdom bearing children, watching them take their firsts breaths and never asking what happens after! I should behead you now for such ungrateful accusations! For I am the one that takes them to the mortal realm, that buries their destroyed bodies, that seeks out the news of their success!” With that the chief demon took out his sword and held it over her neck, while she cowered, clutching the eggs closer to her body. She sobbed, “I cannot stop you! But you are foolish to think that I do not care to know the lives of our children! As you follow them in the mortal realm, so do I follow their fallen hearts here in our kingdom! I see them return broken and defeated to flow into the river of souls! I can never speak to them, I can never touch them or comfort them, I can only weep at their deaths!”

The chief demon cared not for her weakness and tears. Better to be alone than to be stuck in a realm with her for the coming centuries. He swung his sword towards her neck, but she moved and produced a jar from under her. The sword struck the jar with such force it should have shattered, but instead the sword and demon clattered into the jar and the wife slammed the lid onto it. She mustered what little strength she had left and made her first venture into the land of mortals. Appearing amid a fine house she saw a servant, cowering and praying in the corner. The demon approached her and croaked out the one name she knew could save her, “Solomon.”