$$CCGenie&&ca141fd0-ac7f-11d1-97A3-006008273003&&68&&155&&10 &&AppearCenter &&Show The Story of the Merchant and the Genii &&Greet Sire, &&RestPose There was once upon a time a merchant who possessed great wealth, in land and merchandise, as well as in ready money. &&Idle2_1 He was obliged from time to time to take journeys to arrange his affairs. &&Announce One day, having to go a long way from home, he mounted his horse, taking with him a small wallet in which he had put a few biscuits and dates, because he had to pass through the desert where no food was to be got. &&Blink He arrived without any mishap, and, having finished his business, set out on his return. &&GestureUp On the fourth day of his journey, the heat of the sun being very great, he turned out of his road to rest under some trees. &&GestureDown He found at the foot of a large walnut-tree a fountain of clear and running water. &&GestureRight He dismounted, fastened his horse to a branch of the tree, and sat by the fountain, after having taken from his wallet some of his dates and biscuits. &&Blink When he had finished this frugal meal he washed his face and hands in the fountain. &&Uncertain When he was thus employed he saw an enormous genii, white with rage, coming towards him, with a scimitar in his hand. &&Process "Arise," he cried in a terrible voice, "and let me kill you as you have killed my son! &&Announce As he uttered these words he gave a frightful yell. &&Sad The merchant, quite as much terrified at the hideous face of the monster as at his words, answered him tremblingly, "Alas, good sir, what can I have done to you to deserve death?" &&Explain "I shall kill you," repeated the genii, "as you have killed my son." &&Confused "But," said the merchant, "How can I have killed your son? &&Blink I do not know him, and I have never even seen him." &&GestureDown "When you arrived here did you not sit down on the ground" asked the genii, &&Explain "and did you not take some dates from your wallet, &&GestureLeft and eating them did not you throw the stones about?" &&Confused "Yes," said the merchant, "I certainly did so." &&Acknowledge "Then," said the genii, "I tell you you have killed my son, &&GestureLeft for while you were throwing about the stones, my son passed by, and one of them struck him in the eye and killed him. So I shall kill you." &&Greet "Ah, sir, forgive me!" cried the merchant. &&Decline "I will have no mercy on you," answered the genii. &&Greet "But I killed your son quite unintentionally, so I implore you to spare my life." &&Decline "No," said the genii, "I shall kill you as you killed my son," &&GestureRight and so saying, he seized the merchant by the arm, threw him on the ground, and lifted his sabre to cut off his head. &&GetAttention The merchant, protesting his innocence, bewailed his wife and children, and tried pitifully to avert his fate. &&GestureRight The genii, with his raised scimitar, waited till he had finished, but was not in the least touched. &&StopListening When the merchant saw that the genii was determined to cut off his head, he said: "One word more, I entreat you. &&Announce Grant me a little delay; just a short time to go home and bid my wife and children farewell, and to make my will. &&Sad When I have done this I will come back here, and you shall kill me." &&Alert "But," said the genii, "if I grant you the delay you ask, I am afraid that you will not come back." &&Greet "I give you my word of honour," answered the merchant, "that I will come back without fail." &&Idle2_1 "How long do you require?" asked the genii. &&Sad "I ask you for a year's grace," replied the merchant "I promise you that to-morrow twelvemonth, I shall be waiting under these trees to give myself up to you." &&Greet On this the genii left him near the fountain and disappeared. &&Hide &&AppearCenter The merchant, having recovered from his fright, mounted his horse and went on his road. &&Blink When he arrived home his wife and children received him with the greatest joy. &&DoMagic1 But instead of embracing them he began to weep so bitterly that they soon guessed that something terrible was the matter. &&GestureUp "Tell us, I pray you," said his wife, "what has happened." &&Sad "Alas!" answered her husband, "I have only a year to live." &&Explain Then he told them what had passed between him and the genii, and how he had given his word to return at the end of a year to be killed. &&Idle2_1 When they heard this sad news they were in despair, and wept much. &&Blink The next day the merchant began to settle his affairs, and first of all to pay his debts. &&GestureLeft He gave\map="press ents"=" presents"\ to his friends, and large alms to the poor. &&Explain He set his slaves at liberty, and provided for his wife and children. &&Idle2_1 The year soon passed away, and he was obliged to depart. $$CCGenie&&ca141fd0-ac7f-11d1-97A3-006008273003&&68&&155&&10 &&Pleased When he tried to say good-bye he was quite overcome with grief, and with difficulty tore himself away. &&Uncertain At length he reached the place where he had first seen the genii, on the very day that he had appointed. &&GestureDown He dismounted, and sat down at the edge of the fountain, where he awaited the genii in terrible suspense. &&Sad \map="whyulst"="Whilst"\ he was thus waiting an old man leading a hind came towards him. &&Greet They greeted one another, and then the old man said to him, "May I ask, brother, what brought you to this desert place, where there are so many evil genii about? &&GestureLeft To see these beautiful trees one would imagine it was inhabited, but it is a dangerous place to stop long \map="in"="in"\." &&RestPose The merchant told the old man why he was obliged to come there. &&Decline He listened in astonishment. &&Confused "This is a most marvellous affair. I should like to be a witness of your interview with the Genie." So saying he sat down by the merchant. &&GestureRight While they were talking another old man came up, followed by two black dogs. &&Greet He greeted them, and asked what they were doing in this place. &&Explain The old man who was leading the hind told him the adventure of the merchant and the genii. &&Pleased The second old man had not sooner heard the story than he, too, decided to stay there to see what would happen. &&GestureDown He sat down by the others, and was talking, when a third old man arrived. &&GestureRight He asked why the merchant who was with them looked so sad. &&RestPose They told him the story, and he also resolved to see what would pass between the genii and the merchant, so waited with the rest. &&Idle2_1 They soon saw in the distance a thick smoke, like a cloud of dust. &&Show This smoke came nearer and nearer, and then, all at once, it vanished, and they saw the genii, who, without speaking to them, approached the merchant, sword in hand, and, taking him by the arm, said, "Get up and let me kill you as you killed my son." &&StopListening The merchant and the three old men began to weep and groan. &&GestureDown Then the old man leading the hind threw himself at the monster's feet and said, "O Prince of the Genii, I beg of you to stay your fury and to listen to me. &&Explain I am going to tell you my story and that of the hind I have with me, and if you find it more \map="marvelous"="marvellous"\ than that of the merchant whom you are about to kill, I hope that you will do away with a third part of his punishment?" &&RestPose The genii considered some time, and then he said, "Very well, I agree to this." $$CCGenie&&ca141fd0-ac7f-11d1-97A3-006008273003&&68&&155&&10 &&Idle2_1 The Story of the First Old Man and of the Hind &&Greet I am now going to begin my story (said the old man), so please attend. &&GestureRight This hind that you see with me is my wife. &&RestPose We have no children of our own, therefore I adopted the son of a favorite slave, and determined to make him my heir. &&Sad My wife, however, took a great dislike to both mother and child, which she concealed from me till too late. When my adopted son was about ten years old I was obliged to go on a journey. &&Explain Before I went I entrusted to my wife's keeping both the mother and child, and begged her to take care of them during my absence, which lasted a whole year. &&RestPose During this time she studied magic in order to carry out her wicked scheme. When she had learnt enough she took my son into a distant place and changed him into a calf. &&Blink Then she gave him to my steward, and told him to look after a calf she had bought. She also changed the slave into a cow, which she sent to my steward. &&Uncertain When I returned I inquired after my slave and the child. &&Sad "Your slave is dead," she said, "and as for your son, I have not seen him for two months, and I do not know where he is." &&StopListening I was grieved to hear of my slave's death, but as my son had only disappeared, I thought I should soon find him. Eight months, however, passed, and still no tidings of him; then the feast of Bairam came. &&GestureDown To celebrate it I ordered my steward to bring me a very fat cow to sacrifice. He did so. &&StopListening The cow that he brought was my unfortunate slave. &&StartListening I bound her, but just as I was about to kill her she began to low most \map="pit-eus-lee"="piteously"\, and I saw that her eyes were streaming with tears. &&Confused It seemed to me most extraordinary, and, feeling a movement of pity, I ordered the steward to lead her away and bring another. My wife, who was present, scoffed at my compassion, which made her malice of no avail. &&Explain "What are you doing?" she cried. "Kill this cow. &&RestPose It is the best we have to sacrifice." &&Blink To please her, I tried again, but again the animal's lows and tears disarmed me. &&GestureRight "Take her away," I said to the steward, "and kill her; I cannot." &&RestPose The steward killed her, but on skinning her found that she was nothing but bones, although she appeared so fat. I was vexed. &&Blink "Keep her for yourself," I said to the steward, "and if you have a fat calf, bring that in her stead." In a short time he brought a very fat calf, which, although I did not know it, was my son. &&Uncertain It tried hard to break its cord and come to me. &&GestureDown It threw itself at my feet, with its head on the ground, as if it wished to excite my pity, and to beg me not to take away its life. &&Surprised I was even more surprised and touched at this action than I had been at the tears of the cow. &&GestureRight "Go," I said to the steward, "take back this calf, take great care of it, and bring me another in its place instantly." &&DoMagic1 As soon as my wife heard me speak this she at once cried out, &&Explain "What are you doing, husband? Do not sacrifice any calf but this." &&Decline "Wife," I answered, "I will not sacrifice this calf," and in spite of all her remonstrances, I remained firm. I had another calf killed; this one was led away. $$CCGenie&&ca141fd0-ac7f-11d1-97A3-006008273003&&68&&155&&10 &&RestPose The next day the steward asked to speak to me in private. &&GestureDown "I have come," he said, "to tell you some news which I think you will like to hear. &&RestPose I have a daughter who knows magic. Yesterday, when I was leading back the calf which you refused to sacrifice, I noticed that she smiled, and then directly afterwards began to cry. &&Gestureup I asked her why she did so." &&Explain "Father," she answered, "this calf is the son of our master. &&DoMagic1 I smile with joy at seeing him still alive, &&Sad and I weep to think of his mother, who was sacrificed yesterday as a cow. These changes have been wrought by our master's wife, who hated the mother and son." &&Greet "At these words, oh Genii," continued the old man, &&RestPose "I leave you to imagine my astonishment. I went immediately with the steward to speak with his daughter myself. &&gestureup First of all I went to the stable to see my son, and he replied in his dumb way to all my caresses. When the steward's daughter came I asked her if she could change my son back to his proper shape." &&Pleased "Yes, I can," she replied, "on two conditions. One is that you will give him to me for a husband, and the other is that you will let me punish the woman who changed him into a calf." &&RestPose "To the first condition," I answered, "I agree with all my heart, and I will give you an ample dowry. &&Acknowledge To the second I also agree, I only beg you to spare her life." &&Greet "That I will do," she replied; "I will treat her as she treated your son." &&DoMagic1 &&DoMagic2 Then she took a vessel of water and pronounced over it some words I did not understand; then, on throwing the water over him, he became immediately a young man once more. &&Surprised "My son, my dear son," I exclaimed, kissing him in a transport of joy. &&GestureLeft "This kind maiden has rescued you from a terrible enchantment, &&Pleased and I am sure that out of gratitude you will marry her." &&GestureDown He consented joyfully, but before they were married, the young girl changed my wife into a hind, &&GestureRight and it is she whom you see before you. &&RestPose I wished her to have this form rather than a stranger one, so that we could see her in the family without repugnance. Since then my son has become a widower and has gone travelling. &&Sad I am now going in search of him, and not wishing to confide my wife to the care of other people, I am taking her with me. &&Greet Is this not a most \map="marvelous"="marvellous"\ tale? &&Acknowledge "It is indeed," said the genii, &&Greet "and because of it I grant to you the third part of the punishment of this merchant." &&RestPose $$CCGenie&&ca141fd0-ac7f-11d1-97A3-006008273003&&68&&155&&10 When the first old man had finished his story, the second, &&GestureLeft who was leading the two black dogs, said to the genii, &&Greet "I am going to tell you what happened to me, &&RestPose and I am sure that you will find my story even more astonishing than the one to which you have just been listening. &&Explain But when I have related it, will you grant me also the third part of the merchant's punishment?" &&Greet "Yes," replied the genii, "provided that your story surpasses that of the hind." &&RestPose With this agreement the second old man began in this way. &&Idle2_1 The Story of the Second Old Man, and of the Two Black Dogs &&Greet Great prince of the genii, you must know that we are three brothers-- &&GestureDown these two black dogs and myself. &&Sad Our father died, leaving us each a thousand sequins. &&Explain With this sum we all three took up the same profession, and became merchants. A short time after we had opened our shops, my eldest brother, one of these two dogs, &&GestureLeft resolved to travel in foreign countries for the sake of merchandise. &&RestPose With this intention he sold all he had and bought merchandise suitable to the voyages he was about to make. &&Explain He set out, and was away a whole year. At the end of this time a beggar came to my shop. &&Greet "Good-day," I said. "Good-day," he answered; &&Alert "is it possible that you do not \map="reh cog nize"="recognise"\ me?" Then I looked at him closely and saw he was my brother. &&Announce I made him come into my house, and asked him how he had fared in his enterprise. &&DoMagic1 "Do not question me," he replied, "see me, you see all I have. &&Sad It would but renew my trouble to tell of all the misfortunes that have befallen me in a year, and have brought me to this state." I shut up my shop, paid him every attention, taking him to the bath, &&Announce giving him my most beautiful robes. &&Read I examined my accounts, and found that I had doubled my capital, that is, that I now possessed two thousand sequins. &&Announce I gave my brother half, saying: "Now, brother, you can forget your losses." &&RestPose He accepted them with joy, and we lived together as we had before. &&Decline Some time afterwards my second brother wished also to sell his business and travel. My eldest brother and I did all we could to dissuade him, but it was of no use. &&GestureLeft He joined a caravan and set out. &&Sad He came back at the end of a year in the same state as his elder brother. I took care of him, and as I had a thousand sequins to spare &&GestureRight I gave them to him, and he re-opened his shop. $$CCGenie&&ca141fd0-ac7f-11d1-97A3-006008273003&&68&&155&&10 &&Announce One day, my two brothers came to me to propose that we should make a journey and trade. &&Decline At first I refused to go. "You travelled," I said, "and what did you gain?" &&Sad But they came to me repeatedly, and after having held out for five years I at last gave way. But when they had made their preparation, and they began to buy the merchandise we needed, &&Explain they found they had spent every piece of the thousand sequins I had given them. I did not reproach them. &&GestureLeft I divided my six thousand sequins with them, giving a thousand to each &&RestPose and keeping one for myself, &&GestureDown and the other three I buried in a corner of my house. &&RestPose We bought merchandise, loaded a vessel with it, and set forth with a favorable wind. &&Pleased After two months' sailing we arrived at a seaport, where we \map="dis em barked"="disembarked"\ and did a great trade. Then we bought the merchandise of the country, and were just going to sail once more, &&DoMagic1 when I was stopped on the shore by a beautiful though poorly dressed woman. &&GestureDown She came up to me, kissed my hand, and implored me to marry her, and take her on board. &&Think At first I refused, but she begged so hard and promised to be such a good wife to me, that at last I consented. &&Pleased I got her some beautiful dresses, and after having married her, &&GestureLeft we embarked and set sail. During the voyage, I discovered so many good qualities in my wife that I began to love her more and more. &&Uncertain But my brothers began to be jealous of my prosperity, and set to work to plot against my life. &&Announce One night when we were sleeping they threw my wife and myself into the sea. &&GestureUp My wife, however, was a fairy, and so she did not let me drown, but transported me to an island. &&RestPose When the day dawned, she said to me, &&LookDown "When I saw you on the sea-shore I took a great fancy to you, and wished to try your good nature, so I presented myself in the disguise you saw. Now I have rewarded you by saving your life. &&Blink But I am very angry with your brothers, and I shall not rest till I have taken their lives." &&Greet $$CCGenie&&ca141fd0-ac7f-11d1-97A3-006008273003&&68&&155&&10 I thanked the fairy for all that she had done for me &&GestureUp but I begged her not to kill my brothers. &&Sad I appeased her wrath, and in a moment she transported me from &&GestureRight the island where we were to the roof of my house, and she disappeared a moment afterwards. &&GestureDown I went down, and opened the doors, and dug up the three thousand sequins which I had buried. &&Explain I went to the place where my shop was, opened it, and received from my fellow-merchants congratulations on my return. &&DontRecognize When I went home, I saw two black dogs who came to meet me with sorrowful faces. I was much astonished, but the fairy who reappeared said to me, &&DoMagic1 "Do not be surprised to see these dogs; they are your two brothers. &&Announce I have condemned them to remain for ten years in these shapes." &&RestPose Then having told me where I could hear news of her, she vanished. &&Idle2_1 The ten years are nearly passed, and I am on the road to find her. &&GestureDown As in passing I met this merchant and the old man with the hind, &&RestPose I stayed with them. &&Greet This is my history, O prince of genii! &&Explain Do you not think it is a most marvelous one? &&Greet "Yes, indeed," replied the genii, &&Announce "and I will give up to you the third of the merchant's punishment." &&RestPose Then the third old man made the genii the same request as the other two had done, &&GestureLeft and the genii promised him the last third of the merchant's punishment if his story surpassed both the others. &&RestPose So he told his story to the genii, but I cannot tell you what it was, &&Explain as I do not know. &&Announce But I do know that it was even more marvelous than either of the others, &&RestPose so that the genii was astonished, and said to the third old man, &&Greet "I will give up to you the third part of the merchant's punishment. &&Explain He ought to thank all three of you for having interested yourselves in his favour. &&GestureRight But for you, he would be here no longer." So saying, he disappeared, to the great joy of the company. &&Hide The merchant did not fail to thank his friends, and then each went on his way. &&GestureLeft The merchant returned to his wife and children, and passed the rest of his days happily with them. &&Greet Thus ends the Tale of the Merchant and the Genii!