The Story Of The Second Old Man And Of The Two Black Dogs

: The Arabian Nights Entertainments

Great prince of the genii, you must know that we are three

brothers--these two black dogs and myself. Our father died, leaving us

each a thousand sequins. 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, resolved to travel in

foreign countries for the sake of merchandise. With this intention he

sold al he had and bought merchandise suitable to the voyages he was

about to make. He set out, and was away a whole year. At the end of

this time a beggar came to my shop. "Good-day," I said. "Good-day,"

he answered; "is it possible that you do not recognise me?" Then I

looked at him closely and saw he was my brother. I made him come into

my house, and asked him how he had fared in his enterprise.



"Do not question me," he replied, "see me, you see all I have. 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,

giving him my most beautiful robes. I examined my accounts, and found

that I had doubled my capital--that is, that I now possessed two

thousand sequins. I gave my brother half, saying: "Now, brother, you

can forget your losses." He accepted them with joy, and we lived

together as we had before.



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. He joined a caravan and set out. 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 I gave them to

him, and he re-opened his shop.



One day, my two brothers came to me to propose that we should make a

journey and trade. At first I refused to go. "You travelled," I said,

"and what did you gain?" 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, they found they had spent every piece of the thousand sequins I

had given them. I did not reproach them. I divided my six thousand

sequins with them, giving a thousand to each and keeping one for

myself, and the other three I buried in a corner of my house. We

bought merchandise, loaded a vessel with it, and set forth with a

favorable wind.



After two months' sailing we arrived at a seaport, where we disembarked

and did a great trade. Then we bought the merchandise of the country,

and were just going to sail once more, when I was stopped on the shore

by a beautiful though poorly dressed woman. She came up to me, kissed

my hand, and implored me to marry her, and take her on board. At first

I refused, but she begged so hard and promised to be such a good wife

to me, that at last I consented. I got her some beautiful dresses, and

after having married her, 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. But my brothers began to be jealous of my prosperity,

and set to work to plot against my life. One night when we were

sleeping they threw my wife and myself into the sea. My wife, however,

was a fairy, and so she did not let me drown, but transported me to an

island. When the day dawned, she said to me,



"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. But I am very

angry with your brothers, and I shall not rest till I have taken their

lives."



I thanked the fairy for all that she had done for me, but I begged her

not to kill my brothers.



I appeased her wrath, and in a moment she transported me from the

island where we were to the roof of my house, and she disappeared a

moment afterwards. I went down, and opened the doors, and dug up the

three thousand sequins which I had buried. I went to the place where

my shop was, opened it, and received from my fellow-merchants

congratulations on my return. 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,



"Do not be surprised to see these dogs; they are your two brothers. I

have condemned them to remain for ten years in these shapes." Then

having told me where I could hear news of her, she vanished.



The ten years are nearly passed, and I am on the road to find her. As

in passing I met this merchant and the old man with the hind, I stayed

with them.



This is my history, O prince of genii! Do you not think it is a most

marvellous one?



"Yes, indeed," replied the genius, "and I will give up to you the third

of the merchant's punishment."



Then the third old man made the genius the same request as the other

two had done, and the genius promised him the last third of the

merchant's punishment if his story surpassed both the others.



So he told his story to the genius, but I cannot tell you what it was,

as I do not know.



But I do know that it was even more marvellous than either of the

others, so that the genius was astonished, and said to the third old

man, "I will give up to you the third part of the merchant's

punishment. He ought to thank all three of you for having interested

yourselves in his favour. But for you, he would be here no longer."



So saying, he disappeared, to the great joy of the company. The

merchant did not fail to thank his friends, and then each went on his

way. The merchant returned to his wife and children, and passed the

rest of his days happily with them.



"But, sire," added Scheherazade, "however beautiful are the stories I

have just told you, they cannot compare with the story of the

Fisherman."