"The Merchant" is a story from "The Arabian Nights" (also known as "One Thousand and One Nights"), a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled during the Islamic Golden Age. Here is a summary of one of the stories featuring a merchant:
The Merchant and the Demon
Summary
Once upon a time, there was a wealthy merchant who embarked on a journey for his business. One hot day, he stopped to rest by a stream. He took out some dates from his bag, ate them, and threw the pits away. As he was about to drink some water, a fearsome demon appeared before him, brandishing a sword.
The demon accused the merchant of killing his son by throwing the date pits, which had struck and killed the demon's invisible son. The merchant was terrified and pleaded for his life. The demon, however, was resolute in seeking revenge and intended to kill the merchant.
Seeing no escape, the merchant requested a delay to settle his affairs and bid farewell to his family. The demon, surprisingly, granted him one year to return and make peace with his loved ones, under the condition that he would come back to the same spot to face his fate.
The merchant returned home, sorted out his business, and spent time with his family, explaining his predicament. As the year passed, he tearfully bade goodbye to his family and returned to the appointed place, ready to meet the demon.
On his way, he met three old men who each had fascinating tales of their own. They decided to accompany him to see the demon. When they arrived, the demon appeared and was about to kill the merchant. However, the first old man, who had with him a gazelle, asked if the demon would spare a third of the merchant's life if his story was more wondrous than the crime the merchant was accused of. The demon agreed.
The First Old Man's Tale
The first old man revealed that the gazelle was actually his wife. She had been transformed by magic as a punishment for her infidelity and cruelty. The demon was impressed by the tale and agreed to spare a third of the merchant's life.
The Second Old Man's Tale
The second old man had two black dogs with him. He told the story of how they were his brothers, who had squandered their wealth and plotted to kill him out of jealousy. A benevolent spirit saved him and turned his brothers into dogs as punishment. The demon, equally impressed by this tale, spared another third of the merchant's life.
The Third Old Man's Tale
The third old man recounted his story involving a mule, who was once his wife. She had used black magic to transform a slave girl into a cow, which he inadvertently almost sacrificed. Eventually, she was transformed into a mule as retribution for her evil deeds. This story too impressed the demon, who then spared the remaining third of the merchant's life.
Impressed and moved by these extraordinary stories, the demon forgave the merchant entirely and departed, leaving the merchant grateful and wiser for his experience.
Moral
The story of "The Merchant and the Demon" teaches themes of fate, justice, and the power of storytelling. It underscores the importance of mercy, the value of cleverness, and how one's actions can have unforeseen consequences.
These tales within tales, typical of "The Arabian Nights," create a rich tapestry of narrative, demonstrating the art of storytelling and the interwoven lives of different characters.
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