"I shall now begin my tale," said the old man. "Pray attend.
This hind you see with me is my wife. Having no children of our own, I adopted the son of a favorite slave and resolved to make him my heir.
My wife, however, conceived a great hatred for both mother and child, which she concealed from me until it was too late. When my adopted son was about ten, I was obliged to undertake a journey. Before departing, I entrusted the mother and child to my wife's care, begging her to look after them during my year-long absence. In that time, she studied magic to execute her wicked plan. Once proficient, she took my son to a distant place and transformed him into a calf. She then gave him to my steward, claiming she had bought the calf and instructing him to tend it. She also changed the slave into a cow and sent her to the steward.
Upon my return, I inquired after the slave and the child. 'Your slave is dead,' my wife said, 'and as for your son, I have not seen him for two months and know not where he is.'
I was grieved by the slave's death, but as my son had merely disappeared, I thought I should soon find him. Yet eight months passed with no tidings of him until the feast of Bairam arrived.
To celebrate, I ordered my steward to bring a fat cow for sacrifice. The cow he brought was my unfortunate slave. As I bound her and raised the knife, she began to low most piteously, her eyes streaming with tears. Astonished and moved by pity, I ordered the steward to lead her away and bring another. My wife, who was present, scoffed at my compassion, which thwarted her malice. 'What are you doing?' she cried. 'Kill this cow. It is the finest we have.'
To please her, I tried again, but again the animal's pleas disarmed me.
'Take her away and kill her,' I told the steward. 'I cannot.'
The steward did so, but upon skinning her, found she was mere bones beneath her fat appearance. Vexed, I said to him, 'Keep her for yourself. If you have a fat calf, bring it instead.'
Soon he brought a very fat calf, which, unknown to me, was my son. The calf strained against its cord to reach me, throwing itself at my feet and laying its head on the ground as if begging for its life.
I was even more surprised and touched by this than by the cow's tears.
'Go,' I said to the steward. 'Take back this calf, care for it well, and bring me another instantly.'
My wife immediately cried out, 'Husband, what are you doing? You must sacrifice this calf and no other.'
'Wife,' I answered, 'I will not sacrifice this calf.' Despite all her remonstrances, I remained firm.
I had another calf killed, and the first was led away. The next day, the steward asked to speak with me privately.
'I have news you will be glad to hear,' he said. 'I have a daughter skilled in magic. Yesterday, as I led back the calf you spared, she first smiled, then wept. I asked her why.'
'Father,' she answered, 'this calf is our master's son. I smile for joy that he lives, and I weep for his mother, sacrificed yesterday as a cow. These transformations were wrought by our master's wife, who hated them both.'
At these words, O Genius, imagine my astonishment. I went at once with the steward to speak to his daughter. First, I visited the stable to see my son, who responded mutely to my caresses. When the steward's daughter arrived, I asked if she could restore him.
'Yes,' she replied, 'on two conditions: first, that you give him to me as my husband; second, that you allow me to punish the woman who changed him.'
'To the first,' I answered, 'I agree wholeheartedly and will provide a generous dowry. To the second, I also agree, only I beg you to spare her life.'
'That I shall do,' she said. 'I will treat her as she treated your son.'
She then took a vessel of water, uttered words I did not understand, and cast the water upon him. Instantly, he became a young man again.
'My son, my dear son!' I exclaimed, kissing him in a transport of joy. 'This kind maiden has saved you from a terrible enchantment. Out of gratitude, you will marry her, I am sure.'
He consented joyfully. But before the wedding, the young girl changed my wife into a hind—the very one you see before you. I preferred this form to a stranger one, so we might see her in the family without repugnance.
Since then, my son has been widowed and has gone travelling. I am now searching for him and, unwilling to entrust my wife to others, I bring her with me. Is this not a marvellous tale?"
"It is indeed," said the genius. "For its sake, I grant you one third of this merchant's due punishment."
When the first old man had finished, the second, who led two black dogs, said to the genius, "I shall tell you what befell me, and I am certain you will find it even more astonishing than the story you have just heard. When I have related it, will you grant me also a third of the merchant's punishment?"
"Yes," replied the genius, "provided your story surpasses that of the hind."
With this agreement, the second old man began his tale.