Know, O Jinni, that this gazelle is the daughter of my paternal uncle, my own flesh and blood. I married her when she was a young maiden, and I lived with her well for nearly thirty years, yet was I not blessed with a child by her. So I took a concubine, who brought to me the blessing of a male child—fair as the full moon, with eyes of lovely shine and eyebrows which formed one line, and limbs of perfect design.

Little by little he grew in stature and became tall. When he was a youth of fifteen years, it became necessary for me to journey to certain cities, and I travelled with a great store of goods. But the daughter of my uncle—this gazelle—had learned magic and sorcery and the arts of enchantment from her childhood. So she bewitched my son, turning him into a calf, and transformed my handmaid, his mother, into a heifer, and gave them over to the herdsman's care.

When I returned after a long time from my journey and asked for my son and his mother, she answered me, saying, "Your slave girl is dead, and your son has fled—I know not where he has gone." So I remained for a whole year with a grieving heart and streaming eyes until the time came for the Great Festival of Allah. Then I sent word to my herdsman bidding him choose for me a fat heifer, and he brought me one who was the very maid, my handmaid, whom this gazelle had bewitched. I tucked up my sleeves and took a knife, and proceeded to cut her throat, but she lowed aloud and wept bitter tears. At that I marvelled, and pity seized me, and I held my hand, saying to the herdsman, "Bring me another." Then my cousin cried out, "Slay her, for I do not have a fatter or fairer!" Once more I went forward to sacrifice her, but she lowed aloud again, and in pity I refrained. I commanded the herdsman to slay her and flay her. He killed her and skinned her, but found in her neither fat nor flesh, only hide and bone. And I repented when repentance could avail me nothing.

I gave her to the herdsman and said to him, "Fetch me a fat calf," so he brought my son, still ensorcelled. When the calf saw me, he broke his tether and ran to me, fawning upon me, wailing and shedding tears. I took pity on him and said to the herdsman, "Bring me a heifer instead, and let this calf go!" At that, my cousin—this gazelle—called out to me, saying, "You must kill this calf! This is a holy day, a blessed day, on which nothing is slain save what is perfect and pure, and we have not among our calves any fatter or fairer than this!"

I said, "Look at the condition of the heifer which I slaughtered at your bidding—how we turned from her in disappointment, and she profited us in no way. I repent with exceeding repentance for having killed her, so this time I will not obey your bidding to sacrifice this calf." She said, "By God the Most Great, the Compassionate! There is no help for it—you must kill him on this holy day, and if you do not kill him, then to me you are no man and I am no wife to you."

When I heard those hard words, not knowing her object, I went up to the calf, knife in hand— Then her sister said to her, "How fair is your tale, and how pleasant, and how sweet and delightful!" Shahrazad answered her, "What is this compared to what I could tell you on the coming night, if I live and the King spares me?" Then the King said to himself, "By God, I will not slay her until I have heard the rest of her tale." So they slept the rest of that night in mutual embrace until day fully broke. When morning came, the King went forth to his audience hall, while the Wazir went up carrying his daughter's shroud under his arm. The King issued his orders, promoting some and dismissing others, until the end of the day, but he told the Wazir nothing of what had happened. The Minister wondered greatly at this, and when the court broke up, King Shahryar entered his palace.

When it was the Second night.

Dunyazad said to her sister Shahrazad, "O my sister, finish for us that story of the Merchant and the Jinni," and Shahrazad answered, "With joy and gladly, if the King will permit me." Then the King said, "Tell your tale."

Shahrazad began in these words: It has reached me, O Heaven-directed Ruler, that when the merchant intended to sacrifice the calf but saw it weeping, his heart relented, and he said to the herdsman, "Keep the calf among my cattle." All of this the old Shaykh recounted to the Jinni, who marvelled greatly at these strange words.

Then the owner of the gazelle continued: "O Lord of the Kings of the Jann, this is what took place. My uncle's daughter, this gazelle, looked on and saw it, and said, 'Slaughter this calf for me, for surely it is a fine one.' But I bade the herdsman take it away, and he took it and turned his face homeward.

"On the next day, as I was sitting in my own house, the herdsman came and, standing before me, said, 'O my master, I have something to tell you that shall gladden your soul and earn me the gift of good tidings.' I answered, 'Tell me.' Then he said, 'O master, I have a daughter who learned magic in her childhood from an old woman who lived with us. Yesterday, when you gave me the calf, I brought it into the house to her. She looked upon it and veiled her face, then wept and laughed by turns, and at last she said: "O my father, has my honour become so cheap to you that you bring strangers into this house?" I he asked, "What strangers? Why were you laughing and crying?" And she answered, "In truth, this calf that is with you is the son of our master, the merchant, but he is ensorcelled by his stepmother, who bewitched both him and his mother. That is the cause of my laughing. As for my weeping, it is for his mother, for his father slew her unknowingly." I marvelled greatly at this and could hardly wait for dawn to come and tell you.'

"When I heard these words from my herdsman, O Jinni, I went out with him, overcome with joy and gladness beyond measure, until I reached his house. There his daughter welcomed me and kissed my hand, and immediately the calf came and fawned upon me as before. I said to the herdsman's daughter, 'Is what you say of this calf true?' She said, 'Yes, O my master, he is your son, the very light of your eyes.' I rejoiced and said to her, 'O maiden, if you will release him, all the cattle and property under your father's hand shall be yours.'"

She smiled and answered, "O my master, I have no greed for the goods, and I will not accept them except on two conditions. First, that you marry me to your son, and second, that I may bewitch the one who bewitched him and imprison her, otherwise I cannot protect myself from her malice and spells." When I heard these words from the herdsman's daughter, O Jinni, I replied, "Beyond what you ask, all the cattle and household goods in your father's charge are yours. As for the daughter of my uncle, her blood is lawful to you." When I had spoken, she took a cup and filled it with water, then recited a spell over it and sprinkled it upon the calf, saying, "If Almighty Allah created you as a calf, remain in that shape and do not change; but if you are under enchantment, return to your true form by command of Allah Most High!" And behold, he trembled and became a man.

Then I fell upon his neck and said, "In God's name, tell me all that the daughter of my uncle did to you and to your mother." When he told me what had come to pass, I said, "O my son, Allah has favoured you with one who restored you, and your right is returned to you."

Then, O Jinni, I married the herdsman's daughter to my son, and she transformed my wife into this gazelle, saying, "Her form is comely and by no means loathsome." After this, she dwelt with us night and day until the Almighty took her to Himself. When she died, my son travelled forth to the cities of India, to the very city of this man who has now done to you what was done to him. And I took this gazelle, my cousin, and wandered with her from town to town, seeking tidings of my son, until Destiny brought me to this place, where I saw the merchant sitting in tears. Such is my tale!"

The Jinni said, "This story is indeed strange, and therefore I grant you a third part of this man's blood."

Thereupon the second old man, who owned the two greyhounds, came forward and said, "O Jinni, if I recount to you what befell me from my brothers, these two hounds, and you find it even more wondrous and marvellous than what you have heard, will you grant me also a third of this man's blood?" The Jinni replied, "You have my word on it, if your tale is more marvellous and wondrous." Thereupon he began