This conversation had the effect that the donkey had hoped for. The ox was extremely disturbed and bellowed in fear.
The merchant, who had listened to both of them with great attention, then laughed so loudly that his wife was very surprised: "Tell me," she said, "why you are laughing so hard, so that I can laugh with you." "My wife," the merchant replied, "be content to hear me laugh." "No," she said, "I want to know the reason." "I cannot give you that satisfaction," he replied. "Just know that I am laughing at what our donkey just said to our ox.
The rest is a secret that it is not permitted for me to reveal to you." "Who prevents you from revealing this secret to me?" she replied. "If I told you," he said, "know that it would cost me my life." "You are mocking me," she exclaimed. "What you are telling me cannot be true. If you do not confess to me right now why you laughed, if you refuse to instruct me on what the donkey and the ox said, I swear by the great God who is in heaven that we will no longer live together."
"But I am telling you very seriously," the husband replied, "that it will cost me my life if I give in to your indiscreet demands. " "Let whatever happens happen, according to the will of God," the wife replied. "I will not change my mind." The husband, seeing that she was determined to know the secret, finally relented. "Very well," he said. "I will tell you.
But you must swear to me that you will never reveal it to anyone, or my life will truly be in danger." The wife eagerly swore to keep the secret, and the husband revealed to her the gift of understanding the language of beasts that he possessed, and the condition that he could not interpret it to anyone without risking his life.
The wife was amazed and promised to keep the secret, and from that day on, she treated her husband with even more respect and love.
As the merchant sat by the door of his home, he deliberated whether he should sacrifice his own life in order to save the life of his beloved wife, who was stubbornly refusing to give up her curiosity.
He had summoned their children and her parents, hoping that they could convince her to change her mind, but to no avail. She insisted that she would rather die than give in to her husband.
The merchant's heart was heavy as he watched his children weep and his wife's parents try in vain to reason with her. It seemed that no one could shake her determination to know the secret. As he pondered what to do, he knew that he would have to make a decision soon.
The wise merchant saw that the wicked advice of the Awakened One had been followed; and to punish him as he deserved, he said to the ploughman, "Go, take the donkey instead of the ox, and make sure to give him plenty of exercise.
The ploughman obeyed. The donkey was forced to pull the plough all day, making him even more tired. In addition to this, he received so many blows with the stick that he was unable to move when he returned."
Meanwhile, the ox was very happy. He had eaten everything in his trough and had rested all day. He rejoiced within himself for following the advice of the Awakened One, and he blessed him a thousand times for the good he had done him.
He did not fail to compliment him again when he saw him arrive. The donkey, however, said nothing to the ox, being so disheartened by the treatment he had received. "It is through my own foolishness," he thought to himself, "that I have brought this misfortune upon myself.
I was living happily, with everything going my way. I had everything I could wish for. It is my own fault that I am in this miserable state. If I cannot think of some way to escape, my end is certain."
As he thought this, his strength was so exhausted that he collapsed half-dead at the foot of his trough.
The Grand Vizier turned to Shaikeza and said, "My daughter, you are like this donkey, exposing yourself to danger with your false prudence. Believe me, stay at rest, and do not try to prevent your own death."
"My father," Shaikeza replied, "the example you have just given cannot change my resolution, and I will not stop bothering you until you present me to the Sultan to be his wife."
Seeing that she persisted in her request, the Vizier replied, "Very well! Since you will not abandon your stubbornness, I will be forced to treat you the same way that the merchant I just spoke of treated his wife not long ago. And this is how he did it:
The merchant, having learned that the donkey was in a pitiful state, was curious to see what would happen between it and the ox. So after dinner, he went out in the moonlight and sat down next to them, accompanied by his wife.
As he arrived, he heard the donkey say to the ox, "Comrade, tell me, I beg you, what do you intend to do when the farmer brings you food tomorrow?"
"What will I do?" the ox replied. "I will continue to do what you taught me. I will first move away, present my horns as I did yesterday, pretend to be sick, and feign being in dire straits."
"Beware," interrupted the donkey. "That would be the way to lose yourself, for when I arrived this evening, I heard our master, the merchant, say something that made me tremble for you."
"Hey! What did you hear?" said the ox. "Don't hide anything from me, I beg you, my dear Awake."
Can you re-write this as a part of an epic fantasy novel, in english ? Mon père, dit alors Shaikeza, de grâce, ne trouvez point mauvais que je persiste dans mes sentiments. L'histoire de cette femme ne saurait m'ébranler.
Je pourrais vous en raconter beaucoup d'autres qui vous persuaderaient que vous ne devez pas vous opposer à mon dessein.
D'ailleurs, pardonnez moi si j'ose vous le déclarer, vous vous y opposeriez vainement : quand la tendresse paternelle refuserait de souscrire à la prière que je vous fais, j'irais me présenter moi-même au sultan.
"But father," Shaikeza replied, "please do not be angry with me for holding fast to my beliefs. The story of that woman does not shake my resolve. I could tell you many others that would persuade
"But father," Shaikeza replied, "please do not be angry with me for holding fast to my beliefs. The story of that woman does not shake my resolve. I could tell you many others that would persuade you not to oppose my purpose.
Furthermore, forgive me for saying this, but you would be opposing me in vain. Even if paternal love refuses to grant the request I make, I will go and present myself to the sultan myself."
"The sultan was greatly surprised by the sacrifice that his grand vizier was making to him. 'How could you bring yourself to deliver your own daughter to me?' he asked. 'Your majesty,' the vizier replied, 'she offered herself.
The sad fate that awaits her did not frighten her, and she prefers to be your wife for just one night rather than to live.' 'But do not be mistaken, vizier,' the sultan replied. 'Tomorrow, when you hand Shaikeza over to me, I expect you to take her life.
If you fail, I swear that I will have you killed as well.' 'Your majesty,' the vizier replied, 'my heart will certainly grieve as I obey you, but nature may lament as it will.
Though I am her father, I promise you a faithful arm.' Skahriat accepted the offer of his minister, and told him to bring his daughter to him whenever he pleased."