“You have put out my son’s eye,” said he, “by throwing the stone into it, and now you shall pay for the deed with your life.”
The poor merchant begged and implored for mercy, but the magician refused. At last the merchant asked that he might be allowed to go home and settle his affairs. and distribute his goods amongst his family, after which he promised to return.
To this the magician consented, so the merchant departed, and spent a last happy year with his wife and children. Then, after dividing his goods amongst them, bade them farewell, and with many tears, left them, that he might return to the magician and fulfil his promise.
Arrived at the spot, he saw an old man, who asked him why he came to such a place. “A wicked magician lives here,” said he, “who kills people, or else changes them into animals or birds.”
“Alas!” cried the unfortunate merchant, “that is just what my fate will be, for I have come in fulfilment of a promise to return after a year and be killed.”
Just then two other old men came, and, while the four were conversing together, the magician, sword in hand, suddenly appeared and rushed at the merchant to kill him.
On this the old man interceded, and said: “O Magician, if what I have suffered be more than you have suffered in the loss of your son’s eye, then indeed give this man double punishment: let me, I beg you, tell my story.”
“Say on,” said the magician.
“Do you see this deer?” said the old man; “it is my wife. I was once married to a wife, but after a time I wearied of her, and married another wife, who presented me with a son. I took both the woman and her child to my first wife, and asked her to feed and take care of them; but she, being jealous, changed my wife into a cow, and my son into a calf. After a year I returned and enquired after my wife and child. My first wife said: ‘Your wife is dead, and for the last two days your child has been missing.’
“Now it happened at that time that I wanted to offer a sacrifice, and, asking for a suitable offering, my second wife was brought to me. She fell at my feet, and looked so unhappy that I could not kill her, and sent her away. Then my wife grew very angry, and insisted upon the sacrifice. At last I consented, and the poor cow was killed.[1]