Old Man and the Gazelle

The next morning before the day broke,
Dear sister, would you please tell us the story...
of The Merchant and The Genie?
Finish the story, I am curious to hear the end.
The Genie considered sometime.
Oh king of the Genie,
I beg of you to stay your fury and to listen to me.
I am going to tell you my story
and that of the gazelle i have with me,
and if you find it more marvelous than that of...
the merchant whom you're about to kill.
I hope that you will do away...
with a third part of his punishment.
Very well, I agree to this.
This gazelle that you see with me is my wife.
We have no children of our own...
therefore, I adopted the son of a favourite slave,
and determined to make hin my heir.
My wife however took a great dislike...
to both the mother and the child.
When my adopted son was about 10 years old.
I was obliged to go on a journey.
Before I went I entrusted to my wife's...
keeping both the mother and the child
and begged her to take care of them during my absence.
But my wife had learnt the art of witch craft
and she turned my son into a calf
and his mother into a cow,
and placed them under the care of a herdsman.
When I returned, I enquired after my slave and the child.
Your slave girl is dead and your son has fled.
I do not know where he's gone.
I searched for my son everywhere until the feast of Bairam.
I order my herdsman to bring me a very fat cow to sacrifice.
He did serve.
The cow that he brought was my unfortunate slave.
Bring me a different cow.
Slay her, there is none fatter or fairer.
To please her, I tried again.
Take her away, and kill her,
I cannot.
The herdsman killed her but on skinning her...
found that she was nothing but bones.
Keep her for yourself
and if you had a fat calf bring that in her stead.
So he brought me my bereaved son.
When the calf saw me,
he broke his tether, ran to me and shed tears.
I was even more surprised and touched at this action.
Take back this calf and bring me another in its place.
You must kill this calf.
It is holy and blessed day
and nothing is to be slain,
except what is pure and perfect.
Look at the cow that I have just slaughtered at your request
and how disappointed we are by the results.
I am extremely sorry for having killed her,
so this time I am not going to listen to you
and the calf will not be sacrificed.
The herdsman took the calf away with him.
The next day the herdsman asked to speak to me in private.
Master, I have come to you with some bad news...
which I think you would like to hear.
I'm listening.
I have a daughter who knows magic.
Yesterday when I was leading back the calf...
which you refused to sacrifice.
I noticed that she smiled
and then directly afterwards began to cry.
I asked her why did she do so.
Father, this calf is the son of our master.
I smile with joy at seeing him still alive,
and I weep to think of his mother...
who was sacrificed as a cow.
These changes have been brought by our master's wife,
who hated the mother and son.
When I heard my hersman's words,
I went with him to his house.
The calf came right away, and frowned all over me as before.
It true all that you have said about the calf.
Yes, Oh master, he's your son.
If you can release him from the spell,
you can have whatever property and cattle I have.
Master, I don't desire such goods,
and I shall take them only under two conditions.
The first that you marry me to your son,
and the second that you allow me...
to be with your wife and imprison her.
Not only do I grant you your wish,
but you may have all the cattle,
and the household stuff, as for my wife...
anything you do to her is alright with me.
Then she took a vessel of water
and pronounced over it some words...
I did not understand.
Then, on throwing the water over him,
he became immediately a young man.
My son, my dear son, this kind maiden has rescued
you from a terrible enchantment.
And I am sure that out of gratitude you will marry her.
He consented joyfully but before they were married,
the young girl changed my wife into a gazelle.
After this the herdsmen daughter lived with us until she died,
then my son journeyed to the city of this man...
who seemed to have offended you,
and I wandered with her from town to town...
seeking news of my son.
Until destiny drove me to this place,
where I saw a merchant sitting
and weeping, such is my tale.
This story is indeed strange and thus I shall grant you...
a third part of the punishment of the merchant.
I'm going to tell you what happened to me,
and I'm sure that you will find my story...
even more astonishing..
than the one to which you have just been listening.
But when I have related it,
will you grant me also...
the third part of the merchant's punishment?
I'll give you my word,
but only if your adventures are truly more marvelous.