Aladdin and Other Tales from the Arabian Nights by N. J. Dawood

Author:N. J. Dawood
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141952314
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2009-08-31T04:00:00+00:00

THE DONKEY

Two rogues once saw a simple-looking fellow leading a donkey on the end of a long rope on a deserted road.

‘Watch this,’ said one to the other. ‘I will take that beast and make a fool of its master. Come along and you will see.’

He crept up behind the simple fellow without a sound, unfastened the rope from the donkey, and put it around his own neck. He then jogged along in the donkey’s place, while his friend made off with the beast.

Suddenly the thief, with the donkey’s rope around his neck, stopped in his tracks and would go no farther. The silly fellow, feeling the pull on the rope, looked over his shoulder, and was utterly amazed to find his donkey changed into a human being.

‘Who in heaven’s name are you?’ he cried.

‘Sir,’ the thief replied, ‘I am your donkey; but my story is quite extraordinary. It all happened one day when I came home very drunk – as I always did. My poor old mother scolded me terribly and begged me to mend my ways. But I took my stick and beat her. In her anger she called down Allah’s curse upon me, and I was at once changed into the donkey that has served you faithfully all these years. My mother must have taken pity on me and prayed today to the Almighty to change me back into human shape.’

‘Good Heavens!’ cried the simpleton, who believed every word of the rascal’s story. ‘Please forgive all that I have done to you and all the hardships you put up with in my service.’

He let the robber go and returned home, bewildered and upset.

‘What has come over you, and where is your donkey?’ asked his wife when she saw him.

He told her the strange story.

‘Allah will be angry with us,’ the woman cried, wringing her hands, ‘for having used a human being so cruelly.’

And she fell down on her knees, praying for forgiveness.

For several days afterward the simple fellow stayed idle at home. At last his wife told him to go and buy another donkey, so that he could do some useful work again. He went off to the market, and as he was taking a look at the animals on sale, he was astonished to see his own donkey among them. When he had identified the beast beyond all doubt, he whispered in its ear, ‘Well, you old scoundrel! Have you been drinking and beating your mother again? Upon my life, I will not buy you this time!’

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.