Father scolds Omer every day - it’s enough for you to hang around girls, enough to strum on the vestibule and wander around the streets of Sarajevo, it’s time to think about business!
“We’ve become old, son, we don’t have the strength to work.” And you are young - who, if not you, will feed us and give us something to drink?!
Omer is a famous Sarajevo rake. Wandering from house to house, from window to window - that's what he does all day. People understood that it was too early for Omer to get married: he was young and green, he still wanted to go for a walk, and there was a big obstacle - a skinny wallet. It was clear to everyone that the guy was courting girls out of frivolity, out of mischief. And shame and dishonor fell on the heads of his unfortunate parents. Longing and sadness shortened their days; Omer’s mother and father died.
He was left with three little orphans in his arms in an empty and ruined house. In truth, he had long dreamed of getting rid of his parents’ eyes and hanging out without any interference, but he soon became convinced of what it was like to live without parents, when his head was spinning from worries and troubles.
- Who will weave, strain and sweep the house? It's time to say goodbye to pranks!
Reasoning in this way, Omer exclaimed:
- Bring my vestibule here! There is nothing else left to do but get married!
And with a vestibule under the hollow he appeared at Meira’s window. The sun had already set, it was the hour of yation - the last Muslim prayer. A candle was burning in Meira’s window, someone was whispering in the room. Omer knocked on the window - the whispering stopped; began to sing, plucking the strings, and the candle went out.
For three nights in a row, Omer came under the beauty’s window and, saddened, returned home. Meira never responded to his call. On the fourth night the young rake came under the window again.
“I’ll sing to Meira for the last time and never set foot here again!”
He tuned the tambour well and began to sing in a sad voice:
Play, my magician!
Reveler bow, touch the strings!
You have fed me more than once when I was hungry,
Gave me water
And the girls with their song
She called me.
Play, my magician!
Reveler bow, touch the strings!
I'm languishing under Meira's window in vain
And days and nights,
But even beautiful eyes won’t look at me!
Suddenly the candle in the room went out and the window opened. Omer cannot remember himself with happiness: finally, he thinks, he has achieved his goal.
- You're crazy, Omer! - says Meira. - What kind of antics are these! Why on earth did you get into the habit of coming under my windows? Keep in mind that nothing will come of your idea!
The merriment instantly drained from Omer. He became sad and hung his head. Meira saw how sad and confused he was, and said:
- Stupid! Are you thinking about marrying me? Come on, admit it, Omer!
- Yes! - he answered.
- Get this nonsense out of your head! - says the girl. - This is impossible! You don’t have a crust of bread in your house, and you still dream about getting married. I know you’ll say now that we’re birds of a feather! True, my parents are also poor, but take into account that in all of Sarajevo you cannot find a girl more beautiful than me, therefore, I will certainly be happy. There will be a groom for me from some rich house. But listen to me, Omer! It is not silver and gold that is dear, but what is dear to the heart! I wouldn’t trade you for the whole city, but holy is the parental prohibition. I don’t dare cross it! I need to marry someone who will make me happy, and who will provide my parents with a peaceful old age... All their hope is in me alone.
Omer perked up a little at her words:
- If this is the case, then tell me, how much will it take to ransom you?
- Not so much! - Meira answered. - Open a shop, start a trade so that you can feed my parents and your orphans and sell some clothes.
- Goodbye! - Omer exclaimed. - Good night, Meira! I understand everything, and if I succeed, I'll see you tomorrow.
Omer left, carrying hope and anxiety in his heart.
“If I manage to borrow money, I’ll be the happiest person in the world, but if I don’t succeed, I’ll be the most miserable.”
He didn't sleep a wink all night, dreaming in reality. And when morning came, I didn’t know what to do with joy. Omer remembered that he had a bosom friend - a rich merchant.
“All my hope is in Isakara, I have no one else to ask for money!” - thought Omer and began to get ready for the journey.
He found his friend at home and began to beg him to borrow thirty wallets of money. The merchant, it seemed, was ready to give his life for his Friend not only for money.
“It will be a great joy for me if the beautiful Meira becomes your bride!” - said Isakar. And he asked when Omer would be able to repay the debt.
“In seven years,” he answered.
- Hey, buddy! What if after seven years you don’t return the money to me?
I don’t know who advised the friends, but they concluded an agreement, which the qadi later approved, and according to the agreement, in case of non-payment of the debt exactly seven years later, Isakar was free to cut off the drachma of Omer’s tongue in court and thereby put an end to the litigation.
The groom almost lost his mind with delight! That day he didn’t lift a finger, he kept dreaming of what a luxurious wedding feast he would give and what brocade and velvet outfits he would buy for his Meira! In a word, Omer doesn’t even care about how to repay his friend such a large debt; he has only one thing on his mind - how to spend the money as quickly as possible.
A month later, Omer brought Meira to his rich house. The wedding feast lasted for a whole week. There were a lot of guests, wine flowed like a river. A week later the invitees went home. Omer remained with his beautiful Meira.
All the guests were amazed at the luxurious decoration in Omer’s house, and Omer began to heal - like running! However, let them think whatever they want, let us better return to Omer.
There has long been a saying: “Craft is more valuable than gold!” And there is one more: “Don’t mind your own business!” Omer did not have the heart for trading, and he carried it out carelessly. When he had fifteen wallets left, he decided to put them all into circulation. Yes, not everyone’s trade works out well—it didn’t work out for Omer either. True, his shop was filled with goods. But which one? Salt, tobacco, splinters, birch brooms, and to get something else and put it on the counter - Omer didn’t care about that.
Four years have passed. Omer's face was bright, and the shadow of sadness never darkened him. Apparently, he forgot to think about the agreement, and even about his duty. But now the fifth year has come since the deal was concluded; Omer is spinning, his thoughts are tormenting him alone. In his seventh year, the poor fellow became so thin that he was unrecognizable. His wife and friends hear Omer sighing heavily. But no matter how much they inquire why he is overcome by melancholy, Omer only brushes it off: the man has lost all hope of salvation.
- Leave me alone, I’m lost anyway!
And so every time.
And the beautiful Meira knew about the terrible agreement from the very first days it was concluded - the merchant Isakar told her everything. And yet she did not lose heart, she believed that this misfortune could be helped, otherwise she would not have married Omer. And really, what woman wants to have a husband without a tongue?
- Well, it's time! - Meira exclaimed one day. - A gift under the floor - and kneel before the kadi!
She did this for two days in a row.
“And this woman seems to be shy in front of me,” the qadi decided. “Surely he wants to ask me for some kind of favor, but he doesn’t dare open up.”
On the third morning, Meira went to the qadi again. Brings him an expensive gift. She kissed the hem of his robe and, as usual, took off running. But the qadi blinked at the servants, and the fugitive was detained.
- Oh woman! - exclaimed the qadi. “This is the third time you can’t overcome your embarrassment.” What kind of mercy do you expect from me? Speak!
And that’s all Meira needs. She put one hand to her forehead and the other to her heart and answered:
- Kadiy! Your kindness has loosened my tongue... Allow me to sit in your place in court next Friday for just one hour.
- Oh woman! If you feel like it, sit here all day. I swear by Islam! Do me a favor!
Meira kissed the qadi's shoe, kissed the holy carpet, thanked her and, saying goodbye, left. Now she could wait until Friday with peace of mind.
And then Friday came, the day the contract was concluded, the day when Omer was obliged to repay his debt. How could he get thirty wallets of money when he didn’t even have change in his pocket! This means that Isakar will cut off a piece of his tongue at the trial.
Meira got up just before dawn. Kadiy barely waited for her, gave her his vestments and gladly placed a white judicial turban on her head. He himself couldn’t wait to see how the woman would judge. The qadi hid in the next room and began to watch Meira through a small window in the door. Before our beardless qadi had time to light a hookah filled with fragrant tobacco, the merchant and Omer appeared in court... They bowed, as expected, huddled against the walls and wiped away their tears... Meanwhile, the kadi took a drag and blew out six rings of smoke. He doesn’t ask right away, he waits a few minutes.
Kadiy. Why did you come, merchants?
Merchant. Judge us, dear effendi!
Kadiy. How are things going?
Merchant. Okay, thank God!
Then Isakar told the qadi how seven years ago he lent Omer thirty wallets and agreed with his friend that if the debt was not paid, he would cut off a piece of his tongue.
“This is the business we came to you for,” Isakar finished.
Kadiy. Debtor, do you admit that you have entered into an agreement? What is your name? Did the merchant tell the truth?
Omer (through tears, sobbing). Effendi, he told the absolute truth!
Kadiy opened the book of laws and began to leaf through it, turning page after page. Then I came across some place and began to re-read it, moving my lips...
- Yes, yes, your truth! It’s written in the same way in the holy book,” said the qadi. -Did you bring a razor? he asked.
- But of course! - Isakar answered.
- Hey, merchant! - the Kadi suddenly exclaimed in a stern voice. “Make sure you don’t make a mistake, you must cut exactly a drachma from his tongue, according to the agreement, otherwise you will never pay back!”
The merchant was confused.
- God be with you, dear effendi! Why are you saying that? If I accidentally take too much, I am ready to compensate for the loss with gold, and if Omer wants, let him cut off the same piece from my tongue. If I don’t get it, consider that I gave him this little money.
- Be silent, you insolent! - the kadi shouted angrily. - Look... You decided to impose your laws on the court! What a kadi showed up! It’s not just the covetous who are met with truth halfway! Cut it immediately!
This was bad luck, this was the torment that befell the merchant.
- Sorry, dear effendi! I don’t want to interfere in judicial affairs. Everyone knows that you are appointed to judge according to the holy book, and my business is a side. I give him thirty wallets! I don’t need his tongue!.. Omer and I are friends!..
From these words of Isakara, the qadi became even more furious and shouted to his servants:
- Hey, the executioner is here! Now I will teach this merchant to obey the court!.. Cut him this minute!
The executioner came running, snatched the saber from its sheath, and the merchant fell to his knees, kissed the hem of the judge's robe and begged for mercy. Kadiy is adamant and insists:
- Cut your tongue, or take your head off your shoulders!
The merchant realized that he couldn’t get out without a bribe.
- Dear effendi! Take yourself thirty wallets! And I forgive the debtor! Just spare me from this misfortune, I don’t want to cut my tongue, much less my friend Omer... Have mercy, effendi! I ask you as my own father! Have mercy! The demon misled me, forgive me!
- Chop the dog! - the kadi barked.
The executioner dragged the unfortunate merchant, but he tenaciously grabbed onto the qadi:
- Have mercy, effendi, if you are a true believer!
Here Omer flew up to the qadi, hugged him and prayed for his comrade. The young qadi was just waiting for this:
“So be it, I forgive him at Omer’s request.” But let him know that Turkish laws are harder than stone. The merchant would have to experience the hard way what a Muslim court is!
Isakar counted out thirty purses of money to the qadi; Kadi forced him to kiss Omer.
“And now I will write in the court book that the litigation is over and no one owes anyone any more.”
For the last time, the friends venerated the Holy Koran and the Qadi’s morocco shoes, thanked him for a fair trial, for his fatherly kindness, and left.
Before one door had time to close, the second one opened, and a real Qadi entered the courtroom. He writhes with laughter and says:
- Oh woman! There is more wisdom in your head than in the Koran, may Allah forgive me! Really, if you were a man, a better qadi could not be found in Istanbul itself!
Meira thanked the qadi for his favor and offered him fifteen purses from the money taken from the merchant. But the qadi did not want to accept money from the woman and gave her another wallet. Meira, as expected, kissed the hem of his robe, lowered the white veil over his face and, ahead of her husband, was the first to return home. Omer lingered in the coffee shop. And when he approached the house and opened the gate, Meira saw him through the window and began to tease him.
“Here comes Omer with his tongue cut out,” she lisped.
- But I didn’t guess! - answered Omer.
And Meira pretended to be surprised - why did her husband pronounce his words clearly, as always.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru