Late at night, when Rashid Seetarazad was already asleep, there was a knock on his door. The teacher opened the door. A traveler stood on the threshold.
- Oh Rashid! - said the traveler. - The earth is full of rumors about your kindness! Let me stay overnight!
What was to be done? Rashid let him in, gave him water to wash his feet and fed him dinner.
-What made you wander? asked Sitharazad.
“Human greed and greed,” answered the traveler. “I, gullible and pure in heart, was deceived.
- Is that so? Tell.
- I was rich. I had half a huge flock of sheep and half a large house filled with goods. But I lost everything because of an insidious and greedy woman - my wife. O spawn of Satan!
- Tell me more.
The traveler refused for a long time, but then reluctantly agreed.
“I have always been a poor wanderer,” he began. - However, thanks to his bright mind, one fine day he instantly became rich. I came to a noble merchant and said:
- You, dear one, have a large flock of sheep.
“Yes,” he answered.
-Will you sell me half? - I asked.
“I’ll sell it if you give it a good price,” he said.
I replied:
- I will give the price you say, and the same amount more, but on condition: you give me the second half for free.
He agreed. Then I suggested to him:
-Will you sell me half of your beautiful house?
“I’ll sell it if you give me a good price,” he said.
“I will give the price you say, and the same amount,” I answered, “but on the condition that you give me the second half of the house for free.”
He agreed again. Then I told him:
- Oh, good man! Your generosity has no limits! And for this I will thank you: I will not take the whole herd and the whole house, I will leave half of it for you.
His joy knew no bounds. Then I told him:
- Oh sir, you have two beautiful daughters.
“Yes,” he answered.
“Will you give them both for me?”
“I’ll give it to you if you give a good price for them,” he said.
“I will give you the bride price that you say, and the same amount,” I answered, “but on condition: you give me one of your daughters without a bride price.”
He thought about it and said:
“Can it be the same as with a herd and a house: I will agree to give two daughters for you, and you will take only one?”
“It’s possible,” I answered.
He was overjoyed. We entered into an official agreement, the merchant immediately threw a rich feast and announced the wedding. But the next day he realized that he had been fooled: after all, I only took what he gave me for free. I understood, but it was too late. So I became the owner of half a huge flock of sheep, half of a beautiful house and the groom of the beautiful daughter of a rich merchant.”
- And why are you a beggar again? - asked Rashid.
“Everything was ruined by his daughter, the one who was supposed to become my wife.” She said: “You have managed to take possession of half of my father’s herd, half of our house, and you want to get me in addition. I cannot violate my father's will and refuse you. But I will do this: I will give you only one half of mine. The second one will belong to someone else.”
- Unheard of deceit! - exclaimed Rashid Sitharazad. - Where has it been seen that the wife of a true believer half belongs to someone else!
“However,” the traveler continued, “in order not to lose half of the flock of sheep and half of the house, I agreed.” Then that libertine continued: “O good man! Your generosity has no limits! And for this I will thank you: I will not demand that you, as a husband, belong to me entirely. I only need one half of you.”
- Well, well! — Rashid grinned. - And you agreed?
“Yes,” the traveler confirmed.
- Well, why don’t you still own half a flock of sheep, live in half a rich house and control half of your beautiful wife? - asked Rashid.
- Because after my consent, she took out a large knife and hung it over the marriage bed.
- For what?
“So I asked her: “Why?” She replied: “I was going to cut off your head, you scoundrel. But your generosity knew no bounds, and for this I will thank you: I will not cut off your whole head, but only half, the one that belongs to me.” And I had to flee from my house, leaving half of my wife and half of my flock of sheep. This is how the insidious woman ruined me. By the way, Rashid, do you happen to have a flock of sheep?
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru