Once upon a time there lived a Turk named Timur Agha, who was looking in cities and towns, villages and hamlets for someone who could teach him the language of animals and birds. Everywhere he asked about such people, for he knew that the great Najm ad-din Kubra understood the language of animals, and Timur hoped to meet one of his followers who had inherited from the teacher this great knowledge, the knowledge of Solomon. Being a courageous and generous man - and he developed such qualities in himself - Timur Agha once in the mountains saved the life of an old, feeble dervish, entangled in the snares of a rope bridge.
“My son,” said the old man when Timur pulled him out, “my name is the dervish Baha ad-din.” I read your thoughts, and from now on you will understand the language of animals.
Timur promised the dervish not to reveal this secret knowledge to anyone and hurried home to his farm.
Soon he had the opportunity to use his wonderful abilities. The ox and the donkey were talking to each other.
“I pull the plow from dawn to dusk,” said the ox, “and all you know is that you go to the market.” You're probably smarter than me, so tell me how to get rid of work.
“The only thing you can do,” answered the cunning donkey, “is to lie down on the floor and pretend to be sick.” You are an expensive and useful animal, so the owner will take care of you, give you the best food and allow you to rest for a few days.
Timur, of course, understood everything, and when the ox lay down on the ground, he said loudly:
“If this ox doesn’t feel better in half an hour, I’ll give it to the butcher this evening.”
Hearing his menacing promise, the ox immediately recovered. Timur burst out laughing, and his wife, a very curious and always pouting person, began pestering her husband to tell her why he was laughing. But Aga, remembering his promise, did not tell her anything.
The next day the couple went to the market. Timur walked ahead, his wife rode behind him on a donkey, and a small donkey ran at his side. Suddenly Timur heard the donkey say to his mother in donkey language:
“Mom, I can’t go further, can I climb on your back?”
His mother answered him:
“I’m taking our owner’s wife; and then don’t forget that we are just animals, this is our lot, so I can’t help you, my child.
Timur immediately ordered his wife to get off the donkey so that the animals could rest, and they stopped under a tree to rest. His wife was very unhappy that they were delayed, and began to scold Aga, but he only said:
“I think it’s time to rest.”
And the donkey thought: “This man understands our language. He must have heard my conversation with the ox, and that's why he threatened to give it to the butcher. But he didn’t do anything bad to me, and not only didn’t punish me for the advice I gave to the ox, but he even did me a good deed just now.” And thinking so, the donkey said:
- Thank you, master.
Timur understood her and laughed with pleasure, and his wife frowned even more and grumbled:
“You probably know what the animals are talking about, but you’re hiding it from me.”
“Who can understand what the animals are talking about,” answered Timur, “are you out of your mind?”
When they returned from the market, Timur entered the stall and put fresh hay on the ox, which he had brought from the market.
“Your wife pesters you with questions, because she is tormented by curiosity,” the ox addressed him in his own language. “You may not be able to stand it and reveal your secret to her, and then, do you understand what danger you face, oh poor man?!” Take my advice, threaten to beat her with a finger-thin stick if she doesn’t leave you. This is the only way you can wean her from curiosity and keep your secret.
“How strange,” thought Timur, “that this ox, whom I threatened with a butcher, thinks about my well-being.” And, taking a stick, he went to his wife.
- Do you see this stick? - he said, entering the house. “So, know that I will beat you with a stick if you continue to pester me with questions about why I laugh so much.”
The woman was so frightened by this threat - after all, he had never told her anything like this before - that she left him forever. This is how Timur Agha escaped the terrible fate of those who reveal secrets to people who are not ready to receive them.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru