The Story of the Husband and the Parrot

There was a certain merchant, of an exceedingly jealous
disposition, having a wife endowed with perfect beauty, who
had prevented him from leaving his home ; but an event
happened which obliged him to make a journey; and when
he found his doing so to be indispensable, he went to the
market in which birds were sold, and bought a parrot, which
he placed in his house to act as a spy, that, on his return,
she might inform him of what passed during his absence ;
for this parrot was cunning and intelligent, and remembered
whatever she heard. So, when he had made his journey,
and accomplished his business, he returned, and caused the
parrot to be brought to him, and asked her respecting the
conduct of his wife. She answered. Thy wife has a lover,
who visited her every night during thy absence, — and when
the man heard this, he fell into a violent rage, and went to
his wife, and gave her a severe beating.

The woman imagined that one of the female slaves had
informed him of what had passed between her and her
paramour during his absence : she therefore called them
together, and made them swear ; and they all swore that
they had not told their master anything of the matter; but
confessed that they had heard the parrot relate to him what
had passed. Having thus established, on the testimony of
the slaves, the fact of the parrot's having informed her
husband of her intrigue, she ordered one of these slaves to
grind with a hand-mill under the cage, another to sprinkle
water from above, and a third to move a mirror from side
to side, during the next night on which her husband was
absent; and on the following morning, when the man re-
turned from an entertainment at which he had been present,
and inquired again of the parrot what had passed that
night during his absence, the bird answered, O my master,
I could neither see nor hear anything, on account of the
excessive darkness, and thunder, and lightning, and rain.
Now t'lis happened during summer : so he said to her. What
strange words are these? It is now summer, when nothing
of what thou hast described ever happens. — The parrot,
however, swore by Allah the Great that what she had said
was true; and that it had so happened: upon which the
man, not understanding the case, nor knowing the plot,
became violently enraged, and took out the bird from the
cage, and threw her down upon the ground with such
violence that he killed her.

But after some days, one of his female slaves informed
iiim of the truth; yet he would not believe it, until he saw
his wife's paramour going out from his house; when he drew
his sword, and slew the traitor by a blow on the back of his
neck: so also did he to his treaclierous wife; and thus both
of them went, laden with the sin which they had committed,
to the fire; and the merchant discovered that the parrot had
informed him truly of what she had seen; and he mourned
grievously for her loss.

When the Wezir heard these words of King Yunan, he
said, O King of great dignity, what hath this crafty sage —
this man from whom nought but mischief proceedeth — done
unto me, that I should be his enemy, and speak evil of him,
and plot with thee to destroy him? I have informed thee
respecting him in compassion for thee, and in fear of his
despoiling thee of thy happiness; and if my words be not
true, destroy me, as the Wezir of Es-Sindibad was destroyed.
— The King asked. How was that? And the Wezir thus
answered : —