天方夜谭英文故事：The Dog and The Ass

Once there lived a merchant in Arabia. He often went to the Far East countries to sell his goods. His wife knew some magic. When his husband was away and was alone at home she read the magical books. After some years she became evil with magical powers. The merchant returned home with a lot of money and gifts for her. 

 

Once the merchant went on a long journey and didn’t turn up for months. So his wife was in distress¹. She was angry on her husband and married another man who was wealthy in the town. When her husband returned back, he knew all about her and felt sad. While she saw him near her new home she cursed him and changed him as a dog with her evil magical powers. 

 

The merchant wandered here and there in the streets and took food from the streets as a dog. One day it went near a butcher’s shop. The butcher gave some meat with bones. The dog ate only the flesh but not the bones. The butcher noticed it and told his daughter who also knew magic. His daughter came out and watched the dog carefully. She knew with her magical power that it was not a real dog. And that he was a merchant who was cursed by his own wife as dog. 

 

The butcher asked his daughter, “Can we change the dog as before". 

 

His daughter replied, “Yes I can". 

 

Then she took some water from a bowl in her hand and said some magical verses. She then sprayed the water on the dog. The dog was changed to this real form as a merchant in a minute. The merchant was amazed and said. "Oh! I am back again to my form". 

 

Then the merchant told the butcher’s daughter, “I want to teach a good lesson to my wife. Can you change her as an ass²?" 

 

The butcher’s daughter thought for a while and then took some water in a vessel³ and chanted some verses. Then she gave it to the merchant telling that if he sprayed the water on his wife she would be an ass then. The merchant took the water and went to his old house. His wife was in the garden at that time. The merchant went behind her and sprayed the water on her. Soon she became an ass. 

 

“It is the punishment for you" the merchant told the ass. He then went to the butcher and asked him to give away his daughter to him in marriage. The butcher readily accepted and got her married to the merchant. Then they lived happily for many years.  

1 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

2 ass   

n.驴；傻瓜，蠢笨的人

参考例句：

• He is not an ass as they make him.他不象大家猜想的那样笨。
• An ass endures his burden but not more than his burden.驴能负重但不能超过它能力所负担的。

3 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。