Speaker 1: The dishonest goldsmith and the ingenious painter. From the Turkish
it is narrated by a person of a veracity that
once in the land of Adgem Persia, a master goldsmith
and a painter of talent, for a time formed an
association together and lived on terms of brotherly intimacy. After this,
being disposed to travel, they entered into a covenant to
remain faithful to each other and not to go one
step beyond their association, that one should not act without
the consent of the other, nor in any manner be
treacherous to the other's interests. Having made this agreement, they
set out upon their journey, their means being rather limited.
On coming to a great convent, they put up there
as guests. The monks of that convent, being pleased with them,
showed them respect and tokens of esteem. They, particularly, the painter,
covered the walls of the convent with curious paintings, and
the monks paid him much attention and begged them to
remain a while with them. Having assented to this, they
spent some time in the convent, and the monks placed
so much confidence in them as to disclose to them
the places containing the gold and silver idols of the convent.
So one day they collected all these idols, and at
night they made their escape with them. On reaching a
city in a country of Islamites, they took up their
abode there, when, according to their agreement, they put the
gold and silver into a box and spent only as
much of it as their necessities required. It so happened
that the goldsmith married a parson's daughter, and the expenses
of the association were thus increased. In the course of time,
the wife or her husband two children, and one day,
when the other was absent, the goldsmith opened the box
containing the treasures, and, stealing away one half of the
gold and silver, carried it to his own dwelling. On
the painter's return, he remarked that the box had been
opened and a portion of the contents taken out. When
he questioned the goldsmith about it, the latter said that
he had not touched it and denied the theft. Now,
the painter was a cunning fellow, and he immediately saw
that the matter required good management. In the vicinity of
their residence lived a huntsman, to whom he applied to
procure him two bear cubs for which he promised to
pay him handsomely. The hunter consenting, he was soon furnished
with the cubs, which the painter took and tained. There
was in that city also a carpenter, and going to
his shop, he bought off him the figure of a
man made out of wood, and returned home. He then
painted the figure so that it was quite impossible to
tell it from the goldsmith. This he put in a
place by itself, and when the bear cubs were to
be fed, he always had it done from the hand
of the figure, until they became, in time so accustomed
to the sight of it as to treat it like
their father or mother. One day the painter invited the
goldsmith to his house, and he accordingly came, bringing his
two young sons with him. He treated them hospitably, and
they passed the night there. On the following day he
put the sons of the goldsmith in a secret part
of his house, and when the father asked permission to
take his leave, he inquired for his sons. The painter replied,
an occurrence has happened which may serve as an example
to others. I am really ashamed to relate it to you.
What is it? Asked the Goldsmith. With surprise. The painter added,
whilst your sons were at play and running about, they
both became suddenly metamorphosed into the farm of two bear cubs.
And the affliction which has befallen these two innocent children
must have been sent on account of some great sin.
The goldsmith became excessively grieved. What does this mean? Exclaimed he?
And have you done this to my sons? They quarreled,
and finally both went before the Cardi of the place.
The Cardi and his associates were greatly surprised at the
strangeness of the case. What can this mean? Exclaimed they all.
Never has such a thing happened before, since the coming
of Mohammed. What are the evidences of this remarkable occurrence?
I am quite as much astonished at it as yourselves,
answered the painter. But if you will alarm me, I'll
bring the two metamorphosed children into your presence. The case
will then be clear, and we will see whether or
not they recognize their father. The Cardi and his company
at once agreed to have the cubs brought before them.
Let us see, said they, and judge for ourselves. The
painter had cunningly kept the cubs hungry from the preceding night,
and he now brought them from his house to the
mekema of the judge and placed them opposite the goldsmith.
The cubs, as soon as they saw the latter, supposing
him to be the same figure which the painter had made,
rushed toward him, licked his feet, and began caressing him.
Ricardi and those with him, who were much affected at
the sight, and exclaimed that if the cubs had not
recognized their father in the goldsmith, they certainly would not
act as they did. The goldsmith was bewildered between doubt
and conviction, and so taking the two cubs with him,
he returned to the house of the painter, where he
begged pardon for his fault and avowed it. He also
returned to the gold and silver effects which he had
stolen from the box, and placed them all before the painter.
At the same time, he acknowledged his fault and repented
of what he had done. He likewise begged that the
painter would pray to God to restore his sons to
man's farm again. The painter now led away the cubs,
and putting them into the same house in which he
had confined to the goldsmith's children. He sat up all
the following night, apparently engaged in pair. Early the next
morning he went for the boys, and taking them by
the hand, brought them to their father, exclaiming, God be praised,
our prayers have been accepted, and delivered them up to
their parent. The goldsmith was very much rejoiced and offered
many thanks to the painter, after which he carried his
sons home. Now news of this occurrence became spread about
in the city, and it was told how the two
sons of the goldsmith, after becoming metamorphosed, were again restored
to human shape. Upon this, the cardie had the painter
sighted before him and required him to relate the truth
about the matter. The painter informed him that such and
such a compact had been made between himself and the goldsmith,
that the latter had acted so and so toward him,
but that he was unable to prove the charge. So
I got up a ruse, said he to make him
acknowledge the theft of the gold and silver, and succeeded
by my skill in the art of painting. Back Allah,
exclaimed all those who heard the recital, a person's talents
should be such as these. They added also many compliments
and praises to the painter, on the ingenuity of his
thought and his success in laying so wise a plan.