The Wazir said to his daughter, Scheherazade:
"Know this, my daughter. There once lived a wealthy merchant who owned great riches, servants, cattle, and camels. He lived in the countryside and was deeply devoted to farming and husbandry. He had a wife and children and lacked nothing in life."
This merchant had been granted a rare gift: he could understand the speech of animals and birds. But there was a condition—if he ever revealed this secret to anyone, he would die instantly. Because of this, he guarded the gift carefully and never spoke of it.
In his cowshed lived two animals tethered side by side: a bull and an ass.
One day, while the merchant sat nearby with his servants and his children played around him, he heard the bull speak to the ass.
"Peace be upon you, O Father of Waking," said the bull. "How fortunate you are! You rest in comfort, your stall is clean, your food is fine barley, and your water is fresh. Servants care for you day and night.
"But look at me. I am dragged out before dawn, burdened with a plow and a heavy yoke. I toil all day, beaten and abused, until sunset. I return exhausted, wounded, and hungry, thrown beans mixed with dirt and straw, forced to sleep in filth. While you rest, I suffer. While you eat, I starve."
When the bull finished, the ass turned to him and replied with a laugh.
"O Broad-Browed Fool," said the ass, "you truly deserve the name bull-headed. You have no foresight at all. You exhaust yourself willingly and expect reward for it. You work harder than required and destroy yourself for the comfort of others."
The ass continued, "Listen to me if you want rest. When they yoke you tomorrow, lie down and refuse to rise, no matter how much they beat you. When they bring you food, turn away and pretend to be sick. Do this for a few days, and they will give you rest."
The bull believed the ass was his true friend. He thanked him and resolved to follow his advice.
(The merchant, of course, understood every word.)
The next day, when the plowman yoked the bull, he refused to work. He lay down again and again, even as he was beaten. That night, he refused his food and lay motionless.
The plowman grew worried and reported to the merchant, saying the bull had fallen ill.
The merchant smiled inwardly.
"Take the ass instead," he said. "Yoke him and make him do the bull's work."
And so the ass was forced to plow all day under heavy beating, until his body was broken and his strength nearly gone.
That night, the bull rested comfortably and ate well, praising the ass for his advice—unaware of the suffering he had caused.
That night, when the ass returned to the cowshed, his body ached from head to hoof. His ribs were sore, his neck raw from the yoke, and his legs trembled beneath him.
The bull, well-fed and rested, rose respectfully and said,"Good news, my friend! Because of your advice, I rested all day and ate in peace."
But the ass did not reply. His heart burned with regret and anger. He thought to himself:
"This misery came from my own foolish advice. I was comfortable, and my meddling brought me ruin. If I do not fix this, I will surely die."
The next day, the ass devised a new plan.
That night, the merchant sat with his family on the rooftop, enjoying the moonlight. From there, he could see the cowshed clearly. Once again, the merchant heard the animals speaking.
The ass asked the bull,"Tell me, O Broad-Browed one, what do you plan to do tomorrow?"
The bull answered proudly,"I will continue exactly as you advised. I will refuse work and food again."
The ass shook his head gravely."Do not do this," he warned. "I overheard our master say that if you refuse to work tomorrow, you will be sent to the butcher. Your flesh will be given away, and your hide turned into leather."
The bull was terrified."If that is so," he said, "I will rise tomorrow, work hard, and eat everything they give me."
(All this the merchant heard clearly.)
The next morning, when the bull was led from his stall, he frisked about happily, wagged his tail, and worked harder than ever. The merchant laughed so loudly at the sight that he fell backward with laughter.
His wife, surprised, asked,"Why are you laughing so hard?"
He replied,"I laugh at something I know but cannot tell, for if I do, I will die."
But his wife would not let it go.
She accused him of mocking her and demanded he reveal the secret. She threatened to leave him if he refused. Despite his warnings, she persisted until he was exhausted and overwhelmed.
At last, the merchant said,"Summon our family, neighbors, and the judge. I must prepare my will."
They gathered, and everyone begged the woman to abandon her demand. But she refused, insisting he tell her the secret even if it meant his death.
The merchant rose, intending to wash and then return to reveal the secret and die.
But as he walked past the outhouses, he heard something unexpected.
As the merchant walked away, preparing himself for what he believed would be his final moments, he passed by his animal sheds. There, he overheard a conversation that made him stop in his tracks.
One of his dogs was speaking angrily to the rooster, who stood proudly among many hens, crowing and strutting as usual.
The dog said,"Have you no shame? Our master is about to die today because his wife demands a secret that will kill him. We mourn for him, yet you celebrate as if nothing is wrong."
The rooster laughed and replied,"Our master is foolish. If he cannot control one wife, then his troubles are his own doing. Look at me — I rule many hens, yet keep them in order. A man who cannot manage his own house has only himself to blame."
The dog asked,"What should he do, then?"
The rooster answered,"He should discipline his wife firmly until she repents and promises never to ask such questions again. Only then will peace return."
Hearing this, the merchant understood what he must do.
He returned to his house, took a few twigs from a tree, and called his wife aside, telling her he would reveal the secret in private. Once alone, he rebuked her harshly and punished her until she begged forgiveness and swore never again to demand the secret.
Peace returned to the household, and the merchant lived safely, never revealing his gift.
The Wazir ended his story and turned to his daughter.
"This, my daughter, is why you must abandon your plan. If you persist, you will destroy yourself."
But Scheherazade remained calm and unmoved.
"No," she said. "This story changes nothing. I will still go to the King."
Her father argued, pleaded, and warned her, but her resolve did not waver. At last, weary and defeated, he went to King Shahryar and told him everything — how his daughter insisted on marrying him, knowing the danger.
The King was astonished.
"Does she know," he asked, "that she will be killed in the morning?"
"She knows," replied the Wazir. "Yet she insists."
The King agreed and ordered that Scheherazade be brought to him that very night.
Scheherazade's Plan
Scheherazade prepared herself with joy, not fear. Before leaving, she spoke privately to her younger sister, Dunyazade.
"Listen carefully," she said."When I am with the King, come to me after midnight. Ask me to tell you a story to pass the night."
Dunyazade agreed.
That night, the Wazir brought Scheherazade to King Shahryar. When the King was about to take her, she wept and asked permission to see her sister one last time. The King allowed it.
Dunyazade was brought in and sat quietly nearby.
When midnight came, Scheherazade awoke. Dunyazade spoke softly:
"My sister, if you are not sleepy, tell us a story to pass the night."
Scheherazade turned to the King and asked his permission.
He agreed.
And so, on the first night, Scheherazade began to tell a story.