These are rich in purse but weak in intellect;
Allah gives you the chance, why should you not take it?
Then after this little pause he turned to them and said, “I have been
considering what is best to be done for you. To comply with your
request is indeed a difficult task, though not impossible. If you will
tie your ass to that tree, and come to me a year hence, you shall have
a son, for it will take all that time to make so complete a
transformation. Give me now therefore one thousand rupees, and go back
to your home, and be sure you return to me punctually in a year’s
time.”
The old people were only too pleased to close with the Priest, so they
paid him the money, tied the ass to the tree, wished him a hearty
farewell, and went on their journey homewards.
When a year had elapsed the old Washerman and his wife, with their
hearts bounding with delight at the prospect of welcoming a son and
heir, started on their travels again to meet the Priest, and in due
time arrived at the Mosque.
“We have come, Sir,” they said, “according to promise, to claim our
son.” The Priest replied, “You are indeed a couple of old fools; if you
had been true to your time and had come a week ago you would have seen
him; but now, owing to his great learning, he has been appointed the
“Kazi” (Doctor of Mahomedan Law) at Jaunpūr.”
The Priest had hit upon this ruse, and had determined to play off a
joke on this Kazi of whom he was extremely jealous.
“But,” replied the old couple, getting alarmed, “how is it possible
that he will recognise us unless you accompany us?” “Don’t distress
yourselves; I cannot go, but if you will take this rope with which you
always tethered your ass, and the ‘Tobrâ’ or nose-bag in which the ass
had his grain, and go to Jaunpūr all your difficulties will vanish.
Time your arrival in the city on a Friday at the hour of prayer in the
Mosque. You will see a large concourse of people being addressed by
your son, who was, you know, your ‘ass.’ Put yourselves in a position
where the Kazi can plainly see you, then keep shaking the rope and the
nose-bag, and he will soon discover who you are, and come and claim you
as his father and mother.
So off they went to the city of Jaunpūr, reached it on a Friday, and
went straight to the Mosque, placed themselves in a conspicuous part of
the outer building within sight of the Kazi, and began, with a
vengeance, to whisk before him the nose-bag and the rope.
In a very short time the Kazi noticed this strange proceeding, and sent
one of the congregation to find out the cause, but they told him to
tell the Kazi that they had a profound secret which could only be told
to the Kazi himself and to no other mortal.
The Kazi, impelled by curiosity, asked permission of his audience for a
few moments of leave, and then taking the old couple aside, he begged
of them to tell him the reason of their strange behaviour. With bated
breath, and with the deepest earnestness did the old Washerman and his
wife pour into the Kazi’s ears the whole of the strange story of his
having once been their ass: how for years they had overloaded him with
kindness, and never spared the cudgel when he had been obstinate; how
they deeply regretted their conduct towards one now so exalted as they
saw their son to be; how, but for the wonderful power of the Priest of
Azimgurh such a blessing would never have come to them; and how their
cup of happiness was now complete.
The Kazi at once took in the situation, and saw the plot that his arch
enemy had so cleverly planned against him, and being a wise man he
thought to himself, “If I repudiate this absurd story, in the belief of
which these ignorant people have bound up their lives, it will be sure
to be published abroad, to my own annoyance, and from being respected I
shall be mocked and turned into ridicule, and in fact be the
laughingstock of the place. I am resolved what to do; I will quietly
acquiesce in what they say, and so get rid of them.” Turning to the old
couple he said, “Yes; it is all too true, and from henceforth your
interests are my interests, your good name is identical with mine, and
I will carry it on. But let me bind you by all that you hold sacred
that you never breathe a word of this marvellous change that has taken
place in my being and existence. If you never reveal this secret, I
will be a dutiful son to you all my life.”
This the old Washerman and his wife agreed to abide by in every iota,
only stipulating that when they died, which in the course of nature was
not far off, he would be present to see them interred according to
Mahomedan rites. This the Kazi on his part faithfully promised to do,
and the old couple took their departure to their own home with every
expression of joy and delight, and left all their money to him when
they died.
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