Once upon a time, in my wanderings to and fro upon the earth, I came to a
city whose inhabitants dwelt together, happy, prosperous, and secure. I
made myself well acquainted with the place and the people, but, despite
all my efforts, I was unable to entrap a single one. "This is no place
for me," I said, "I had better return to my own country." I left the
city, and, journeying on, came across a river, at the brink of which I
seated myself. Scarcely had I done so, when a woman appeared bearing her
garments to be washed in the river. She looked at me, and asked, "Art
thou of the children of men or of demons?" "Well," said I, "I have grown
up among men, but I was born among demons." "But what art thou after
here?" "Ah," I replied, "I have spent a whole month in yonder city. And
what have I found? A city full of friends, enjoying every happiness in
common. In vain have I tried to put a little of wickedness among them."
Then the woman, with a supercilious air: "If I am to take thee for a
specimen, I must have a very poor opinion of the whole tribe of demons.
You seem mighty enough, but you haven't the strength of women. Stop here
and keep an eye on the wash; but mind, play me no tricks. I will go back
to the city and kindle therein fire and fury, and pour over it a spirit
of mischief, and thou shalt see how I can manage things." "Agreed!" said
I, "I will stay here and await thy coming, and watch how affairs turn out
in thy hands."
The washerwoman departed, went into the city, called upon one of the
great families there residing, and requested to see the lady of the
house. She asked for a washing order, which she promised to execute to
the most perfect satisfaction. While the housemaid was collecting the
linen, the washerwoman lifted her eyes to the beautiful face of the
mistress, and exclaimed: "Yes, they are a dreadful lot, the men; they are
all alike, a malediction on them! The best of them is not to be trusted.
They love all women but their own wives." "What dost thou mean?" asked
the lady. "Merely this," she answered. "Coming hither from my house, whom
should I meet but thy husband making love to another woman, and such a
hideous creature, too! How he could forsake beauty so rare and exquisite
as thine for such disgusting ugliness, passes my understanding. But do
not weep, dear lady, don't distress thyself and give way. I know a means
by which I shall bring that husband of thine to his senses, so that thou
shalt suffer no reproach, and he shall never love any other woman than
thee. This is what thou must do. When thy husband comes home, speak
softly and sweetly to him; let him suspect nothing; and when he has
fallen asleep, take a sharp razor and cut off three hairs from his beard;
black or white hairs, it matters not. These thou must afterwards give to
me, and with them I will compound such a remedy that his eyes shall be
darkened in their sockets, so that he will look no more upon other lovely
women, but cling to thee alone in mighty and manifest and enduring love."
All this the lady promised, and gifts besides for the washerwoman, should
her plan prosper.
Carrying the garments with her, the woman now sought out the lady's
husband. With every sign of distress in her voice and manner, she told
him that she had a frightful secret to divulge to him. She knew not if
she would have the strength to do so. She would rather die first The
husband was all the more eager to know, and would not be refused. "Well,
then," she said, "I have just been to thy house, where my lady, thy wife,
gave me these garments to wash; and, while I was yet standing there, a
youth, of handsome mien and nobly attired, arrived, and the two withdrew
into an adjoining room: so I inclined mine ear to listen to their speech,
and this is what I overheard: The young man said to thy wife, 'Kill thy
husband, and I will marry thee,' She, however, declared that she was
afraid to do such a dreadful deed. 'O,' answered he, 'with a little
courage it is quite easy. When thy husband is asleep, take a sharp razor
and cut his throat.'" In fierce rage, but suppressing all outward
indication of it, the husband returned home. Pretending to fall asleep,
he watched his wife closely, saw her take a razor to sever the three
hairs for the washerwoman's spell, darted up suddenly, wrested the razor
from her hands, and with it slew his wife on the spot.
The news spread; the relations of the wife united to avenge her death,
and kill the husband. In their turn his relatives resolved to avenge him;
both houses were embroiled, and before the feud was at an end, two
hundred and thirty lives were sacrificed. The city resounded with a great
cry, the like of which had never been heard. "From that day," concluded
Enan, "I decided to injure no man more. Yet for this very reason I fear
to wed an evil woman." "Fear not," returned Joseph, "the girl I recommend
is beautiful and good." And Enan married her, and loved her.
Thus Enan is metamorphosed from a public demon into something of a domestic
saint. Zabara gives us an inverted Faust.