Magic, betrayal and revenge come together in the story of the third Shaykh, one of the three elderly men who encounter a merchant facing death at the hands of a Jinni. Each Shaykh offers to tell the Jinni an extraordinary account in exchange for a portion of the merchant’s punishment.
The third Shaykh arrives with a female mule and explains that the animal was once his wife. His account begins with a journey that kept him away from home for a year. When he returned, he discovered that his wife had betrayed him and possessed the power to transform him into a dog.
His eventual restoration comes through the unexpected kindness of a butcher’s daughter. However, the Shaykh’s response to his wife’s actions leads to another transformation and provides the remarkable conclusion to his tale.
The Third Shaykh Arrives with a Mule
The merchant’s encounter with the Jinni had already attracted the attention of two elderly travellers. Each had told a strange story involving an animal, and each had received a share of the merchant’s promised punishment.
A third elderly man eventually approached them. He was accompanied by a female mule.
The Shaykh greeted the Jinni and explained that the animal beside him was not an ordinary creature. According to his account, the mule had once been his wife.
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The Jinni was interested in hearing how such a transformation had taken place. The third Shaykh promised to tell a story more extraordinary than those of the two men who had spoken before him. In return, he asked the Jinni to grant him the remaining portion of the merchant’s punishment.
The Jinni agreed, and the Shaykh began his account.
The Shaykh Discovers His Wife’s Betrayal
The Shaykh explained that he had once been married to the woman who now appeared as a mule. On one occasion, he travelled away from home and remained absent for an entire year.
When he finally returned, he arrived at night and entered the house. To his shock, he discovered his wife in the company of another man, a black slave. The two were lying together, talking and behaving intimately.
His unexpected appearance alarmed his wife. Rather than explain herself or welcome her husband, she hurried towards him carrying a small water vessel.
She muttered magical words over the water before sprinkling it upon him. As she spoke, she commanded him to leave his human form and become a dog.
The enchantment worked immediately. The Shaykh lost his human appearance and became a dog before he could defend himself.
His wife then drove him out of the house. Confused and helpless, he ran through the streets until he reached a butcher’s stall.
The Butcher Takes in the Dog
The transformed Shaykh stopped at the butcher’s stall and began eating the bones he found there. The butcher noticed the animal and decided to take it home.
He brought the dog into his house, unaware that it was actually a man who had been changed through magic.
However, the butcher’s daughter recognised something unusual as soon as she saw the animal. She covered her face and questioned her father for bringing a man into her presence.
Her father was confused by her words. He could see only a dog, so he asked her where the man was.
The daughter explained that the dog was a human being who had been enchanted by his wife. She also declared that she possessed the knowledge needed to reverse the spell.
Her father was astonished but trusted his daughter’s ability. He begged her to restore the unfortunate creature.
The young woman agreed to help.
The Butcher’s Daughter Breaks the Spell
The butcher’s daughter prepared a small quantity of water and recited magical words over it. She then sprinkled a few drops upon the dog.
As she did so, she commanded him to leave the animal’s form and return to his previous appearance.
The enchantment was broken immediately. The dog became a man again, and the Shaykh recovered his human body.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, he thanked the young woman for rescuing him. Without her intervention, he might have remained a dog for the rest of his life.
The butcher’s daughter had not only recognised his true identity but also possessed the knowledge required to reverse the magic that had been used against him.
The Shaykh was now free to continue his life as a human being. However, his experience had left him with a strong desire to confront the woman responsible for his suffering.
The Shaykh Requests Revenge
After his restoration, the Shaykh asked the butcher’s daughter for another favour. He wanted his wife to experience the same kind of transformation she had inflicted upon him.
He asked the young woman whether she could turn his wife into an animal.
The daughter agreed and gave him some enchanted water. She instructed him to return home and wait until his wife was asleep. Once she was sleeping, he was to sprinkle the water over her and repeat the magical words he had heard when his wife transformed him.
The Shaykh listened carefully and took the water with him.
He now possessed the means to reverse the power his wife had used against him. Instead of remaining a helpless dog, he could return home and determine what form she would take.
The Wife Becomes a Mule
The Shaykh returned to his house and found his wife asleep. He followed the butcher’s daughter’s instructions, sprinkling the enchanted water over her.
He then spoke the transformation words, commanding her to leave her human form and become a female mule.
The magic took effect immediately.
His wife was transformed into a mule, just as he had once been changed into a dog. The Shaykh then brought her before the Jinni, where she stood as the animal accompanying him.
He explained that the creature was the same woman who had betrayed him and used magic to drive him from his home.
The Jinni turned towards the mule and asked whether the Shaykh’s account was true.
The animal could not speak in human language, but she nodded and responded through gestures. She confirmed that the story was true and that the transformation had indeed happened.
Her confirmation established the truth of the Shaykh’s extraordinary account.
The Jinni Grants the Shaykh His Reward
When the third Shaykh finished speaking, the Jinni was greatly impressed by his story.
The first two elderly men had already entertained him with remarkable accounts involving their animals. The third man’s experience, involving betrayal, enchantment and the transformation of both husband and wife, completed the series.
The Jinni honoured the agreement and granted the Shaykh the final share of the merchant’s punishment. With the three stories concluded, the merchant was released from the danger that had threatened his life.
The elderly men congratulated him on his escape and went their separate ways.
The third Shaykh’s account therefore became the final story that secured the merchant’s freedom. His strange companion, the female mule, remained the visible evidence of the events he had described.
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Moral Lessons
The story explores the destructive consequences of betrayal and the desire for revenge. The Shaykh suffers greatly when his wife uses enchantment against him, but after regaining his human form, he chooses to subject her to a similar experience. His actions show how an injury can lead to retaliation rather than reconciliation.
It also highlights the importance of kindness and knowledge. The butcher’s daughter recognises the Shaykh’s true identity when others see only an animal. Her understanding of the enchantment allows her to restore him and changes the course of his life. Her intervention is the turning point that makes the rest of the story possible.
Knowledge Check
- Who was the female mule accompanying the third Shaykh?
Answer: She was the Shaykh’s wife, who had been transformed into a mule through enchantment. - How long had the Shaykh been away from home before discovering his wife’s betrayal?
Answer: He had been away for one whole year. - What did the Shaykh’s wife do when she discovered his return?
Answer: She sprinkled enchanted water over him and transformed him into a dog. - Who recognised that the dog was actually a human being?
Answer: The butcher’s daughter recognised that he was a man who had been transformed through magic. - How did the Shaykh’s wife become a mule?
Answer: The Shaykh sprinkled enchanted water over her while she slept and spoke the magical words that transformed her. - What reward did the Jinni give the third Shaykh?
Answer: The Jinni granted him the remaining share of the merchant’s punishment, completing the agreement made with the three elderly men.
Source
This retelling is based on “The Third Shaykh’s Story,” an embedded narrative within “The Tale of the Trader and the Jinni” in Volume I of The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, translated and annotated by Sir Richard Francis Burton in 1885.
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