The woman was a merchant's wife but since her husband is always on his business trip she fall in love with a young man. One day the young man got into a fight and he was put into prison. The lady love him so much that she did everything she can to help her lover go out of prison.
She wore the best dress she have and first went to the house of the Chief of Police. She told the Chief of Police that the prisoner was her brother. She also convinced him that the prisoner was innocent and he was only a victim of lies of those who testified against him. She even ask for his pity when she said that she has no one to support her needs except her brother. The Chief of Police fall in love with her and agreed to release her brother only if she agreed to the Chief of Police's conditions. The lady agreed to the condition of the police provided that he will be the one to go to the lady's house.
The lady then went to the Cadi of the City and begged him to help her with her brother's concern. The Cadi also fall in love with her and only agreed to release her brother if she agree to the Cadi's conditions. The lady then agreed with the Cadi's condition and told him the same thing she told the Chief of Police. She then proceed to the Vizier and told him the same thing she told the Police and the Cadi. The Vizier also fall in love with her and made the same condition just like the two men before him and the lady did the same thing. She then motioned to the King and told him about her brother's story and the King made a promise to release her brother if she will let him enjoy her. The lady agreed to the Kings demand with the condition that he will go to her house. She then ask a carpenter to build a cabinet for her with four compartments with padlocks on each door. The carpenter also fall in love with her that she also told her the same thing she said to the four men she had encountered.
The set date came and the five suitors went one by one into the lady's house. The lady ask the five suitors one by one to enter in one of the compartments of the cabinet because her husband is coming. She then locked the door of each cabinet and ran away to a far city together with her lover. The five suitors left stuck in the cabinet for days peeing at each other.
The story talks about a rivalry in love, an issue that is normal in real life setting. It is an imitation of the real life situation wherein a man by nature is polygamous. They are easily inspired and carried away by temptations that they often forget how to think wisely. This also shows how the writer imitates the truth that not at all times a woman can be fooled or used by men specially by those who are in power. The story also tells to us the practice that woman fron long ago were actually underestimated and disrespected by men, that a story was written to show that women are in equal footing with men when it comes to being clever and wise.
The story was taken from The Arabian Knights wherein there is no confirmation when did the story was written. It usually involves stories of scandal and treachery and often involves women who were faithless. Ironically, this also shows that women are quiet intelligent in the sense that in a place or world were man are considered more superior than women, it takes a lot of cleverness to break the rules set by men.
No comments:
Post a Comment