The Story of the Gentleman and His Parrot – Alif Laila
In the past, there lived a very good man in a village. His wife was very beautiful and Bhala Manas loved her very much. If ever she was out of his sight even for a moment, he would become restless. Once the man went to another city for some urgent work. Various other pictures and bizarre birds were being sold in the market there. There was also a talking parrot. The specialty of the parrot was that whatever was asked of him, he gave the answer just like a human. Apart from this, he also had the specialty that in the absence of a person, whatever incidents happened at his house, he used to tell them on the request of that person.
After a few days that gentleman had to go abroad. While leaving, he handed over the parrot to his wife to take good care of it. He went abroad and returned after a long time. On his return, he alone asked the parrot what happened here in my absence. In his absence, his wife had done a lot of arbitrariness and broke the bonds of modesty. The parrot narrated the whole situation to his master. Swami reprimanded his wife a lot that what kind of actions you do behind my back and how you feed me.
Did not speak anything to the wife and husband because the words were true. But she started wondering who told these things to her husband. At first he thought that maybe some maidservant had done this work. He called one of the maidservants and reprimanded them, but everyone took an oath and said that we have not told anything to your husband. The woman was convinced of his words and understood that the parrot had done this action. He did not say anything to the parrot because the parrot would have told this also to his master. But she started living in this concern that somehow prove the parrot a liar in front of her master and remove her mistrust and doubts towards herself.
After a few days her husband again went out of the village for a day. The woman ordered her maidservants that in the night, one servant should grind the mill under the parrot’s cage all night, the other keep pouring water on it as if it is raining and the third maidservant should light a lamp on the back side of the cage and take the mirror herself. Stand in front of the parrot and keep throwing the light falling on the mirror in front of the parrot’s eyes. The maidservants continued to do this all night and covered the cage before dawn.
When the gentleman returned the next day, he asked the parrot in solitude what had happened last night. The parrot said, ‘O lord, I was in great pain at night; Clouds kept roaring all night, lightning flashed and it rained. Since the clouds and the rain were not even named last night, the man thought that this parrot talks headlessly and whatever it said about my wife was also utter nonsense. He got very angry with the parrot and he took the parrot out of the cage and killed it by slamming it on the ground. He started believing in his wife again but this faith did not last long. Within a few months, his neighbors spoke of his wife’s misdeeds in a manner similar to that of a parrot. Due to this, the gentleman was very sorry that in vain he killed such a faithful parrot in a hurry.
After telling the story of the parrot, the fisherman told the demon who was locked in the cave that King Garik told his minister after telling the story of the parrot, ‘You want me to dubaan Hakim, who has done me so much favor for me and there is nothing wrong with you too. That’s why I should die innocent. I am not as foolish as a parrot owner who would do such a thing in haste without thinking.
The minister requested, ‘Sir, even if the parrot innocent is killed, what is the big deal? Neither woman’s misconduct is a big deal. But what I am telling you is a big deal and it is important to pay attention to it. Then even if an innocent person is killed for your precious life, then what is the point of regret in this. His crime is so much that everyone calls him a spy of the enemy. I am neither jealous nor envious of him. Whatever I say is for your own good. I don’t care whether it is good or bad, I only want your longevity. If my words turn out to be untrue, then you should punish me the same way as a king had given to his Amatya. That Amatya had to eventually die by order of the king.’ The emperor asked which king had executed Amatya and on what. The minister told this story.
