DER FROMME MANN UND DIE DIEBE
by Friedrich Giese · from Türkische Märchen
Adapted Version
Once there was a kind man. He bought a big ram. Mr. Kind liked his ram very much. He bought it for a special day. He put a strong rope around its neck. He led the ram gently. He walked to his home. The ram walked quietly beside him. Mr. Kind was happy with his big, strong ram.
Some tricky men saw Mr. Kind. They saw his big, woolly ram. The tricky men wanted the ram for themselves. They did not want to fight Mr. Kind. They wanted the ram with a trick. They made a bad plan to trick him. They would make Mr. Kind give up his ram. They were very tricky men.
The tricky men talked together. They made a bad plan. "We will confuse him," one said. "Make him think it is a dog." "Yes," said another. "All say it is a dog." They agreed. It was a very simple trick.
The first tricky man came. He walked past Mr. Kind. "Why do you have that dog?" he asked. Mr. Kind looked at his ram. "No," he said. "It is a ram!" He walked away. Then, a second tricky man came. He walked past Mr. Kind. "Why do you have that dog?" he asked. Mr. Kind looked at his ram. "No," he said. "It is a ram!" He walked away. Then, a third tricky man came. He walked past Mr. Kind. "Why do you have that dog?" he asked. Mr. Kind looked at his ram. "No," he said. "It is a ram!" He walked away. Then, a fourth tricky man came. He walked past Mr. Kind. "Why do you have that dog?" he asked. Mr. Kind looked at his ram. "No," he said. "It is a ram!" He walked away.
Mr. Kind felt confused. He looked at his ram. It had big horns. It had thick wool. It looked like a ram. He knew it was a ram. But many men said it was a dog. He looked at his ram again. Was it a dog? He shook his head. He started to doubt his eyes. He felt very unsure. He did not know what to think.
Mr. Kind thought hard. Maybe he was tricked. Maybe the seller made him see wrong. He bought a ram. He paid good money. But now it looked like a dog to others. He felt very sad. He felt foolish. He felt very upset.
He did not want a dog. He wanted a ram. He wanted his money back. He would go back to the seller. He thought about the seller. He thought about his money. He decided to let it go. He untied the rope. He let the ram go. "Go home," he said. "You are not my ram." He felt a tear fall.
The tricky men were watching. They hid behind a tree. They saw Mr. Kind let go. They saw the ram walk free. They ran quickly. They grabbed the ram. They took the ram away. They laughed quietly. Mr. Kind did not see them. He walked away sadly. He walked away with a heavy heart.
Always trust your own eyes. Do not just believe what others say.
Original Story
55. DER FROMME MANN UND DIE DIEBE
Ein frommer Mann hatte sich für das Opferfest einen Hammel gekauft, um dessen Hals einen Strick gelegt und führte ihn zu seinem Kloster. Unterwegs sahen einige Diebe das Schaf: Ihre Diebslust regte sich und sie gingen dem frommen Mann entgegen. Da sie nicht wie Wölfe oder Tiger mit gewalttätiger Hand die Beute nehmen konnten, wollten sie listig wie ein Fuchs zu Werke gehen und den frommen Mann in den Schlaf des Hasen45 versetzen. Sie verfielen auf eine ganz besondere List, durch die sie das einfache und fromme Herz des Mannes zu fangen gedachten. Nämlich folgendermaßen: Sie gingen einzeln dem frommen Manne entgegen. Der erste sagte: „Scheich, was willst du mit dem Hunde machen?“ Der zweite: „Scheich, beflecke dein Gewand nicht mit dem Hunde.“ Der dritte: „Es sieht so aus, als ob du mit dem Hunde auf Jagd gehst.“ Ein anderer sagte: „Jäger, von wem hast du diesen Jagdhund gekauft?“ Ein anderer: „Der Scheich mit diesem Hunde sieht so aus wie ein Nachtwächter.“ Ein anderer: „Dieser Mann mit dem Jagdhund ist sicherlich ein Hundewärter des Kaisers.“ Kurz, alle die Diebe hatten sich auf dies Wort geeinigt, warfen ihm ein solches Wort zu und machten ihn zur Scheibe ihres Witzes.
Als der schlichte fromme Mann von ihnen allen übereinstimmend dies Wort hörte, kamen ihm Zweifel, ob sein Hammel ein Hund sei und er sagte zu sich: „Vielleicht war der Verkäufer ein Zauberer, der mich verzaubert hat, daß ich den Hund für einen Hammel halte. Das Beste ist es, ich lasse ihn fahren, gehe zum Verkäufer zurück und verlange mein Geld zurück, das ich ihm gegeben.“
In seiner Einfalt ließ er den Hammel los und ging zurück, um den Verkäufer zu suchen. Als die Diebe das sahen, stürzten sie sich wie Wölfe auf den Hammel und nahmen ihn mit sich.
Story DNA
Moral
Be wary of those who try to sway your perception through repeated suggestion, and trust your own judgment.
Plot Summary
A pious man buys a ram for a festival and is leading it home when a group of thieves spots it. Unable to steal it by force, they devise a plan: each thief, individually, approaches the man and refers to his ram as a 'dog'. Confused and doubting his own senses, the man eventually believes he has been enchanted and releases the 'dog' to seek a refund from the seller. The thieves then immediately take the ram for themselves.
Themes
Emotional Arc
certainty to doubt to realization
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Friedrich Giese was a German orientalist, and this story is part of his collection of 'Oriental Fables and Tales', indicating its roots in Middle Eastern storytelling traditions.
Plot Beats (8)
- A pious man purchases a ram for the Sacrifice Festival and leads it by a rope to his monastery.
- A group of thieves sees the ram and decides to steal it using cunning rather than force.
- The thieves agree on a plan to confuse the man.
- One by one, the thieves approach the man and question why he is leading a 'dog'.
- The man is repeatedly told by different people that his ram is a dog, causing him to doubt his own senses.
- He begins to suspect the seller was a sorcerer who enchanted him to see a dog as a ram.
- Believing he has been deceived, the man releases the 'dog' to return to the seller for his money back.
- The thieves immediately pounce on the freed ram and take it for themselves.
Characters
The Pious Man
Of average height and build, likely with a lean frame from a life of piety. His movements are unhurried and deliberate, reflecting his calm and devout nature.
Attire: A simple, clean thobe (long, loose-fitting tunic) made of undyed or light-colored linen or cotton, indicating humility and piety. He might wear a simple head covering like a kufi or a small turban, also in a modest color. His garments are practical and unadorned.
Wants: To fulfill his religious duties by offering a sacrifice for the Eid al-Adha (Sacrifice Feast). He seeks spiritual merit and to live righteously.
Flaw: His extreme simplicity and trusting nature make him highly susceptible to deception and suggestion, leading him to doubt his own senses.
He begins as a man confident in his purchase and purpose but is gradually led to doubt his own perception by the repeated suggestions of the thieves. He ends up losing his sacrifice due to his gullibility, learning a harsh lesson about human deceit.
Pious, simple-hearted, trusting, easily swayed, introspective.
The Thieves
A group of men of varying builds, but generally agile and quick, suitable for their profession. They move with a predatory alertness, though they initially approach the Pious Man individually and subtly.
Attire: Practical, unassuming clothing that allows for blending into crowds and quick movement. Likely simple tunics and trousers in muted earth tones, possibly with cloaks or wraps to conceal their identities or movements. Their clothes would be sturdy but not ostentatious.
Wants: To steal the ram for their own gain, driven by greed and a desire for an easy meal or profit.
Flaw: Their reliance on trickery and their lack of empathy. They are morally bankrupt.
They successfully execute their plan, acquiring the ram through deception. They do not change but rather reinforce their nature as cunning opportunists.
Cunning, deceptive, opportunistic, coordinated, predatory.
The Ram
A healthy, well-fed ram, likely with thick, white or cream-colored wool, indicating it was purchased for sacrifice. It would have strong legs and a sturdy build, with characteristic curled horns.
Attire: None, but it has a rope around its neck.
Wants: To follow its owner.
Flaw: Its complete dependence on humans and its inability to communicate or defend itself against human cunning.
It is initially led by the Pious Man, then abandoned due to the deception, and finally seized by the thieves. Its fate changes from being a religious sacrifice to becoming stolen property.
Docile, unwitting, innocent.
Locations
Path to the Monastery
A dusty, unpaved path winding through a semi-arid landscape, likely with sparse, hardy vegetation like scrub bushes or dry grasses. The path is exposed to the sun, suggesting a journey in the open air.
Mood: Initially peaceful and ordinary, becoming increasingly unsettling and confusing due to the repeated suggestions from the thieves.
The pious man is leading his sheep to the monastery when he encounters the thieves who trick him into believing his sheep is a dog.