Chapter 12
chapter twelve a slice of tongue an arabian story which suggests the merchant of venice omer was a lazy fellow there could be no doubt of this since year after year he refused to bestir himself and still lived on with his parents his sunny temper and pleasant ways made them forget his many faults and though his father often reproached him for not making a home for himself as other young men were doing he only laughed good-humouredly and kissed his mother why should i make a home for myself he asked when i am far happier here than i could be elsewhere his mother smiled well satisfied for her handsome boy was the very apple of her eye the years went on and the time came when the two old folk slept calmly side by side beneath the grass omer was left alone and for the first time in his life he knew what it was to be really miserable his honest grief became him so well that everyone was sorry for him and many a neighbor offered him bite and sup and strove to comfort him with homely sayings
it was late now for omer to remember his father's advice but still he did so the first step to take it seemed to him was to get married and accordingly when the violence of his grief had somewhat worn off he considered the various maidens in the village there was rosalie who sang like a bird and greta who danced divinely and was so fair of face that the roses in her window blushed with envy neither rosalie nor greta however particularly attracted him and his fancy fell on fatima who was somewhat shy and of a beauty less pronounced than that of her rivals but fatima's eyes were the very colour of his dear mother's and he fancied he saw in them the same sweet gleam of affection that had made his home a haven of joy fatima for her part had long loved him in secret but she wisely determined not to accept his suit until he could provide for her it is time you begin to work dear omer she said repeating his father's words i will gladly be your wife when you can bring me thirty purses of gold but not before we cannot live on air and it would not be fitting that your wife should work for you
poor omer shrugged his shoulders what was he to do his well-shaped hands had learnt no craft and without capital it was impossible to start a business in his perplexity he thought of a rich jew who often made loans to worthy tradesmen who found themselves in difficulties and accordingly he repaired to this good man izakar eyed him shrewdly you say you will pay me he remarked but when i know you well young omer you are your father's son but he was industrious and you are idle how can i be certain that you intend to work omer assured him that once he was married to fatima he would leave no stone unturned to win a fortune lend me those thirty purses of gold he urged and you shall see the jew had no love for him in his heart since he himself had looked upon fatima with envious eyes but at last he agreed to advance the money before i do so he said you must sign this and he laid before him a document to the effect that if he omer did not repay issachar the thirty purses of gold within seven years the jew should cut off a slice of his tongue to the weight of a drachm light-hearted omer signed the bond without the least demur
with fatima for his wife he thought to himself joyfully he could do anything and long before the seven years were expired would be in a position to repay twice thirty purses of gold he set about his arrangements for the wedding in the highest of spirits and spent so much in fatima's honor that before he knew what he was doing half the money the jew had lent him had disappeared never mind he thought to himself i shall soon make more when the honeymoon was over he opened a shop for such necessities as brooms tobacco salt and cheese since he knew that whatever his neighbors could do without they must have these greatly to everyone's surprise for omer's laziness was proverbial the shop did well fatima loved her husband dearly and though she found it impossible to keep him up to her own high standard of industry she managed to induce him to give the shop at least a certain amount of attention and when he slunk off to lie on his back in some green meadow and look at the sky and dream great dreams she took his place and proved so willing and accommodating a saleswoman that customers often chose the hour for shopping when they knew that omer would be away
in the long knitted purse hidden under her mattress was a shining store of silver pieces and but for omer's extravagance there would have been many more it was well for the little household that fatima was so clever a manager towards the end of the seventh year bad times came to the village and no one had any money to spend with a sudden shock omer realized that it would be impossible for him to pay back issachar and the thought plunged him into the deepest gloom he could not sleep for thinking what it would feel like to have a slice cut off his tongue and hearing him sigh so frequently fatima insisted on his telling her what was wrong if i had only known she cried how you obtained those thirty purses of gold i would never have allowed you to touch them this was all that she said by way of reproach and omer had never loved her more than he did in the dark days that followed when both went silently about their work with down-bent heads and sombre eyes one evening at sunset fatima thought of a plan dividing her poor little savings into three portions she wrapped one of these in a silken square and called at the caddy's house making a deep obeisance she laid the money at his feet and left without a word
this she did on the second and the third night also and as she was leaving for the last time the caddy stopped her what would you have of me he asked her kindly oh caddy she responded grant me but this one boon let me just for an hour sit in your robes on the judgment seat on friday and i will bless you for the rest of my life the caddy would have refused outright but fatima was still a handsome woman and the beautiful eyes that were raised to his so pleadingly were soft as velvet it shall be as you wish he said at last but i shall stand behind the screen and listen to all you say if during that hour your judgments are not just ones i shall reverse them and turn you out of the court as an impostor fatima thanked him with all her heart and the following friday saw her adorned in the caddy's robes and sitting in his place the first case to be brought forward was that of izakar and omer the shrunken face of the jew was alight with malicious triumph now at last he would be avenged for the slight that the fair fatima had put upon him in days gone by
grinning with delight he listened to omer's confession that he could not produce the gold and hastened to demand that he should pay the penalty you say well said fatima he cannot pay you and you are therefore entitled to a slice of his tongue have you a razor the jew produced one eagerly and omer's brow grew pale as death as he saw him feeling the sharp edge and noted his fiendish glee he bore himself bravely nevertheless and fatima felt proud of her husband as he quietly advanced to await the jew's pleasure be careful she cautioned issachar that you do not draw a drop of blood for this the bond does not entitle you to do if you cut off either more or less than one single drachm you will be punished with the utmost rigor of the law it was now for issachar to turn pale and tremble there was such decision in the caddy's voice that he knew it would be useless to appeal and making a great show of magnanimity he declared that in consideration of kindness shown to him by omer's father in the past he would forgive the debt of his son the matter cannot end in this way replied the caddy sternly you must keep to the bond cut off immediately one drachm of omer's tongue neither more nor less
issachar now thoroughly alarmed and fearful of his own life fell on his knees and offered a ransom of thirty purses of gold that he might go free without attempting so impossible a task as the cadi still preserved a significant silence he added that he would make no further claim upon omer for the debt he had incurred it is well said the cadi and this declaration was promptly entered in the books the true caddy was greatly amused at fatima's stratagem and refused to touch the thirty purses of gold that izakar had paid into the court they are yours o wise woman he said with a gracious smile and fatima hastened home in her own attire shortly afterwards her husband appeared looking very subdued after the ordeal through which he had passed and eager to tell her what happened he lost no time in describing the scene in court that caddy is not only a clever judge he said but a handsome fellow to boot you should have seen the way that his eyes sparkled when issachar paid him the gold was he as handsome as i am laughed fatima softly and to omar's amazement she showed him the thirty purses forfeited by his enemy
he wept with joy when he heard how she had saved him by her woman's wit and from that day forward he became so industrious that fathers held him up as an example to their sons chapter twelve read by kalinda in luneburg germany february seventh two thousand nine
