The Flute-Player

A servant tended the sheep of his master. Arrived in the meadow, he played
the flute. The sheep heard him, and would not browse. One day the master
perceived that his sheep did not graze. He followed the servant to the
fields and hid himself in the bush. The shepherd took his flute and began
to play. His master began to dance so that the bushes brought blood upon
him. He returned home.

"Who scratched you so?" asked his wife.

"The servant played on the flute, and I began to dance."

"That is a lie," said she; "people don't dance against their will."

"Well," answered the husband, "tie me to this post and make the servant
play."

She tied him to the post and the servant took the flute. Our man began to
dance. He struck his head against a nail in the post and died. The son of
the dead man said to the servant:

"Pay me for the loss of my father."

They went before the cadi. On the way they met a laborer, who asked them
where they were going.

"Before the cadi."

"Could you tell me why?"

"This man killed my father," answered the son of the dead man.

"It was not I that killed him," answered the shepherd; "I played on the
flute, he danced and died."

"That is a lie!" cried the laborer. "I will not dance against my will. Take
your flute and we shall see if I dance."

The shepherd took his flute. He began to play, and the laborer started
dancing with such activity that his oxen left to themselves fell into the
ravine.

"Pay me for my oxen," he cried to the shepherd.

"Come before the cadi," he answered. They presented themselves before the
cadi, who received them on the second floor of the house. They all sat
down. Then the cadi said to the servant:

"Take your flute and play before me. I will see how you play." The servant
took his flute and all began to dance. The cadi danced with the others, and
they all fell down to the ground floor and were killed. The servant stayed
in the house of the cadi and inherited the property of all.