Table of Contents
Letter from the General Editor iii
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Map: Principal Translations of the Arabic Kalilah wa-Dimnah xxxii
Note on the Text xxxiii
Notes to the Introduction xxxvii
How Anusharwan Sent Barzawayh to India to Transcribe Kalilah and Dimnah Kalilah Dimnah 1
The Book of Kalilah and Dimnah 22
The Man Who Found a Treasure but Could Not Keep It 22
The Man Who Thought He Had Mastered the Rules of Good Arabic 24
The Man Who Neglected to Put His Knowledge to Use 26
The Sesame Merchant Who Tried to Cheat His Partner 28
The Poor Man Who Received an Unexpected Boon from a Thief 30
The Chapter of Barzawayh the Physician 36
The Credulous Burglar 42
The Perplexed Lover 46
The Merchant and the Musician 48
The Man in the Well 58
The Lion and the Ox 62
The Man Who Escaped from the Wolf 64
The Monkey and the Carpenter 66
The Fox and the Drum 76
The Ascetic and the Thievish Disciple 82
The Fox and the Wild Goats 82
The Woman Who Kept Prostitutes 82
The Shoemaker's Wife and the Barber's Wife 84
The Crow Who Outwitted a Cobra 90
The Heron Who Would Kill a Crab but Killed Himself 90
The Rabbit Who Vanquished a Lion 94
The Three Fishes 100
The Louse and the Flea 104
The Duck Who Mistook the Reflection of a Star for a Fish 110
How the Wolf, the Crow, and the Jackal Destroyed the Camel 116
The Shorebird Titawa and the Sea 122
The Ducks and the Turtle 124
The Monkey, the Firefly, and the Bird 132
The Swindler and His Partner the Simpleton 134
The Heron, the Snake, and the Mongoose 136
The Mice Who Ate a Hundredweight of Iron 140
The Investigation of Dimnah 146
The Wife and Her Lover the Painter 154
The Quack Physician Who Claimed Knowledge 166
The Plowman and His Two Wives 170
The Wife, the Falconer, and the Parrots 174
The Ring Dove 182
The Rat's Story 192
The Woman Who Traded Husked for Unhusked Sesame 194
The Hunter, the Boar, the Gazelle, and the Wolf 194
The Gazelle's Story 206
The Crows and the Owls 214
How the Enmity between Crows and Owls Began 220
The Rabbit Who Claimed the Moon Was Her King 222
The Partridge, the Rabbit, and the Pious Cat 224
The Sly Fellows Who Tricked the Ascetic Out of His Kid 230
The Thief Who Caused the Merchant's Wife to Embrace Her Husband 234
The Ascetic Who Escaped When the Thief and the Demon Quarreled 234
The Carpenter Who Disbelieved His Own Eyes 236
The Lady Mouse and Her Choice of Husbands 242
The Cobra Who Stooped to Carry the King of the Frogs 248
The Turtle and the Monkey 256
The Donkey Who Had No Heart and No Ears 268
The Holy Man and the Mongoose 276
The Holy Man and His Jar of Butter 278
The Cat and the Rat 282
The King and the Bird Finzah 294
The Lion and the Jackal 304
King Haylar and His Minister Baylar 324
The Doves Who Filled Their Nest with Wheat and Barley 342
The Monkey and the Lentils 344
The Mendicant and the Goldsmith 372
The King's Son and His Companions 380
The Horseman, the Lioness, and the Jackal 390
The Ascetic and His Guest 396
The Raven Who Tried to Learn to Walk Like a Partridge 396
Notes 403
Glossary 408
Bibliography 410
Further Reading 415
Index of Proper Names 419
About the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute 423
About the Typefaces 424
Titles Published by the Library of Arabic Literature 425
About the Editor-Translators 430
