A merchant wanted to go on a long journey to India. He gathered his family around him and asked everyone what he should bring them as a gift from India and everyone said what they wanted. Now the merchant had a parrot in a cage, and he asked it too: "What should I bring you? I'm travelling to India, that's your home. Tell me, what do you want?"  The parrot said: "Please go to a forest where the parrots sit on the branches of the trees. Say hello to them for me and tell them how I live in my cage and please bring me their answer."  The merchant was happy to fulfil this request. He packed his things and set off on his journey. When he came to a forest in India, he saw parrots there and his promise came back to him.  "Hey, you parrots! One of your brothers lives in a cage in my house. He asked me to greet you and bring him an answer from you," said the merchant.  When the eldest of the parrots heard these words, he trembled, flapped his wings and fell to the ground dead. When the merchant saw this, he became very sad and then went home in sorrow. When he had finished his business in India, he returned home. There he was greeted with joy and he gave everyone a gift: one received a cotton cloth, the other a piece of cloth for a shirt or a pair of trousers, a turban or a belt, the girls received slippers and the women jewellery and headscarves. Then he went to the parrot and the parrot asked: "Have you brought me an answer from the parrots?" 

"Oh, it would be better for you if I didn't tell you, I'm sure it would make you sad," said the merchant. But the parrot asked him to tell him anyway and so the merchant said: "I was walking through a forest where I saw lots of parrots. I gave them your greeting and told them how you live in a cage in my house. As soon as I said this, one of the parrots trembled, flapped its wings and fell dead from the tree. You see, that's why I'm so sad and didn't want to tell you."  The parrot had listened attentively. Then he began to tremble, flapped his wings and fell to the ground, dead. The merchant cried and sobbed. He took the bird out of the cage, carried it in his hand out into the garden and laid it on the ground.  At that moment, the parrot flew up and sat on a high branch and called out: "Thank you, merchant, for the answer you brought me from my relatives, because now I am free!"

The merchant understood and called out: "May Allah protect and keep you safe!"

Then the parrot flew away.

Märchen aus Afghanistan,Fassung Djamila Jaenike, nach: M. Lorenz, Der Zauberbrunnen, Leipzig 1985, englische Fassung Lysander Jaenike © Mutabor Märchenstiftung