第12章 THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND ONE NIGHT(10)

Quoth she'By AllahI must kill them.'And I besought her till she lifted me up and flying away with meset me down on the roof of my own housewhere she left me. I went down and unlocked the doors and brought out what I had hidden under the earth and opened my shopafter I had saluted the folk and bought goods. At nightfallI returned home and found these two dogs tied up in the courtyard： and when they saw methey came up to me and wept and fawned on me. At the same momentmy wife presented herself and said to me'These are thy brothers.'Who has done this thing unto them？'asked I；and she answered'I sent to my sisterwho turned them into this formand they shall not be delivered from the enchantment till after ten years.'Then she left meafter telling me where to find her；and nowthe ten years having expiredI was carrying the dogs to herthat she might release themwhen I fell in with this merchantwho acquainted me with what had befallen him. So I determined not to leave himtill I saw what passed between thee and him： and this is my story.'This is indeed a rare story，'said the genie'and I remit to thee a third part of his blood and his crime.'Then came forward the third old manhe of the muleand said'O genieI will tell thee a story still more astonishing than the two thou hast heardand do thou remit to me the remainder of his blood and crime.'The genie replied'It is well.'So the third old man said'KnowO Sultan and Chief of the Jinnthat The Third Old Man's Story.

This mule was my wife. Some time agoI had occasion to travel and was absent from her a whole year；at the end of which time I returned home by night and found my wife in bed with a black slavetalking and laughing and toying and kissing and dallying.

When she saw meshe made haste and took a mug of water and muttered over it；then came up to me and sprinkled me with the watersaying'Leave this form for that of a dog！'And immediately I became a dog. She drove me from the houseand I went out of the door and ceased not running till I came to a butcher's shopwhere I stopped and began to eat the bones. The butcher took me and carried me into his house；but when his daughter saw meshe veiled her face and said to her father'How is it that thou bringest a man in to me？'Where is the man？'

asked he；and she replied'This dog is a manwhose wife has enchanted himand I can release him.'When her father heard thishe said'I conjure thee by AllahO my daughterrelease him！'So she took a mug of water and muttered over itthen sprinkled a little of it on mesaying'Leave this shape and return to thy former one.'And immediately I became a man again and kissed her hand and begged her to enchant my wife as she had enchanted me. So she gave me a little of the water and said to me'When thou seest her asleepsprinkle her with this water and repeat the words thou hast heard me usenaming the shape thou wouldst have her takeand she will become whatever thou wishest.'So I took the water and returned home and went in to my wife. I found her asleep and sprinkled the water upon her，saying'Quit this form for that of a mule.'And she at once became a mule；and this is she whom thou seest before theeSultan and Chief of the Kings of the Jinn！'Then he said to the mule'Is it true？'And she nodded her head and made signs as who should say'Yesindeed： this is my history and what befell me.'Here Shehrzad perceived the day and was silent. And Dunyazad said to her'O my sisterwhat a delightful story is this of thine！'This is nothing，'answered Shehrzad'to what I will tell thee to-morrow nightif the King let me live.'Quoth the King to himself'By AllahI will not put her to death till I hear the rest of her storyfor it is wonderful.'And they lay together till the morning. Then the King rose and betook himself to his audience-chamberand the Vizier and the troops presented themselves and the Court was full. The King judged and appointed and deposed and ordered and forbade till the end of the daywhen the Divan broke up and he returned to his apartments.

And when it was the third night and the King had taken his will of the Vizier's daughter，Dunyazad said to her sister'O my sisterfinish us thy story.'

'With all my heart，'answered Shehrzad. 'KnowO august King，that when the genie heard the third old man's storyhe marvelled exceedingly and shook with delight and said'I remit to thee the remainder of his crime.'Then he released the merchantwho went up to the three old men and thanked them；and they gave him joy of his escape and returnedeach to his own country. Nor is this more wonderful than the story of the Fisherman and the Genie.'

'What is that？'asked the King： and she said'I have heard tell，O august Kingthat THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE.

There was once a poor fishermanwho was getting on in years and had a wife and three children；and it was his custom every day to cast his net four times and no more. One day he went out at the hour of noon and repaired to the sea-shorewhere he set down his basket and tucked up his skirts and plunging into the seacast his net and waited till it had settled down in the water. Then he gathered the cords in his hand and found it heavy and pulled at itbut could not bring it up. So he carried the end of the cords ashore and drove in a staketo which he made them fast. Then he stripped and diving round the nettugged at it till he brought it ashore. Whereat he rejoiced and landingput on his clothes；

but when he came to examine the nethe found in it a dead ass；

and the net was torn. When he saw thishe was vexed and said：

'There is no power and no virtue save in God the Most Highthe Supreme！This is indeed strange luck！'And he repeated the following verses：

O thou that strivest in the gloom of darkness and distressCut short thine effortsfor in strife alone lies not success！

Seest not the fisherman that seeks his living in the seaMidmost the network of the stars that round about him press！

Up to his midst he plunges in： the billows buffet him；But from the bellying net his eyes cease not in watchfulness；