Dinarzade made amends for the last night’s neglect; she awoke long
before day, and calling upon Scheherazade, sister, said she, if you
be not asleep, pray give us the rest of the story of the fisherman
and the genie; you know the sultan desires to hear it as well as I.
I shall soon satisfy his curiosity and yours, answered the
sultaness, and then addressing herself to Schahriar, Sir, continued
she, as soon as the fisherman had concluded the history of the Greek
king and his physician Douban, he made the application to the genie,
whom he still kept shut up in the vessel. If the Grecian king, said
he, had suffered the physician to live, God would have continued his
life also: but he rejected his most humble prayers, and the case is
the same with thee, O, genie! Could I have prevailed with thee to
grant me the favour I supplicated, I should now take pity on thee;
but since, notwithstanding the extreme obligation thou wast under to
me, for having set thee at liberty, thou didst persist in thy design
to kill me, I am obliged, in my turn, to be equally hard-hearted to
thee.
My good friend fisherman, replied the genie, I conjure thee once
more, not to be guilty of such cruelty; consider, that it is not
good to avenge one’s self, and that on the other hand, it is
commendable to do good for evil; do not treat me as Imama formerly
treated Ateca. And what did Imama to Ateca? inquired the fisherman.
Ho! says the genie, if you have a mind to be informed, open the
vessel: do you think that I can be in a humour to relate stories in
so strait a prison? I will tell you as many as you please, when you
have let me out. No, said the fisherman, I will not let thee out; it
is in vain to talk of it: I am just going to throw thee into the
bottom of the sea. Hear me one word more, cried the genie: I promise
to do thee no hurt; nay, far from that, I will shew thee a way to
become exceedingly rich.
The hope of delivering himself from poverty, prevailed with the
fisherman. I could listen to thee, said he, were there any credit to
be given to thy word; swear to me by the great name of God, that you
will faithfully perform what you promise, and I will open the
vessel; I do not believe you will dare to break such an oath.
The genie swore to him, upon which the fisherman immediately took
off the covering of the vessel. At that instant, the smoke ascended,
and the genie having resumed his form, the first thing he did was to
kick the vessel into the sea. This action alarmed the fisherman.
Genie, said he, will not you keep the oath you just now made? And
must I say to you, as the physician Douban said to the Grecian king,
suffer me to live, and God will prolong your days.
The genie laughed at the fisherman’s fear, and answered, No,
fisherman, be not afraid, I only did it to divert myself, and to see
if thou wouldst be alarmed at it: but to convince thee that I am in
earnest, take thy nets and follow me. As he spoke these words, he
walked before the fisherman, who having taken up his nets, followed
him, but with some distrust. They passed by the town, and came to
the top of a mountain, from whence they descended into a vast plain,
which brought them to a lake, that lay betwixt four hills.
When they reached the side of the lake, the genie said to the
fisherman, Cast in thy nets, and catch fish; the fisherman did not
doubt of taking some, because he saw a great number in the water;
but he was extremely surprised, when he found they were of four
colours, that is to say, white, red, blue, and yellow. He threw in
his nets, and brought out one of each colour. Having never seen the
like before, he could not but admire them, and judging that he might
get a considerable sum for them, he was very joyful. Carry those
fish, said the genie to him, and present them to thy sultan; he will
give thee more money for them. Thou mayest come every day to fish in
this lake; but I give thee warning not to throw in thy nets above
once a day, otherwise thou wilt repent. Having spoken thus, he
struck his foot upon the ground, which opened, and after it had
swallowed him up, closed again.
The fisherman being resolved to follow the genie’s advice, forbore
casting in his nets a second time; and returned to the town very
well satisfied; and making a thousand reflections upon his
adventure. He went immediately to the sultan’s palace, to offer
his fish. But, sir, said Scheherazade, I perceive day, and must stop
here.
Dear sister, said Dinarzade, how surprising are the last events you
have told us? I can hardly believe that any thing you have to say
can be more surprising. Sister, replied the sultaness, if the
sultan, my master, will let me live till tomorrow, I am persuaded
you will find the sequel of the history of the fisherman more
wonderful than the beginning of it, and incomparably more diverting.
Schahriar, being curious to know if the remainder of this story
would be such as the sultaness said, put off once more the execution
of his cruel sentence.