Towards morning, Dinarzade called the sultaness, and said, Dear
sister, it will be day speedily, therefore pray continue the history
of the fisherman; I am extremely impatient to know what the issue of
it was. Scheherazade having demanded permission, resumed her
discourse as follows: I leave it to your majesty to think how much
the sultan was surprised, when he saw the four fish which the
fisherman presented. He took them up one after another, and viewed
them with attention; and after having admired them a long time, Take
those fish, said he to his vizier, and carry them to the cook, whom
the emperor of the Greeks has sent me. I cannot imagine but that
they must be as good as they are beautiful.
The vizier carried them as he was directed, and delivering them to
the cook, said, Here are four fish just brought to the sultan; he
orders you to dress them: he then returned to the sultan his master,
who ordered him to give the fisherman four hundred pieces of gold of
the coin of that country, which he did accordingly.
The fisherman, who had never seen so much money, could scarcely
believe his good fortune, but thought the whole must be a dream,
until he found it otherwise, by being able to provide necessaries
for his family with the produce of his fish.
But, sir, said Scheherazade, having told you what happened to the
fisherman, I must acquaint you next with what befel the sultan’s
cook, whom we shall find in great perplexity. As soon as she had
gutted the fish, she put them upon the fire in a frying pan, with
oil, and when she thought them fried enough on one side, she turned
them upon the other; but, O, monstrous prodigy! scarcely were they
turned, when the wall of the kitchen divided, and a young lady of
wonderful beauty entered from the opening. She was clad in flowered
satin, after the Egyptian manner, with pendants in her ears, a
necklace of large pearls, and bracelets of gold set with rubies,
with a rod in her hand. She moved towards the frying-pan, to the
great amazement of the cook, who continued fixed by the sight, and
striking one of the fish with the end of the rod, said, “Fish,
fish, are you in duty?” The fish having answered nothing, she
repeated these words, and then the four fish lifted up their heads,
and replied, “Yes, yes: if you reckon, we reckon; if you pay your
debts, we pay ours; if you fly, we overcome, and are content.” As
soon as they had finished these words, the lady overturned the
frying-pan, and entered again into the open part of the wall, which
shut immediately, and became as it was before.
The cook maid was mightily frightened at this, and coming a little
to herself, went to take up the fishes that had fallen on the
hearth, but found them blacker than coal, and not fit to be carried
to the sultan. This grievously troubled her, and she fell to weeping
most bitterly. Alas! said she, what will become of me! If I tell the
sultan what I have seen, I am sure he will not believe me, but will
be enraged against me.
While she was thus bewailing herself, the grand vizier entered, and
asked her if the fish were ready? She told him all that had
occurred, which we may easily imagine astonished him; but without
speaking a word of it to the sultan, he invented an excuse that
satisfied him, and sending immediately for the fisherman, bid him
bring four more such fish, for a misfortune had befallen the others,
so that they are not fit to be carried to the sultan. The fisherman,
without saying any thing of what the genie had told him, in order to
excuse himself from bringing them that day, told the vizier he had a
great way to go for them, but would certainly bring them on the
morrow.
Accordingly the fisherman went away by night, and coming to the
pond, threw in his nets betimes next morning, took four fish like
the former, and brought them to the vizier at the hour appointed.
The minister took them himself, carried them to the kitchen, and
shutting himself up with the cook, she gutted them, and put them on
the fire, as she had done the four others the day before. When they
were fried on one side, and she had turned them upon the other, the
kitchen wall again opened, and the same lady came in, with the rod
in her hand, struck one of the fish, spoke to it as before, and all
four gave her the same answer. But, sir, said Scheherazade, day
appears, which obliges me to leave off. What I have told you, is
indeed very singular; but if I be alive to-morrow, I will tell you
other things, which are yet better worth your hearing. Schahriar,
conceiving that the sequel must be very curious, resolved to hear
her next night.