recital of this story to the genie, the
murderer of the princess of the isle of Ebene, I made an
application of it to himself: "O genie!" said I, "this bountiful
sultan was not satisfied with merely overlooking the design of
the envious man to take away his life, but also treated him
kindly, and sent him back loaded with the favours I have
enumerated." In short, I employed all my eloquence to persuade
him to imitate so good an example, and to grant me pardon; but it
was impossible to move his compassion.

"All that I can do for thee," said he, "is, to grant thee thy
life; but do not flatter thyself that I will allow thee to return
safe and well; I must let thee feel what I am able to do by my
enchantments." So saying, he seized me violently, and carried me
through the arched roof of the subterraneous palace, which opened
to give him passage; he ascended with me into the air to such a
height, that the earth appeared like a little white cloud; he
then descended again like lightning, and alighted upon the summit
of a mountain.

Here he took up a handful of earth, and pronouncing, or rather
muttering, some words which I did not understand, threw it upon
me. "Quit," said he, "the form of a man, and take that of an
ape." He instantly disappeared, and left me alone, transformed
into an ape, and overwhelmed with sorrow in a strange country,
not knowing whether I was near or far from my father's dominions.

I descended the mountain, and entered a plain level country, which
took me a month to travel over, and then I came to the sea-side. It
happened at the time to be perfectly calm, and I espied a vessel about
half a league from the shore: unwilling to lose so good an
opportunity, I broke off a large branch from a tree, carried it into
the sea, and placed myself astride upon it, with a stick in each hand
to serve me for oars.

I launched out in this posture, and rowed towards the ship. When
I had approached sufficiently near to be seen, I exhibited to the
seamen and passengers on the deck an extraordinary spectacle, and
all of them regarded me with astonishment. In the meantime I got
on board, and laying hold of a rope, jumped upon the deck, but
having lost my speech I found myself in great perplexity: and
indeed the risk I ran was not less than when I was at the mercy
of the genie.

The merchants, being both superstitious and scrupulous, thought
if they received me on board I should be the occasion of some
misfortune to