present dignity and
affluence, which he would share with him. The envious heart of
Abou Neeuteen was unconquerable; and instead of thanking the
noble-minded Abou Neeut for his forgiveness and liberality, he
exclaimed, "Since the well has been to thee so fortunate, why
should it not prove so also to me?" Having said this, he hastily
rose up and quitted Abou Neeut, who would not punish such
rudeness, even without taking leave.

Abou Neeuteen hastened with all speed to the well, and having
descended by a rope, sat down, impatiently expecting the arrival
of the Afreets, who about midnight alighted, and resting
themselves on the terrace above, began to inquire each other's
adventures. "Since we met last," said one, "I have been rendered
miserable; for a cunning Mussulmaun found out the secret of
overpowering me, and has married my princess, nor can I revenge
myself, for he is under the protection of a converted genie, whom
the prophet has appointed to watch over him." "I," continued the
other Afreet, "have been equally unfortunate with thyself; for
the same man who has wedded thy mistress discovered my hidden
treasure, and keeps it in spite of my attempts to recover it: but
let us fill up this abominable well, which must have been the
cause of all our disasters." Having said thus, the two Afreets
immediately hurled the terrace and large stones into the well,
which crushed the ungrateful and envious Abou Neeuteen to atoms.
Some days after this, the good Abou Neeut, finding he did not
return, repaired to the well, and seeing it fallen in, ordered it
to be cleared; when the discovery of the body proved to him that
the malicious spirit of the wretch had been the cause of his own
destruction. He with reverence exclaimed, "There is no refuge but
with the Almighty; may he preserve us from envy, which is
destructive to the envious alone!"

Abou Neeut returned to the capital, where, not long after, his
father-in-law the sultan dying, left him heir to his kingdom. His
succession was disputed by the husbands of the two elder sisters
of his wife; but the ministers and people being in favour of the
sultan's will, they resigned their pretensions and submitted to
his authority. His wife being brought to bed of a son, her
sisters bribed the midwife to pretend that the sultana had
produced a dog. They did the same by another son. At the third
lying-in of the sultana Abou Neeut resolved to be present, and a
beautiful princess appeared. T