o depart.
When he tried to say good-bye he was quite overcome with grief, and
with difficulty tore himself away. At length he reached the place
where he had first seen the genius, on the very day that he had
appointed. He dismounted, and sat down at the edge of the fountain,
where he awaited the genius in terrible suspense.

Whilst he was thus waiting an old man leading a hind came towards him.
They greeted one another, and then the old man said to him, "May I ask,
brother, what brought you to this desert place, where there are so many
evil genii about? To see these beautiful trees one would imagine it
was inhabited, but it is a dangerous place to stop long in."

The merchant told the old man why he was obliged to come there. He
listened in astonishment.

"This is a most marvellous affair. I should like to be a witness of
your interview with the genius." So saying he sat down by the merchant.

While they were talking another old man came up, followed by two black
dogs. He greeted them, and asked what they were doing in this place.
The old man who was leading the hind told him the adventure of the
merchant and the genius. The second old man had not sooner heard the
story than he, too, decided to stay there to see what would happen. He
sat down by the others, and was talking, when a third old man arrived.
He asked why the merchant who was with them looked so sad. They told
him the story, and he also resolved to see what would pass between the
genius and the merchant, so waited with the rest.

They soon saw in the distance a thick smoke, like a cloud of dust.
This smoke came nearer and nearer, and then, all at once, it vanished,
and they saw the genius, who, without speaking to them, approached the
merchant, sword in hand, and, taking him by the arm, said, "Get up and
let me kill you as you killed my son."

The merchant and the three old men began to weep and groan.

Then the old man leading the hind threw himself at the monster's feet
and said, "O Prince of the Genii, I beg of you to stay your fury and to
listen to me. I am going to tell you my story and that of the hind I
have with me, and if you find it more marvellous than that of the
merchant whom you are about to kill, I hope that you will do away with
a third part of his punishment?"

The genius considered some time, and then he said, "Very well, I agree
to this."

The Story of the First Old Man and of the Hind

I am now going to begin m