is she whom you see before you. I
wished her to have this form rather than a stranger one, so that we
could see her in the family without repugnance.

Since then my son has become a widower and has gone travelling. I am
now going in search of him, and not wishing to confide my wife to the
care of other people, I am taking her with me. Is this not a most
marvellous tale?

"It is indeed," said the genius, "and because of it I grant to you the
third part of the punishment of this merchant."

When the first old man had finished his story, the second, who was
leading the two black dogs, said to the genius, "I am going to tell you
what happened to me, and I am sure that you will find my story even
more astonishing than the one to which you have just been listening.
But when I have related it, will you grant me also the third part of
the merchant's punishment?"

"Yes," replied the genius, "provided that your story surpasses that of
the hind."

With this agreement the second old man began in this way.

The Story of the Second Old Man, and of the Two Black Dogs

Great prince of the genii, you must know that we are three
brothers--these two black dogs and myself. Our father died, leaving us
each a thousand sequins. With this sum we all three took up the same
profession, and became merchants. A short time after we had opened our
shops, my eldest brother, one of these two dogs, resolved to travel in
foreign countries for the sake of merchandise. With this intention he
sold all he had and bought merchandise suitable to the voyages he was
about to make. He set out, and was away a whole year. At the end of
this time a beggar came to my shop. "Good-day," I said. "Good-day,"
he answered; "is it possible that you do not recognise me?" Then I
looked at him closely and saw he was my brother. I made him come into
my house, and asked him how he had fared in his enterprise.

"Do not question me," he replied, "see me, you see all I have. It
would but renew my trouble to tell of all the misfortunes that have
befallen me in a year, and have brought me to this state."

I shut up my shop, paid him every attention, taking him to the bath,
giving him my most beautiful robes. I examined my accounts, and found
that I had doubled my capital--that is, that I now possessed two
thousand sequins. I gave my brother half, saying: "Now, brother, you
can forget your losses." He accepted them with joy, and we lived
together a