ppeased her wrath, and in a moment she transported me from the
island where we were to the roof of my house, and she disappeared a
moment afterwards. I went down, and opened the doors, and dug up the
three thousand sequins which I had buried. I went to the place where
my shop was, opened it, and received from my fellow-merchants
congratulations on my return. When I went home, I saw two black dogs
who came to meet me with sorrowful faces. I was much astonished, but
the fairy who reappeared said to me,

"Do not be surprised to see these dogs; they are your two brothers. I
have condemned them to remain for ten years in these shapes." Then
having told me where I could hear news of her, she vanished.

The ten years are nearly passed, and I am on the road to find her. As
in passing I met this merchant and the old man with the hind, I stayed
with them.

This is my history, O prince of genii! Do you not think it is a most
marvellous one?

"Yes, indeed," replied the genius, "and I will give up to you the third
of the merchant's punishment."

Then the third old man made the genius the same request as the other
two had done, and the genius promised him the last third of the
merchant's punishment if his story surpassed both the others.

So he told his story to the genius, but I cannot tell you what it was,
as I do not know.

But I do know that it was even more marvellous than either of the
others, so that the genius was astonished, and said to the third old
man, "I will give up to you the third part of the merchant's
punishment. He ought to thank all three of you for having interested
yourselves in his favour. But for you, he would be here no longer."

So saying, he disappeared, to the great joy of the company. The
merchant did not fail to thank his friends, and then each went on his
way. The merchant returned to his wife and children, and passed the
rest of his days happily with them.

"But, sire," added Scheherazade, "however beautiful are the stories I
have just told you, they cannot compare with the story of the
Fisherman."

The Story of the Fisherman

Sire, there was once upon a time a fisherman so old and so poor that he
could scarcely manage to support his wife and three children. He went
every day to fish very early, and each day he made a rule not to throw
his nets more than four times. He started out one morning by moonlight
and came to the sea-shore. He undressed and threw his nets, and a