who was so poor that he could scarcely
earn as much as would maintain himself, his wife, and three children. He
went every day to fish betimes in the morning, and imposed it as a law
upon himself not to cast his nets above four times a day. He went one
morning by moonlight, and coming to the seaside, undressed himself, and
cast in his nets. As he drew them toward the shore, he found them very
heavy, and thought he had a good draught of fish, at which he rejoiced;
but a moment after, perceiving that instead of fish his net contained
nothing but the carcass of an ass, he was much vexed.

When he had mended his nets, which the carcass of the ass had broken in
several places, he threw them in a second time; and when he drew them,
found a great deal of resistance, which made him think he had taken
abundance of fish; but he found nothing except a basket full of gravel
and slime, which grieved him extremely. "O Fortune!" cried he, with a
lamentable tone, "be not angry with me, nor persecute a wretch who prays
thee to spare him. I came hither from my house to seek for my
livelihood, and thou pronouncest against me a sentence of death. I have
no other trade but this to subsist by, and, notwithstanding all my care,
I can scarcely provide what is necessary for my family. But I am to
blame to complain of thee; thou takest pleasure to persecute honest
people, and advancest those who have no virtue to recommend them."

Having finished this complaint, he fretfully threw away the basket, and,
washing his nets from the slime, cast them a third time, but brought up
nothing except stones, shells, and mud. No language can express his
disappointment; he was almost distracted. However, when day began to
appear, he did not forget to say his prayers like a good Mussulman, and
he added to them this petition: "Lord, thou knowest that I cast my nets
only four times a day; I have already drawn them three times, without
the least reward for my labour: I am only to cast them once more; I pray
thee to render the sea favourable to me, as thou didst to Moses."

The fisherman, having finished this prayer, cast his nets the fourth
time; and when he thought it was proper, drew them as formerly with
great difficulty; but instead of fish found nothing in them but a vessel
of yellow copper, which, from its weight, seemed not to be empty; and he
observed that it was fastened and closed with lead, having the
impression of a seal upon it. This turn of fortune