There was once upon a time a king who had a son who was very fond of

hunting. He often allowed him to indulge in this pastime, but he had ordered his

grand-vizir always to go with him, and never to lose sight of him. One day the

huntsman roused a stag, and the prince, thinking that the vizir was behind, gave

chase, and rode so hard that he found himself alone. He stopped, and having lost

sight of it, he turned to rejoin the vizir, who had not been careful enough to

follow him. But he lost his way. Whilst he was trying to find it, he saw on the

side of the road a beautiful lady who was crying bitterly. He drew his horse's

rein, and asked her who she was and what she was doing in this place, and if she

needed help. "I am the daughter of an Indian king," she answered, "and whilst

riding in the country I fell asleep and tumbled off. My horse has run away, and I

do not know what has become of him."

The young prince had pity on her, and offered to take her behind him, which

he did. As they passed by a ruined building the lady dismounted and went in.

The prince also dismounted and followed her. To his great surprise, he heard her

saying to some one inside, "Rejoice my children; I am bringing you a nice fat

youth." And other voices replied, "Where is he, mamma, that we may eat him at

once, as we are very hungry?"

The prince at once saw the danger he was in. He now knew that the lady who

said she was the daughter of an Indian king was an ogress, who lived in desolate

places, and who by a thousand wiles surprised and devoured passers-by. He was

terrified, and threw himself on his horse. The pretended princess appeared at this

moment, and seeing that she had lost her prey, she said to him, "Do not be afraid.

What do you want?"

"I am lost," he answered, "and I am looking for the road."

"Keep straight on," said the ogress, "and you will find it."

The prince could hardly believe his ears, and rode off as hard as he could. He

found his way, and arrived safe and sound at his father's house, where he told

him of the danger he had run because of the grand-vizir's carelessness. The king

was very angry, and had him strangled immediately.

"Sire," went on the vizir to the Greek king, "to return to the physician,

Douban. If you do not take care, you will repent of having trusted him. Who

knows what this remedy, with which he has cured you, may not in time have a

bad effect on you?"

The Greek king was naturally very weak, and did not perceive the wicked

intention of his vizir, nor was he firm enough to keep to his first resolution.

"Well, vizir," he said, "you are right. Perhaps he did come to take my life. He

might do it by the mere smell of one of his drugs. I must see what can be done."

"The best means, sire, to put your life in security, is to send for him at once,

and to cut off his head directly he comes," said the vizir.

"I really think," replied the king, "that will be the best way."

He then ordered one of his ministers to fetch the physician, who came at

once.

"I have had you sent for," said the king, "in order to free myself from you by

taking your life."

The physician was beyond measure astonished when he heard he was to die.

"What crimes have I committed, your majesty?"

"I have learnt," replied the king, "that you are a spy, and intend to kill me. But

I will be first, and kill you. Strike," he added to an executioner who was by, "and

rid me of this assassin."

At this cruel order the physician threw himself on his knees. "Spare my life,"

he cried, "and yours will be spared."

The fisherman stopped here to say to the genius: "You see what passed

between the Greek king and the physician has just passed between us two. The

Greek king," he went on, "had no mercy on him, and the executioner bound his

eyes."

All those present begged for his life, but in vain.

The physician on his knees, and bound, said to the king: "At least let me put

my affairs in order, and leave my books to persons who will make good use of

them. There is one which I should like to present to your majesty. It is very

precious, and ought to be kept carefully in your treasury. It contains many

curious things the chief being that when you cut off my head, if your majesty

will turn to the sixth leaf, and read the third line of the left-hand page, my head

will answer all the questions you like to ask it."

The king, eager to see such a wonderful thing, put off his execution to the

next day, and sent him under a strong guard to his house. There the physician put

his affairs in order, and the next day there was a great crowd assembled in the

hall to see his death, and the doings after it. The physician went up to the foot of

the throne with a large book in his hand. He carried a basin, on which he spread

the covering of the book, and presenting it to the king, said: "Sire, take this book,

and when my head is cut off, let it be placed in the basin on the covering of this

book; as soon as it is there, the blood will cease to flow. Then open the book, and

my head will answer your questions. But, sire, I implore your mercy, for I am

innocent."

"Your prayers are useless, and if it were only to hear your head speak when

you are dead, you should die."

So saying, he took the book from the physician's hands, and ordered the

executioner to do his duty.

The head was so cleverly cut off that it fell into the basin, and directly the

blood ceased to flow. Then, to the great astonishment of the king, the eyes

opened, and the head said, "Your majesty, open the book." The king did so, and

finding that the first leaf stuck against the second, he put his finger in his mouth,

to turn it more easily. He did the same thing till he reached the sixth page, and

not seeing any writing on it, "Physician," he said, "there is no writing."

"Turn over a few more pages," answered the head. The king went on turning,

still putting his finger in his mouth, till the poison in which each page was

dipped took effect. His sight failed him, and he fell at the foot of his throne.

When the physician's head saw that the poison had taken effect, and that the

king had only a few more minutes to live, "Tyrant," it cried, "see how cruelty

and injustice are punished."

Scarcely had it uttered these words than the king died, and the head lost also

the little life that had remained in it.

That is the end of the story of the Greek king, and now let us return to the

fisherman and the genius.

"If the Greek king," said the fisherman, "had spared the physician, he would

not have thus died. The same thing applies to you. Now I am going to throw you

into the sea."

"My friend," said the genius, "do not do such a cruel thing. Do not treat me as

Imma treated Ateca."

"What did Imma do to Ateca?" asked the fisherman.

"Do you think I can tell you while I am shut up in here?" replied the genius.

"Let me out, and I will make you rich."

The hope of being no longer poor made the fisherman give way.

"If you will give me your promise to do this, I will open the lid. I do not think

you will dare to break your word."

The genius promised, and the fisherman lifted the lid. He came out at once in

smoke, and then, having resumed his proper form, the first thing he did was to

kick the vase into the sea. This frightened the fisherman, but the genius laughed

and said, "Do not be afraid; I only did it to frighten you, and to show you that I

intend to keep my word; take your nets and follow me."

He began to walk in front of the fisherman, who followed him with some

misgivings. They passed in front of the town, and went up a mountain and then

down into a great plain, where there was a large lake lying between four hills.

When they reached the lake the genius said to the fisherman, "Throw your

nets and catch fish."

The fisherman did as he was told, hoping for a good catch, as he saw plenty

of fish. What was his astonishment at seeing that there were four quite different

kinds, some white, some red, some blue, and some yellow. He caught four, one

of each colour. As he had never seen any like them he admired them very much,

and he was very pleased to think how much money he would get for them.

"Take these fish and carry them to the Sultan, who will give you more money

for them than you have ever had in your life. You can come every day to fish in

this lake, but be careful not to throw your nets more than once every day,

otherwise some harm will happen to you. If you follow my advice carefully you

will find it good."

Saying these words, he struck his foot against the ground, which opened, and

when he had disappeared, it closed immediately.

The fisherman resolved to obey the genius exactly, so he did not cast his nets

a second time, but walked into the town to sell his fish at the palace.

When the Sultan saw the fish he was much astonished. He looked at them one

after the other, and when he had admired them long enough, "Take these fish,"

he said to his first vizir, "and given them to the clever cook the Emperor of the

Greeks sent me. I think they must be as good as they are beautiful."

The vizir took them himself to the cook, saying, "Here are four fish that have

been brought to the Sultan. He wants you to cook them."

Then he went back to the Sultan, who told him to give the fisherman four

hundred gold pieces. The fisherman, who had never before possessed such a

large sum of money at once, could hardly believe his good fortune. He at once

relieved the needs of his family, and made good use of it.

But now we must return to the kitchen, which we shall find in great

confusion. The cook, when she had cleaned the fish, put them in a pan with some

oil to fry them. When she thought them cooked enough on one side she turned

them on the other. But scarcely had she done so when the walls of the kitchen

opened, and there came out a young and beautiful damsel. She was dressed in an

Egyptian dress of flowered satin, and she wore earrings, and a necklace of white

pearls, and bracelets of gold set with rubies, and she held a wand of myrtle in her

hand.

She went up to the pan, to the great astonishment of the cook, who stood

motionless at the sight of her. She struck one of the fish with her rod, "Fish,

fish," said she, "are you doing your duty?" The fish answered nothing, and then

she repeated her question, whereupon they all raised their heads together and

answered very distinctly, "Yes, yes. If you reckon, we reckon. If you pay your

debts, we pay ours. If you fly, we conquer, and we are content."

When they had spoken the girl upset the pan, and entered the opening in the

wall, which at once closed, and appeared the same as before.

When the cook had recovered from her fright she lifted up the fish which had

fallen into the ashes, but she found them as black as cinders, and not fit to serve

up to the Sultan. She began to cry.

"Alas! what shall I say to the Sultan? He will be so angry with me, and I

know he will not believe me!"

Whilst she was crying the grand-vizir came in and asked if the fish were

ready. She told him all that had happened, and he was much surprised. He sent at

once for the fisherman, and when he came said to him, "Fisherman, bring me

four more fish like you have brought already, for an accident has happened to

them so that they cannot be served up to the Sultan."

The fisherman did not say what the genius had told him, but he excused

himself from bringing them that day on account of the length of the way, and he

promised to bring them next day.

In the night he went to the lake, cast his nets, and on drawing them in found

four fish, which were like the others, each of a different colour.

He went back at once and carried them to the grand-vizir as he had promised.

He then took them to the kitchen and shut himself up with the cook, who

began to cook them as she had done the four others on the previous day. When

she was about to turn them on the other side, the wall opened, the damsel

appeared, addressed the same words to the fish, received the same answer, and

then overturned the pan and disappeared.

The grand-vizir was filled with astonishment. "I shall tell the Sultan all that

has happened," said he. And he did so.

The Sultan was very much astounded, and wished to see this marvel for

himself. So he sent for the fisherman, and asked him to procure four more fish.

The fisherman asked for three days, which were granted, and he then cast his

nets in the lake, and again caught four different coloured fish. The sultan was

delighted to see he had got them, and gave him again four hundred gold pieces.

As soon as the Sultan had the fish he had them carried to his room with all

that was needed to cook them.

Then he shut himself up with the grand-vizir, who began to prepare them and

cook them. When they were done on one side he turned them over on the other.

Then the wall of the room opened, but instead of the maiden a black slave came

out. He was enormously tall, and carried a large green stick with which he

touched the fish, saying in a terrible voice, "Fish, fish, are you doing your duty?"

To these words the fish lifting up their heads replied, "Yes, yes. If you reckon,

we reckon. If you pay your debts, we pay ours. If you fly, we conquer, and are

content."

The black slave overturned the pan in the middle of the room, and the fish

were turned to cinders. Then he stepped proudly back into the wall, which closed

round him.

"After having seen this," said the Sultan, "I cannot rest. These fish signify

some mystery I must clear up."

He sent for the fisherman. "Fisherman," he said, "the fish you have brought

us have caused me some anxiety. Where did you get them from?"

"Sire," he answered, "I got them from a lake which lies in the middle of four

hills beyond yonder mountains."

"Do you know this lake?" asked the Sultan of the grand-vizir.

"No; though I have hunted many times round that mountain, I have never

heard of it," said the vizir.

As the fisherman said it was only three hours' journey away, the sultan

ordered his whole court to mount and ride thither, and the fisherman led them.

They climbed the mountain, and then, on the other side, saw the lake as the

fisherman had described. The water was so clear that they could see the four

kinds of fish swimming about in it. They looked at them for some time, and then

the Sultan ordered them to make a camp by the edge of the water.

When night came the Sultan called his vizir, and said to him, "I have resolved

to clear up this mystery. I am going out alone, and do you stay here in my tent,

and when my ministers come to-morrow, say I am not well, and cannot see them.

Do this each day till I return."

The grand-vizir tried to persuade the Sultan not to go, but in vain. The Sultan

took off his state robe and put on his sword, and when he saw all was quiet in the

camp he set forth alone.

He climbed one of the hills, and then crossed the great plain, till, just as the

sun rose, he beheld far in front of him a large building. When he came near to it

he saw it was a splendid palace of beautiful black polished marble, covered with

steel as smooth as a mirror.

He went to the gate, which stood half open, and went in, as nobody came

when he knocked. He passed through a magnificent courtyard and still saw no

one, though he called aloud several times.

He entered large halls where the carpets were of silk, the lounges and sofas

covered with tapestry from Mecca, and the hangings of the most beautiful Indian

stuffs of gold and silver. Then he found himself in a splendid room, with a

fountain supported by golden lions. The water out of the lions' mouths turned

into diamonds and pearls, and the leaping water almost touched a most

beautifully-painted dome. The palace was surrounded on three sides by

magnificent gardens, little lakes, and woods. Birds sang in the trees, which were

netted over to keep them always there.

Still the Sultan saw no one, till he heard a plaintive cry, and a voice which

said, "Oh that I could die, for I am too unhappy to wish to live any longer!"

The Sultan looked round to discover who it was who thus bemoaned his fate,

and at last saw a handsome young man, richly clothed, who was sitting on a

throne raised slightly from the ground. His face was very sad.

The sultan approached him and bowed to him. The young man bent his head

very low, but did not rise.

"Sire," he said to the Sultan, "I cannot rise and do you the reverence that I am

sure should be paid to your rank."

"Sir," answered the Sultan, "I am sure you have a good reason for not doing

so, and having heard your cry of distress, I am come to offer you my help.

Whose is this palace, and why is it thus empty?"

Instead of answering the young man lifted up his robe, and showed the Sultan

that, from the waist downwards, he was a block of black marble.

The Sultan was horrified, and begged the young man to tell him his story.

"Willingly I will tell you my sad history," said the young man.