THE FISHERMAN AND THE JINNI

IT hath reached me, O auspicious King, that there was a fisherman" target="_blank" title="n.渔民，渔夫，打鱼人">fisherman
well stricken in years who had a wife and three children, and withal

was of poor condition. Now it was his custom to cast his net every day
four times, and no more. On a day he went forth about noontide to

the ashore" target="_blank" title="n.海岸；海滨">seashore, where he laid down his basket and, tucking up his
shirt and plunging into the water, made a cast with his net and waited

till it settled to the bottom. Then he gathered the cords together and
haled away at it, but found it weighty. And however much he drew it

landward, he could not pull it up, so he carried the ends ashore and
drove a stake into the ground and made the net fast to it. Then he

stripped and dived into the water all about the net, and left not
off working hard until he had brought it up.

He rejoiced thereat and, donning his clothes, went to the net,
when he found in it a dead jackass which had torn the meshes. Now

when he saw it, he exclaimed in his grief, "There is no Majesty and
there is no Might save in Allah the Glorious, the Great!" Then quoth

he, "This is a strange manner of daily bread," and he began reciting
in extempore verse:

"O toiler through the glooms of night in peril and in pain,
Thy toiling stint for daily bread comes not by might and main!

Seest thou not the fisher seek afloat upon the sea
His bread, while glimmer stars of night as set in tangled skein?

Anon he plungeth in despite the buffet of the waves,
The while to sight the bellying net his eager glances strain,

Till joying at the night's success, a fish he bringeth home
Whose gullet by the hook of Fate was caught and cut in twain.

When buys that fish of him a man who spent the hours of night
Reckless of cold and wet and gloom in ease and comfort fain,

Laud to the Lord who gives to this, to that denies, his wishes
And dooms one toil and catch the prey and other eat the fishes."

Then quoth he, "Up and to it. I am sure of His beneficence,
Inshallah!" So he continued:

"When thou art seized of Evil Fate, assume
The noble soul's long-suffering. 'Tis thy best.

Complain not to the creature, this be 'plaint
From one most Ruthful to the ruthlessest."

The fisherman" target="_blank" title="n.渔民，渔夫，打鱼人">fisherman, when he had looked at the dead ass, got it free of
the toils and wrung out and spread his net. Then he plunged into the

sea, saying, "In Allah's name!" and made a cast and pulled at it,
but it grew heavy and settled down more firmly than the first time.

Now he thought that there were fish in it, and he made it fast and,
doffing his clothes, went into the water, and dived and haled until he

drew it up upon dry land. Then found he in it a large earthern pitcher
which was full of sand and mud, and seeing this, he was greatly

troubled. So he prayed pardon of Allah and, throwing away the jar,
wrung his net and cleansed it and returned to the sea the third time

to cast his net, and waited till it had sunk. Then he pulled at it and
found therein potsherds and broken glass. Then, raising his eyes

heavenward, he said: "O my God! Verily Thou wettest that I cast not my
net each day save four times. The third is done and as yet Thou hast

vouchsafed me nothing. So this time, O my God, deign give me my
daily bread."

Then, having called on Allah's name, he again threw his net and
waited its sinking and settling, whereupon he haled at it but could

not draw it in for that it was entangled at the bottom. He cried out
in his vexation, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in

Allah!" and he began reciting:
"Fie on this wretched world, an so it be

I must be whelmed by grief and misery.
Tho' gladsome be man's lot when dawns the morn,

He drains the cup of woe ere eve he see.
Yet was I one of whom the world when asked

'Whose lot is happiest?' would say, ''Tis he!'"
Thereupon he stripped and, diving down to the net, busied himself

with it till it came to land. Then he opened the meshes and found
therein a cucumber-shaped jar of yellow copper, evidently full of

something, whose mouth was made fast with a leaden cap stamped with
the seal ring of our Lord Solomon, son of David (Allah accept the

twain!). Seeing this, the fisherman" target="_blank" title="n.渔民，渔夫，打鱼人">fisherman rejoiced and said, "If I sell it
in the brass bazaar, 'tis worth ten golden dinars." He shook it, and

finding it heavy, continued: "Would to Heaven I knew what is herein.
But I must and will open it and look to its contents and store it in

my bag and sell it in the brass market." And taking out a knife, he
worked at the lead till he had loosened it from the jar. Then he

laid the cup on the ground and shook the vase to pour out whatever
might be inside. He found nothing in it, whereat he marveled with an

exceedingmarvel. But presently there came forth from the jar a
smoke which spired heavenward into ether (whereat he again marveled

with mightymarvel), and which trailed along earth's surface till
presently, having reached its full height, the thick vapor

condensed, and became an Ifrit huge of bulk, whose crest touched the
clouds while his feet were on the ground. His head was as a dome,

his hands like pitchforks, his legs long as masts, and his mough big
as a cave. His teeth were like large stones, his nostrils ewers, his

eyes two lamps, and his look was fierce and lowering.
Now when the fisherman" target="_blank" title="n.渔民，渔夫，打鱼人">fisherman saw the Ifrit, his side muscles quivered, his

teeth chattered, his spittle dried up, and he became blind about
what to do. Upon this the Ifrit looked at him and cried, "there is

no god but the God, and Solomon is the prophet of God," presently
adding: "O Apostle of Allah, slay me not. Never again will I gainsay

thee in word nor sin against thee in deed." Quoth the fisherman" target="_blank" title="n.渔民，渔夫，打鱼人">fisherman, "O
Marid, diddest thou say Solomon the Apostle of Allah? And Solomon is

dead some thousand and eight hundred years ago, and we are now in
the last days of the world! What is thy story, and what is thy account

of thyself, and what is the cause of thy entering into this cucurbit?"
Now when the Evil Spirit heard the words of the fisherman" target="_blank" title="n.渔民，渔夫，打鱼人">fisherman, quoth he:

"There is no god but the God. Be of good cheer, O Fisherman!" Quoth
the fisherman" target="_blank" title="n.渔民，渔夫，打鱼人">fisherman, "Why biddest thou me to be of good cheer?" And he

replied, "Because of thy having to die an ill death in this very
hour." Said the fisherman" target="_blank" title="n.渔民，渔夫，打鱼人">fisherman, "Thou deservest for thy good tidings the

withdrawal of Heaven's protection, O thou distant one! Wherefore
shouldest thou kill me, and what thing have I done to deserve death, I

who freed thee from the jar, and saved thee from the depths of the
sea, and brought thee up on the dry land?" Replied the Ifrit, "Ask

of me only what mode of death thou wilt die, and by what manner of
slaughter shall I slay thee." Rejoined the fisherman" target="_blank" title="n.渔民，渔夫，打鱼人">fisherman, "What is my

crime, and wherefore such retribution?" Quoth the Ifrit, "Hear my
story, O Fisherman!" And he answered, "Say on, and be brief in thy

sayinig, for of very sooth my life breath is in my nostrils."
Thereupon quoth the Jinni: "Know that I am one among the heretical

Jann, and I sinned against Solomon, David-son (on the twain be
peace!), I together with the famous Sakhr al-Jinni, whereupon the

Prophet sent his Minister, Asaf son of Barkhiya, to seize me. And this
Wazir brought me against my will and led me in bonds to him (I being

downcast despite my nose), and he placed me standing before him like a
suppliant. When Solomon saw me, he took refuge with Allah and bade

me embrace the True Faith and obey his behests. But I refused, so,
sending for this cucurbit, he shut me up therein and stopped it over

with lead, whereon he impressed the Most High Name, and gave his
orders to the Jann, who carried me off and cast me into the midmost of

the ocean. There I abode a hundred years, during which I said in my
heart, 'Whoso shall release me, him will I enrich forever and ever.'

"But the full century went by and, when no one set me free, I
entered upon the second fivescore saying, 'Whoso shall release me, for

him I will open the hoards of the earth.' Still no one set me free,