answered, "This is not the time for storytelling and I in this prison,
but set me free and I will tell thee the tale." Quoth the fisherman:

"Leave this language. There is no help but that thou be thrown back
into the sea, nor is there any way for thy getting out of it forever

and ever. Vainly I placed myself under thy protection, and I humbled
myself to thee with weeping, while thou soughtest only to slay me, who

had done thee no injury deserving this at thy hands. Nay, so far
from injuring thee by any evil act, I worked thee naught but weal in

releasing thee from that jail of thine. Now I knew thee to be an
evil-doer when thou diddest to me what thou didst, and know that when

I have cast thee back into this sea, I will warn whosoever may fish
thee up of what hath befallen me with thee, and I will advise him to

toss thee back again. So shalt thou abide here under these waters till
The End of Time shall make an end of thee." But the Ifrit cried aloud:

"Set me free. This is a noble occasion for generosity, and I make
covenant with thee and vow never to do thee hurt and harm- nay, I

will help thee to what shall put thee out of want."
The fisherman accepted his promises on both conditions, not to

trouble him as before, but on the contrary to do him service, and
after making firm the plight and swearing him a solemn oath by Allah

Most Highest, he opened the cucurbit. Thereupon the pillar of smoke
rose up till all of it was fully out, then it thickened and once

more became an Ifrit of hideous presence, who forthright
administered a kick to the bottle and sent it flying into the sea. The

fisherman, seeing how the cucurbit was treated and making sure of
his own death, piddled in his clothes and said to himself, "This

promiseth badly," but he fortified his heart, and cried: "O Ifrit,
Allah hath said: 'Perform your covenant, for the performance of your

covenant shall be inquired into hereafter.' Thou hast made a vow to me
and hast sworn an oath not to play me false lest Allah play thee

false, for verily He is a jealous God who respiteth the sinner but
letteth him not escape. I say to thee as said the Sage Duban to King

Yunan, 'Spare me so Allah may spare thee!'" The Ifrit burst into
laughter and stalked away, saying to the fisherman, "Follow me."

And the man paced after him at a safe distance (for he was not
assured of escape) till they had passed round the suburbs of the city.

Thence they struck into the uncultivated grounds and, crossing them,
descended into a broad wilderness, and lo! in the midst of it stood

a mountain tarn. The Ifrit waded in to the middle and again cried,
"Follow me," and when this was done he took his stand in the center

and bade the man cast his net and catch his fish. The fisherman looked
into the water and was much astonished to see therein varicolored

fishes, white and red, blue and yellow. However, he cast his net
and, hauling it in, saw that he had netted four fishes, one of each

color. Thereat he rejoiced greatly, and more when the Ifrit said to
him: "Carry these to the Sultan and set them in his presence, then

he will give thee what shall make thee a wealthy man. And now accept
my excuse, for by Allah, at this time I wot none other way of

benefiting thee, inasmuch I have lain in this sea eighteen hundred
years and have not seen the face of the world save within this hour.

But I would not have thee fish here save once a day." The Ifrit then
gave him Godspeed, saying, "Allah grant we meet again," and struck the

earth with one foot, whereupon the ground clove asunder and
swallowed him up.

The fisherman, much marveling at what had happened to him with the
Ifrit, took the fish and made for the city, and as soon as he

reached home he filled an earthen bowl with water and therein threw
the fish, which began to struggle and wriggle about. Then he bore

off the bowl upon his head and, repairing to the King's palace (even
as the Ifrit had bidden him) laid the fish before the presence. And

the King wondered with exceeding wonder at the sight, for never in his
lifetime had he seen fishes like these in quality or in

conformation. So he said, "Give those fish to the stranger slave
girl who now cooketh for us," meaning the bondmaiden whom the King

of Roum had sent to him only three days before, so that he had not yet
made trial of her talents in the dressing of meat.

Thereupon the Wazir carried the fish to the cook and bade her fry
them, saying: O damsel, the King sendeth this say to thee: 'I have not

treasured thee, O tear o' me! save for stress time of me.' Approve,
then, to us this day thy delicate handiwork and thy savory cooking,

for this dish of fish is a present sent to the Sultan and evidently
a rarity." The Wazir, after he had carefully charged her, returned

to the King, who commanded him to give the fisherman four hundred
dinars. He gave them accordingly, and the man took them to his bosom

and ran off home stumbling and falling and rising again and deeming
the whole thing to be a dream. However, he bought for his family all

they wanted, and lastly he went to his wife in huge joy and
gladness. So far concerning him.

But as regards the cookmaid, she took the fish and cleansed them and
set them in the frying pan, basting them with oil till one side was

dressed. Then she turned them over and behold, the kitchen wall
clave asunder, and therefrom came a young lady, fair of form, oval

of face, perfect in grace, with eyelids which kohl lines enchase.
Her dress was a silken headkerchief fringed and tasseled with blue.

A large ring hung from either ear, a pair of bracelets adorned her
wrists, rings with bezels of priceless gems were on her fingers, and

she hent in hand a long rod of rattan cane which she thrust into the
frying pan, saying, "O fish! O fish! Be ye constant to your

convenant?" When the cookmaiden saw this apparition she swooned
away. The young lady repeated her words a second time and a third

time, and at last the fishes raised their heads from the pan, and
saying in articulate speech, "Yes! Yes!" began with one voice to

recite:
"Come back and so will I! Keep faith and so will I!

And if ye fain forsake, I'll requite till quits we cry!"
After this the young lady upset the frying pan and went forth by the

way she came in and the kitchen wall closed upon her. When the
cookmaiden recovered from her fainting fit, she saw the four fishes

charred black as charcoal, and crying out, "His staff brake in his
first bout," she again fell swooning to the ground. Whilst she was

in this case the Wazir came for the fish, and looking upon her as
insensible she lay, not knowing Sunday from Thursday, shoved her

with his foot and said, "Bring the fish for the Sultan!" Thereupon,
recovering from her fainting fit, she wept and informed him of her

case and all that had befallen her. The Wazir marveled greatly and
exclaiming, "This is none other than a right strange matter!" he

sent after the fisher-man and said to him, "Thou, O Fisherman, must
needs fetch us four fishes like those thou broughtest before."

Thereupon the man repaired to the tarn and cast his net, and when he
landed it, lo! four fishes were therein exactly like the first.

These he at once carried to the Wazir, who went in with them to the
cookmaiden and said, "Up with thee and fry these in my presence,

that I may see this business." The damsel arose and cleansed the fish,
and set them in the frying pan over the fire. However, they remained

there but a little while ere the wall clave asunder and the young lady
appeared, clad as before and holding in hand the wand which she

again thrust into the frying pan, saying, "O fish! O fish! Be ye
constant to your olden convenant?" And behold, the fish lifted their

heads and repeated "Yes! Yes!" and recited this couplet:
"Come back and so will I! Keep faith and so will I!

But if ye fain forsake, I'll requite till quits we cry!"
When the fishes spoke, and the young lady upset the frying pan

with her rod and went forth by the way she came and the wall closed
up, the Wazir cried out, "This is a thing not to be hidden from the