Page:Fairy tales from the Arabian nights.djvu/371

 your turn to beg my favour, and to choose which way I shall put you to death; but it is better that I should throw you into the sea, whence I took you: and then I will build a house upon the bank, where I will dwell, to give notice to all fishermen who come to throw in their nets to beware of such a wicked genie as thou art, who hast made an oath to kill him that shall set thee at liberty.'

The genie, enraged, did all he could to get out of the vessel again; but it was not possible for him to do it, for the impression of Solomon's seal prevented him. So, perceiving that the fisherman had got the advantage of him, he thought fit to dissemble his anger. 'Fisherman,' said he, in a pleasant tone, 'take heed you do not do what you say, for what I spoke to you before was only by way of jest, and you are to take it no otherwise.'

'Oh, genie!' replied the fisherman, 'thou who wast but a moment ago the greatest of all genii, and now art the least of them, thy crafty discourse will avail thee nothing. Back to the sea thou shalt go. If thou hast been there already so long as thou hast told me, thou mayst very well stay there till the day of judgment. I begged of thee, in God's name, not to take away my life, and thou didst reject my prayers, I am obliged to treat thee in the same manner.'

The genie omitted nothing that might prevail upon the fisherman. 'Open the vessel,' said he; 'give me my liberty, I pray thee, and I promise to satisfy thee to thy heart's content.'

'Thou art a mere traitor,' replied the fisherman; 'I should deserve to lose my life if I were such a fool as to trust thee. Notwithstanding the extreme obligation thou wast under to me for having set thee at liberty, thou didst persist in thy design to kill me; I am obliged in my turn, to be as hard-hearted to thee.'

'My good friend fisherman,' replied the genie, 'I implore thee once more not to be guilty of such cruelty; consider that it is not good to avenge oneself, and that, on the other hand, it is commendable to return good for evil; do not treat me as Imama treated Ateca formerly.'

'And what did Imama do to Ateca?' replied the fisherman.

'Ho!' said the genie, 'if you have a mind to hear, open the vessel: do you think that I can be in a humour to tell stories