Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/50

32 High and returning to the sea a third time, cast the net. He waited till it had settled down, then pulled it up and found in it potsherds and bones and broken bottles: whereat he was exceeding wroth and wept and recited the following verses:

Then he lifted his eyes to heaven and said, ‘O my God, Thou knowest that I cast my net but four times a day; and now I have cast it three times and have taken nothing. Grant me then, O my God, my daily bread this time!’ So he said, ‘In the name of God!’ and cast his net and waited till it had settled down in the water, then pulled it, but could not bring it up, for it was caught in the bottom. Whereupon, ‘There is no power and no virtue but in God!’ said he and repeated the following verses:

Then he stripped and dived down to the net and strove with it till he brought it to shore, where he opened it and