Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/325

297 eunuch, sell it to Khelifeh for a hundred and one dinars!’ Quoth the eunuch, ‘By Allah, I will sell it to none but him! Take it, O fisherman, God bless thee in it, and hand over the money.’ So Khelifeh pulled out the money and gave it to the eunuch, who delivered him the chest and bestowed the price in alms on the spot; after which he returned to the palace and told Zubeideh what he had done, whereat she rejoiced.

Meanwhile the fisherman shouldered the chest, but could not carry it [so,] of the excess of its weight; so he lifted it on to his head and carried it thus to the place where he lived. Here he set it down and being weary, sat awhile, considering what had befallen him and saying in himself, ‘Would I knew what is in this chest!’ Then he opened the door of his lodging and tugged at the chest, till he got it into his chamber; after which he strove to open it, but without success. Quoth he, ‘What possessed me to buy this chest? There is nothing for it but to break it open and see what is therein.’ So he applied himself to the lock, but could not open it, and said in himself, ‘I will leave it till to-morrow.’

Then he would have lain down to sleep, but could find no room; for the chest filled the whole chamber. So he climbed up on to it and lay down to sleep; but, when he had lain awhile, he felt something stir in the chest, whereat he was affrighted and sleep forsook him and his reason fled. So he arose and said, ‘Meseems there are Jinn in the chest. Praised be God who hindered me from opening it! For, had I done so, they had come upon me in the dark and made an end of me, and no good would have betided me from them.’ Then he lay down again, when, behold, the chest moved a second time, more than before; whereupon he sprang up and said, ‘There it is again: but this is terrible!’ And he hastened to look for the lamp, but