Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 8.djvu/353

337 ‘indeed good hath betided me of God’s bounty, and I owe thee much money; but take this.’ So saying, he took up, at a handful, half of the pearls and coral and rubies and other jewels he had with him, and gave them to the baker, saying, ‘Give me some ready money to spend this day, till I sell these jewels.’

So the baker gave him all the money he had by him and all the bread in his basket and rejoiced in the jewels he had given him, saying, ‘I am thy slave and thy servant.’ Then he set all the bread on his head and following the fisherman home, gave it to his wife and children, after which he repaired to the market and fetched meat and vegetables and all kinds of fruit. Moreover, he left his shop and abode with Abdallah all that day, busying himself in his service and doing all his occasions. ‘O my brother,’ said the fisherman, ‘thou weariest thyself.’ ‘This is my duty,’ answered the baker; ‘for I am become thy servant and thou hast overwhelmed me with thy bounties.’ ‘Not so,’ rejoined the fisherman; ‘it is thou who wast my benefactor in the days of dearth and straitness.’ And the baker passed the night in feasting with him and became a faithful friend to him. Then the fisherman told his wife what had befallen him with the merman, whereat she rejoiced and said, ‘Keep thy secret, lest the magistrates come down upon thee.’ But he said, ‘Though I keep my secret from all the folk, yet will I not hide it from the baker.’

On the morrow, he rose before the sun and shouldering a basket, which he had filled overnight with all manner fruits, repaired to the sea-shore, where he set down the basket and called out, saying, ‘Where art thou, O Abdallah, O merman?’ And he answered, saying, ‘Here am I, at thy service;’ and came forth to him. The fisherman gave him the fruit and he took it and plunging into the sea with it, was absent awhile, after which he VOL. VIII.