Then the genie replied again, "I will kill you, as you have killed my son." Then the merchant said, "Who has killed your son?" And the genie answered, "You." "O my lord," said the poor merchant, "I never saw your son, and I do not know who he is." But the genie said, "You have killed him." Then the merchant said, "My lord, by the living Allah, I have not killed him. How and where and when did I kill him?" The genie answered him, "Did you not lie down when you came into the garden? Did you not take dates out of your travel-bag, did you not eat the dates, and did you not throw the stones about, some on the left side and some on the right?" "It is true, my lord," said the merchant; "I did as you say." "Very well," said the genie, "and so you killed my son; for my son was passing by just then, and as you threw the date-stones, one of them struck him and killed him. Does not the law say, 'Whoso killeth another, shall be killed in turn'?" "Verily, this is the law," said the merchant; "but indeed, indeed, my lord, I did not kill your son; or, if I killed him, I call upon Allah to witness, without Whom is no might and no wisdom, that I did it unwittingly. Forgive me, my lord, oh, forgive me if I have done this thing!" "No," said the genie; "surely you must die." So saying, he seized the merchant and threw him upon the ground. Then he lifted his great sword into the air again and held it ready to strike. The poor merchant thought of his home and family, of his wives and his little ones. He thought he had not a moment more to live, and he shed such floods of tears that his clothes were wet with the moisture. He cried again, "There is no power nor might but with the infinite Allah alone!" and then he repeated the following verses:-- "Time knows two days: Of one the face is bright and clear; Of one the face is dark and drear. "Life has two sides: One is as warm and glad as light; One is as cold and black as night. "Time fooled with me: His flattering fingers soothed with magic spell, Just while his lying kiss was luring me to hell. "Who sneers at me? Are not the trees that feel the tempest's blow The stately trees of pride that highest grow? "Come sail with me: See floating corpses on the topmost waves; The precious pearls are hid in secret caves. "See the eclipse! A thousand stars unquenched forever blaze; But sun and moon must hide their brighter rays. "I looked for fruit: On branches green and fresh no fruit I found; I plucked the fruit from branches sere and browned. "Night smiled on me! Because I saw the diamonds in the sky, Poor fool! I had forgot that death was nigh." When the merchant had finished these verses, and had wept to his heart's content, the genie, who had waited through it all, said, "It is enough; now I must kill you." "What!" said the merchant, "will nothing change you?"