When we were ready to embark, in order to return, I met upon the bank of the sea a lady, handsome enough, but poorly clad. She came up to me presently, kissed my hand, prayed me, with the greatest earnestness imaginable, to marry her, and take her along with me. I made some difficulty to agree to it; but she said so many things to persuade me that I ought to make no objection to her poverty, and that I should have all the reason in the world to be satisfied with her conduct, that I yielded. I ordered proper apparel to be made for her; and after having married her, according to form, I took her on board, and we set sail. During the navigation, I found the wife I had taken had so many good qualities, that I loved her every day more and more. In the mean time, my two brothers, who had not managed their affairs so well as I did mine, envied my prosperity; and their fury carried them so far as to conspire against my life; so that, one night, when my wife and I were asleep, they threw us both into the sea. My wife was a fairy, and, by consequence, a genie, you know well she could not be drowned; but for me, it is certain I had been lost without her help. I had scarce fallen into the water when she took me up, and carried me to an island. When it was day, the fairy said to me, You see, husband, that, by saving your life, I have not rewarded you ill for your kindness to me. You must know, that I am a fairy, and that, being upon the bank of the sea when you were going to embark, I found I had a strong inclination for you: I had a mind to try your goodness, and presented myself before you in that disguise wherein you saw me. You have dealt very generously with me, and I am very glad to have found an opportunity of testifying my acknowledgment to you. But I am incensed against your brothers, and nothing will satisfy me but their lives. I listened to this discourse of the fairy with admiration; I thanked her, as well as I could, for the great kindness she had done me: but, madam, says I, as for my brothers, I beg you to pardon them; whatever cause they have given me, I am not cruel enough to desire their death. I told her the particulars of what I had done for them, which increased her indignation so that she cried out, I must immediately pursue those ungrateful traitors, and take speedy vengeance on them: I will drown their vessel, and throw them into the bottom of the sea. No, my good lady, replied I, for Heaven’s sake, do not so; moderate your anger; consider that they are my brothers, and that we must do good for evil.