Accordingly the fisherman went away by night, and coming to the pond, threw in his nets betimes next morning, took four fish like the former, and brought them to the vizier at the hour appointed. The minister took them himself, carried them to the kitchen, and shutting himself up with the cook, she gutted them, and put them on the fire, as she had done the four others the day before. When they were fried on one side, and she had turned them upon the other, the kitchen wall again opened, and the same lady came in, with the rod in her hand, struck one of the fish, spoke to it as before, and all four gave her the same answer. But, sir, said Scheherazade, day appears, which obliges me to leave off. What I have told you, is indeed very singular; but if I be alive to-morrow, I will tell you other things, which are yet better worth your hearing. Schahriar, conceiving that the sequel must be very curious, resolved to hear her next night. TWENTIETH NIGHT. Next morning, the sultan prevented Dinarzade, and said to Scheherazade, madam, I pray you finish the story of the fisherman, I am impatient to hear it; upon which the sultaness continued thus: After the four fish had answered the young lady, she overturned the frying-pan with her rod, and retired into the same place of the wall from whence she came out. The grand vizier being witness of what had passed; This is too wonderful and extraordinary, said he, to be concealed from the sultan: I will inform him of this prodigy; which he did accordingly, and gave him a very faithful account of all that had happened. The sultan, being much surprised, was impatient to see this himself, he sent immediately for the fisherman, and said to him, Friend, cannot you bring me four more such fish? The fisherman replied, If your majesty will be pleased to allow me three days’ time, I will do it. Having obtained his time, he went to the pond immediately, and at the first throwing in of his net, he caught four such fish, and brought them presently to the sultan: who was so much the more rejoiced, as he did not expect them so soon, and ordered him other four hundred pieces of gold. As soon as the sultan had the fish, he ordered them to be carried into the closet, with all that was necessary for frying them; and having shut himself up there with the vizier, the minister gutted them, put them into the pan, and when they were fried on one side, turned them upon the other; then the wall of the closet opened, but instead of the young lady, there came out a black, in the habit of a slave, of a gigantic stature, with a great green baton in his hand. He advanced towards the pan, and touching one of the fish with his baton, said with a terrible voice, “Fish, are you in your duty?” At these words, the fish raised up their heads, and answered, “Yes, yes; we are: if you reckon, we reckon; if you pay your debts, we pay ours; if you fly, we overcome, and are content.”