As soon as the sultan had got the fish, he had them taken into his own cabinet, together with the different things that were necessary to dress them. Here he shut himself up with the grand vizier, who began to cook them, and put them on the fire in a proper vessel. As soon as they were done on one side, he turned them on the other. The wall of the cabinet immediately opened; but instead of the beautiful damsel, there appeared a black, who was in the habit of a slave. This black was very large and gigantic, and held a large green rod in his hand. He advanced to the vessel, and touching one of the fish with his rod, he cried out in a terrible tone, “Fish, fish, art thou doing thy duty?” At these words, the fish lifted 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 conquer, and are content.” The fish had scarcely said this, when the black overturned the vessel into the middle of the cabinet, and reduced the fish to the state of cinders. Having done so, he haughtily retired through the opening of the wall, which instantly closed, and appeared as perfect as before. “After what I have seen,” said the sultan to his grand vizier, “it is in vain for me to think of remaining at ease. It is certain, that these fish signify something very extraordinary, which I wish to discover.” He sent for the fisherman, and when he arrived, he said to him, “The fish thou hast brought me have caused me great uneasiness; where dost thou catch them?”--“I caught them, Sire,” answered he, “in a pond, which is situated in the midst of four small hills, beyond the mountain you may see from hence.”--“Do you know that pond?” said the sultan to the vizier.--“No Sire,” answered he, “I have never even heard it mentioned, though I have hunted in the vicinity of the mountain, and beyond it, near sixty years.”--The sultan asked the fisherman about what distance the pond was from the palace; he replied, that it was not more than three hours journey. With this assurance, as there was still time to arrive there before night, the sultan ordered his whole court to get ready, while the fisherman served as a guide. They all ascended the mountain, and in going down on the other side, they were much surprised by the appearance of a large plain, which no one had ever before remarked. They at length arrived at the pond, which they found situated exactly among four hills, as the fisherman had reported. Its water was so transparent, that they remarked all the fish to be of the same colours as those the fisherman had brought to the palace.