bidding and forbidding during the rest of the day. Then the Divan broke up, and King Shahryar entered his palace. When it was the Third Night, And the King had had his will of the Wazir's daughter, Dunyazad, her sister, said to her, "Finish for us that tale of thine;" and she replied, "With joy and goodly gree! It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the third old man told a tale to the Jinni more wondrous than the two preceding, the Jinni marvelled with exceeding marvel, and, shaking with delight, cried, Lo! I have given thee the remainder of the merchant's punishment and for thy sake have I released him." Thereupon the merchant embraced the old men and thanked them, and these Shaykhs wished him joy on being saved and fared forth each one for his own city. Yet this tale is not more wondrous than the fisherman's story." Asked the King, "What is the fisherman's story?" And she answered by relating the tale of THE FISHERMAN AND THE JINNI. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that there was a Fisher man well stricken in years who had a wife and three children, and withal was of poor condition. Now it was his custom to cast his net every day four times, and no more. On a day he went forth about noontide to the sea shore, where he laid down his basket; and, tucking up his shirt and plunging into the water, made a cast with his net and waited till it settled to the bottom. Then he gathered the cords together and haled away at it, but found it weighty; and however much he drew it landwards, he could not pull it up; so he carried the ends ashore and drove a stake into the ground and made the net fast to it. Then he stripped and dived into the water all about the net, and left not off working hard until he had brought it up. He rejoiced thereat and, donning his clothes, went to the net, when he found in it a dead jackass which had torn the meshes. Now when he saw it, he exclaimed in his grief, "There is no Majesty, and there is no Might save in Allah the Glorious, the Great!" Then quoth he, "This is a strange manner of daily bread;" and he began re citing in extempore verse:— O toiler through the glooms of night in peril and in pain * Thy toiling stint for daily bread comes not by might and main! Seest thou not the fisher seek afloat upon the sea * His bread, while glimmer stars of night as set in tangled skein. Anon he plungeth in despite the buffet of the waves * The while to sight the bellying net his eager glances strain; Till joying at the night's success, a fish he bringeth home * Whose gullet by the hook of Fate was caught and cut in twain. When buys that fish of him a man who spent the hours of night * Reckless of cold and wet and gloom in ease and comfort fain, Laud to the Lord who gives to this, to that denies his wishes * And dooms one toil and catch the prey and other eat the fishes.[FN#60] Then quoth he, "Up and to it; I am sure of His beneficence, Inshallah!" So he continued:—