The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 01 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 01 (of 10)
Fairy tales -- Arab countries; Folklore -- Arab countries
Now when the Ifrit heard these words he answered, "No more of this
talk, needs must I kill thee." Upon this the Fisherman said to himself,
"This is a Jinni; and I am a man to whom Allah hath given a passably
cunning wit, so I will now cast about to compass his destruction by my
contrivance and by mine intelligence; even as he took counsel only of
his malice and his frowardness."[74] He began by asking the Ifrit,
"Hast thou indeed resolved to kill me?" and, receiving for all answer,
"Even so," he cried, "Now in the Most Great Name, graven on the
seal-ring of Sulayman the Son of David (peace be with the holy twain!),
an I question thee on a certain matter wilt thou give me a true
answer?" The Ifrit replied "Yea;" but, hearing mention of the Most
Great Name, his wits were troubled and he said with trembling, "Ask and
be brief." Quoth the Fisherman, "How didst thou fit into this bottle
which would not hold thy hand; no, nor even thy foot, and how came it
to be large enough to contain the whole of thee?" Replied the Ifrit,
"What! dost not believe that I was all there?" and the Fisherman
rejoined, "Nay! I will never believe it until I see thee inside with my
own eyes."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
Now when it was the Fourth Night,
Her sister said to her, "Please finish us this tale, an thou be not
sleepy!" so she resumed:—It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that
when the Fisherman said to the Ifrit, "I will never and nowise believe
thee until I see thee inside it with mine own eyes;" the Evil Spirit on
the instant shook[75] and became a vapour, which condensed, and entered
the jar little and little, till all was well inside when lo! the
Fisherman in hot haste took the leaden cap with the seal and stoppered
therewith the mouth of the jar and called out to the Ifrit, saying,
"Ask me by way of boon what death thou wilt die! By Allah, I will throw
thee into the sea[76] before us and here will I build me a lodge; and
whoso cometh hither I will warn him against fishing and will say:—In
these waters abideth an Ifrit who giveth as a last favour a choice of
deaths and fashion of slaughter to the man who saveth him!" Now when
the Ifrit heard this from the Fisherman and saw himself in limbo, he
was minded to escape, but this was prevented by Solomon's seal; so he
knew that the Fisherman had cozened and outwitted him, and he waxed
lowly and submissive and began humbly to say, "I did but jest with
thee." But the other answered, "Thou liest, O vilest of the Ifrits, and
meanest and filthiest!" and he set off with the bottle for the sea
side; the Ifrit calling out "Nay! Nay!" and he calling out "Aye! Aye!"
Thereupon the Evil Spirit softened his voice and smoothed his speech
and abased himself, saying, "What wouldest thou do with me, O
Fisherman?" "I will throw thee back into the sea," he answered; "where
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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