184 THE FISHERMAN

replied, “O, genie! could I have prevailed with thee to
grant me the favour I demanded, I should now have had pity
upon thee; but since, notwithstanding the extreme obligation
thou wast under to me for having set thee at liberty, thou
Gidst persist in thy design to kill me, I am obliged, in my turn,
to be as hard-hearted to thee.” My good friend, fisherman,”
replies the genie, I conjure thee, once more, not to be guilty
of such cruelty ; consider, that it is not good to avenge ones
self; and that, on the other hand, it is commendable to do good
for evil. Do not treat me as Imama treated Ateca, formerly.”
—* And what did Imama to Ateca?” replies the fisherman.
“Ho!” says the genie, “if you have a mind to know it, open
the vessel. Do you think that I can be ina humour to tell
stories in so strait a prison? I will tell you as many as you
please when you let me out.” —“ No,” says the fisherman, “ I
will not let thee out; it is in vain to talk of it; I am just
going to throw you into the bottom of the sea,”—“Hear me
one word more,” cries the genie ; “I promise to do thee no
hurt; nay, far from that, I will show thee a way how thou
mayest become exceeding rich.”

The hope of delivering himself from poverty prevailed with
the fisherman. “I could listen to thee,” says he, ‘“‘ were there
any credit to be given to thy word.” The genie promised him
faithfully, and the fisherman immediately took off the covering
of the vessel. At that very instant the smoke came out, and
the genie having resumed his form, as before, the first thing he
did was to kick the vessel into the sea. This action frightened
the fisherman. “Genie,” says he, “what is the meaning of
that? will you not keep your promise you just now made?”
The genie laughed at the fisherman’s fear, and answered, “No,
fisherman, be not afraid, I only did it to divert myself, and to
see if thou wouldst be alarmed at it; but to persuade thee that