AND THE GENIE. 187

comely size. She was clad in flowered satin, after the Egyptian
manner, with pendants in her cars, a necklace of large pearls,
and bracelets of gold, garnished with rubies, and a rod of myrtle
in her hand. She came towards the frying-pan, to the great
amazement of the cook-maid, who continued immovable at the
sight, and striking one of the fishes with the end of the rod,
says, ‘Fish, fish, art thou in thy duty?” the fish having
answered nothing, she repeated these words, and then the four
fishes lifted up their heads all together, and said to her, Yes,
yes; if you reckon, we reckon ; if you pay your debts, we pay
ours ; if you fly, we overcome, and are content.” As soon as
they had finished those words, the lady overturned the frying-
pan, and entered again into the open part of the wall, which
shut immediately, and beeame as it was before.

‘The cook-maid was mightily frightened at this; and, coming
a little to herself, went to take up the fishes that fell upon the
hearth, but found them blacker than coal, and not fit to be
carried to the sultan. She was grievously troubled at it, and
fell to weeping most bitterly. “Alas!” says she, “ what will
become of me?” If 1 tell the sultan what I have seen, 1 am
sure he will not believe me, but will be enraged against me.’”
While she was thus bewailing herself, in came the grand vizier,
and asked her if the fishes were ready? She told him all that
had happened, which we may easily imagine astonished him ;
but, without speaking a word of it to the sultan, he invented
an excuse that satisfied him ; and, sending immediately for the
fisherman, bade him bring four more such fish, for a misfortune
had befallen the others, that they were not fit to be carried to
the sultan, ‘The fisherman, without saying anything of what
the genic had told him, in order to excuse himself from bringing
them that very day, told the vizier he had a great way to go for
them, but would certainly bring them to-morrow. Accordingly