But I do know that it was even more marvellous than either of the others,
so that the genius was astonished, and said to the third old man,
"I will give up to you the third part of the merchant's punishment.
He ought to thank all three of you for having interested yourselves
in his favour. But for you, he would be here no longer."

So saying, he disappeared, to the great joy of the company.
The merchant did not fail to thank his friends, and then each went
on his way. The merchant returned to his wife and children,
and passed the rest of his days happily with them.

"But, sire," added Scheherazade, "however beautiful are the stories I
have just told you, they cannot compare with the story of the Fisherman."



The Story of the Fisherman


Sire, there was once upon a time a fisherman so old and so poor that
he could scarcely manage to support his wife and three children.
He went every day to fish very early, and each day he made a rule not
to throw his nets more than four times. He started out one morning
by moonlight and came to the sea-shore. He undressed and threw his nets,
and as he was drawing them towards the bank he felt a great weight.
He though he had caught a large fish, and he felt very pleased.
But a moment afterwards, seeing that instead of a fish he only had in
his nets the carcase of an ass, he was much disappointed.

Vexed with having such a bad haul, when he had mended his nets,