"What crimes have I committed, your majesty?"

"I have learnt," replied the king, "that you are a spy, and intend
to kill me. But I will be first, and kill you. Strike," he added
to an executioner who was by, "and rid me of this assassin."

At this cruel order the physician threw himself on his knees.
"Spare my life," he cried, "and yours will be spared."

The fisherman stopped here to say to the genius: "You see what
passed between the Greek king and the physician has just passed
between us two. The Greek king," he went on, "had no mercy on him,
and the executioner bound his eyes."

All those present begged for his life, but in vain.

The physician on his knees, and bound, said to the king:
"At least let me put my affairs in order, and leave my books
to persons who will make good use of them. There is one which I
should like to present to your majesty. It is very precious,
and ought to be kept carefully in your treasury. It contains
many curious things the chief being that when you cut off my head,
if your majesty will turn to the sixth leaf, and read the third
line of the left-hand page, my head will answer all the questions
you like to ask it."

The king, eager to see such a wonderful thing, put off his execution
to the next day, and sent him under a strong guard to his house.
There the physician put his affairs in order, and the next day