its weight; so he lifted it on to his head and thus bore it to
the quarter where he lived. Here he set it down and being weary,
sat awhile, bemusing what had befallen him and saying in himself,
"Would Heaven I knew what is in this chest!" Then he opened the
door of his lodging and haled the chest until he got it into his
closet; after which he strove to open it, but failed. Quoth he,
"What folly possessed me to buy this chest? There is no help for
it but to break it open and see what is herein." So he applied
himself to the lock, but could not open it, and said to himself,
"I will leave it till to-morrow." Then he would have stretched
him out to sleep, but could find no room; for the chest filled
the whole closet. So he got upon it and lay him down; but, when
he had lain awhile, behold, he felt something stir under him
whereat sleep forsook him and his reason fled.--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Eight Hundred and Forty-third Night,

She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Khalifah the Fisherman lay down upon the chest and thus tarried
awhile, behold, something stirred beneath him; whereat he was
affrighted and his reason fled. So he arose and cried, "Meseems
there be Jinns in the chest. Praise to Allah who suffered me not
to open it! For, had I done so, they had risen against me in the
dark and slain me, and from them would have befallen me naught of
good." Then he lay down again when, lo! The chest moved a second
time, more than before; whereupon he sprang to his feet and said,
"There it goes again: but this is terrible!" And he hastened to
look for the lamp, but could not find it and had not the
wherewithal to buy another. So he went forth and cried out, "Ho,