When it was the Nine Hundred and Third Night,

She said: It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shimas the
Wazir, said to the King, "And now Almighty Allah hath accepted of
us and answered our petition and brought us speedy relief, even
as He did to the Fishes in the pond of water." The King asked,
"And how was that, and what is the tale?"; and Shimas answered
him, "Hear, O King the story of




The Fishes and the Crab.



In a certain place there was a piece of water, wherein dwelt a
number of Fishes, and it befel that the pond dwindled away and
shrank and wasted, till there remained barely enough to suffice
them and they were nigh upon death and said, "What will become of
us? How shall we contrive and of whom shall we seek counsel for
our deliverance?" Thereupon arose one of them, who was the
chiefest in wit and age, and cried, "There is nothing will serve
us save that we seek salvation of Allah; but let us consult the
Crab and ask his advice: so come ye all[FN#76] and hie we
himwards and hear his rede for indeed he is the chiefest and
wisest of us all in coming upon the truth." Each and every
approved of the Fish's advice and betook themselves in a body to
the Crab, whom they found squatted in his hole, without news or