"Lang, Andrew - Arabian Nights" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lang Andrew)

"O Fortune," he cried, "do not trifle thus with me, a poor fisherman,
who can hardly support his family!"

So saying, he threw away the rubbish, and after having washed his
nets clean of the dirt, he threw them for the third time. But he
only drew in stones, shells, and mud. He was almost in despair.

Then he threw his nets for the fourth time. When he thought he had
a fish he drew them in with a great deal of trouble. There was no
fish however, but he found a yellow pot, which by its weight seemed
full of something, and he noticed that it was fastened and sealed
with lead, with the impression of a seal. He was delighted.
"I will sell it to the founder," he said; "with the money I shall
get for it I shall buy a measure of wheat."

He examined the jar on all sides; he shook it to see if it would rattle.
But he heard nothing, and so, judging from the impression of the seal
and the lid, he thought there must be something precious inside.
To find out, he took his knife, and with a little trouble he opened it.
He turned it upside down, but nothing came out, which surprised
him very much. He set it in front of him, and whilst he was
looking at it attentively, such a thick smoke came out that he
had to step back a pace or two. This smoke rose up to the clouds,
and stretching over the sea and the shore, formed a thick mist,
which caused the fisherman much astonishment. When all the smoke
was out of the jar it gathered itself together, and became a thick
mass in which appeared a genius, twice as large as the largest giant.
When he saw such a terrible-looking monster, the fisherman would
like to have run away, but he trembled so with fright that he could
not move a step.

"Great king of the genii," cried the monster, "I will never again
disobey you!"

At these words the fisherman took courage.

"What is this you are saying, great genius? Tell me your history
and how you came to be shut up in that vase."

At this, the genius looked at the fisherman haughtily. "Speak to me
more civilly," he said, "before I kill you."

"Alas! why should you kill me?" cried the fisherman. "I have just
freed you; have you already forgotten that?"

"No," answered the genius; "but that will not prevent me from
killing you; and I am only going to grant you one favour,
and that is to choose the manner of your death."

"But what have I done to you?" asked the fisherman.