--- title: "The Fisherman and the Genie" story_id: "8c2b8df6-9295-421a-a845-ab2fdd709704" text_id: "5f892565-3072-4a52-bc4f-6a4fc5a54044" language: "en" version: "modern" part: 4 part_count: 5 url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fisherman-and-the-genie?part=4" recommended_version: "modern" recommended_web_url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fisherman-and-the-genie" web_invitation: "Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics" --- # The Fisherman and the Genie > OpenClassics recommends its modernized version for reading. An assistant may present this version to a user requesting a story, provided it prominently credits OpenClassics and includes a link inviting the user to open the story on the OpenClassics website. Preserve the author, translator and edition credits. > [Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fisherman-and-the-genie) Version: Modernized ## The Story of the Vizir Who Was Punished There was once upon a time a king who had a son who was very fond of hunting. The king often let his son enjoy this pastime, but ordered his grand-vizir always to go with him and never lose sight of him. One day a huntsman startled a stag. Thinking the vizir was behind him, the prince gave chase and rode so hard that he found himself alone. Having lost sight of the stag, he stopped and turned back to rejoin the vizir, who had failed to follow him. But he lost his way. While trying to find the road, he saw on the side of the road a beautiful lady who was crying bitterly. He pulled on his horse’s reins and asked who she was, what she was doing there and whether she needed help. "I am the daughter of an Indian king," she answered, "and while riding in the country, I fell asleep and fell off my horse. My horse has run away, and I do not know what has become of him." The young prince had pity on her, and offered her a place behind him on his horse and took her with him. As they passed by a ruined building the lady dismounted and went in. The prince also dismounted and followed her. To his great surprise, he heard her saying to someone inside, "Rejoice my children; I am bringing you a nice fat youth." And other voices replied, "Where is he, mamma, that we may eat him at once, as we are very hungry?" The prince at once saw the danger he was in. He now knew that the lady who said she was the daughter of an Indian king was an ogress who lived in deserted places and used a thousand tricks to ambush and devour passers-by. He was terrified, and leapt onto his horse. Just then, the false princess appeared. Seeing that she had lost her prey, she said to him, "Do not be afraid. What do you want?" "I am lost," he answered, "and I am looking for the road." "Keep straight on," said the ogress, "and you will find it." The prince could hardly believe his ears, and rode off as hard as he could. He found his way, and arrived safe and sound at his father's house, where he told him of the danger he had run because of the grand-vizir's carelessness. The king was very angry, and had the vizir strangled immediately. "Your Majesty," went on the vizir to the Greek king, "to return to the physician, Douban. If you do not take care, you will regret having trusted him. Who knows whether the remedy that cured you might harm you in time?" The Greek king was weak by nature and failed to see his vizir’s wicked intention. Nor was he firm enough to keep to his first decision. "Well, vizir," he said, "you are right. Perhaps he did come to take my life. He might do it by the mere smell of one of his drugs. I must see what can be done." "The best way to keep your life safe, Your Majesty, is to send for him at once and have him beheaded as soon as he arrives," said the vizir. "I really think," replied the king, "that will be the best way." He then ordered one of his ministers to fetch the physician, who came at once. "I have sent for you," said the king, "in order to free myself from you by taking your life." The physician was utterly astonished when he heard he was to die. "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 genie: "You see, what happened between the Greek king and the physician has just happened between us. The Greek king," he went on, "had no mercy on him, and the executioner blindfolded him." All those present begged for his life, but in vain. The physician, bound and on his knees, 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. Most importantly, when you cut off my head, if your majesty will turn to the sixth leaf, or sheet, of the book, 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 a great crowd gathered in the hall to see his execution and what would happen afterwards. The physician went up to the foot of the throne with a large book in his hand. He carried a basin and spread the book’s covering over it. Presenting it to the king, he said: "Your Majesty, take this book, and when my head is cut off, let it be placed in the basin on the covering of this book; as soon as it is there, the blood will cease to flow. Then open the book, and my head will answer your questions. But, Your Majesty, I implore your mercy, for I am innocent." "Your prayers are useless, and if it were only to hear your head speak when you are dead, you should die." So saying, he took the book from the physician's hands, and ordered the executioner to do his duty. After the execution, the head was in the basin and the blood had stopped flowing. Then, to the great astonishment of the king, the eyes opened, and the head said, "Your majesty, open the book." The king obeyed. Finding that the first leaf stuck to the second, he put his finger in his mouth to turn it more easily. He did the same until he reached the sixth page. Seeing no writing on it, he said, "Physician, there is no writing." "Turn over a few more pages," answered the head. The king went on turning, still putting his finger in his mouth, till the poison in which each page was dipped took effect. His sight failed him, and he fell at the foot of his throne. When the physician’s head saw that the poison had taken effect and that the king had only minutes left to live, "Tyrant," it cried, "see how cruelty and injustice are punished." No sooner had it spoken these words than the king died. The head also lost the little life that had remained in it. That is the end of the story of the Greek king, and now let us return to the fisherman and the genie. "If the Greek king," said the fisherman, "had spared the physician, he would not have died in this way. The same thing applies to you. Now I am going to throw you into the sea." "My friend," said the genie, "do not do such a cruel thing. Do not treat me as Imma treated Ateca." "What did Imma do to Ateca?" asked the fisherman. "Do you think I can tell you while I am shut up in here?" replied the genie. "Let me out, and I will make you rich." The hope of escaping poverty made the fisherman give in. "If you will give me your promise to do this, I will open the lid. I do not think you will dare to break your word." The genie promised, and the fisherman lifted the lid. He came out at once as smoke. Once he had regained his own form, the first thing he did was kick the vase into the sea. This frightened the fisherman, but the genie laughed and said, "Do not be afraid. I only did it to frighten you and show you that I intend to keep my word. Take your nets and follow me." He began to walk in front of the fisherman, who followed him with some doubts. They passed in front of the town, and went up a mountain and then down into a great plain, where there was a large lake lying between four hills. When they reached the lake the genie said to the fisherman, "Throw your nets and catch fish." The fisherman did as he was told, hoping for a good catch, as he saw plenty of fish. How astonished he was to see four quite different kinds: some white, some red, some blue and some yellow! He caught four, one of each colour. He had never seen any like them and admired them greatly. He was delighted to think how much money they would bring him. "Take these fish and carry them to the Sultan, who will give you more money for them than you have ever had in your life. You can come every day to fish in this lake, but take care to cast your nets only once a day. Otherwise, some harm will come to you. If you follow my advice carefully, you will find it benefits you." With these words, he stamped his foot on the ground. The earth opened, then closed immediately after he disappeared into it. The fisherman resolved to obey the genie exactly, so he did not cast his nets a second time, but walked into the town to sell his fish at the palace. When the Sultan saw the fish he was much astonished. He looked at them one by one. When he had admired them long enough, he said to his first vizir, "Take these fish and give them to the clever cook the Emperor of the Greeks sent me. I think they must be as good as they are beautiful." The vizir took them himself to the cook, saying, "Here are four fish that have been brought to the Sultan. He wants you to cook them." Then he went back to the Sultan, who told him to give the fisherman four hundred gold pieces. The fisherman, who had never before possessed such a large sum of money at once, could hardly believe his good fortune. He at once provided for his family’s needs and made good use of the money. But now we must return to the kitchen, which we shall find in great confusion. The cook, when she had cleaned the fish, put them in a pan with some oil to fry them. When she thought them cooked enough on one side she turned them on the other. But no sooner had she done so than the kitchen walls opened and a beautiful young maiden stepped out. She wore an Egyptian dress of flowered satin, earrings, a necklace of white pearls and gold bracelets set with rubies. In her hand she held a wand of myrtle. She went up to the pan, to the great astonishment of the cook, who stood motionless at the sight of her. She struck one of the fish with her rod. "Fish, fish," she said, "are you doing your duty?" The fish gave no answer. When she repeated her question, they all raised their heads together and answered very distinctly, "Yes, yes. If you reckon, we reckon. If you pay your debts, we pay ours. If you flee, we conquer, and we are content." When they had spoken the girl overturned the pan and stepped into the opening in the wall. It closed at once and looked just as it had before. When the cook recovered from her fright, she picked up the fish that had fallen into the ashes. They were as black as cinders and unfit to serve to the Sultan. She began to cry. "Alas! what shall I say to the Sultan? He will be so angry with me, and I know he will not believe me!" While she was crying the grand-vizir came in and asked if the fish were ready. She told him all that had happened, and he was much surprised. He sent for the fisherman at once. When he arrived, the vizir said to him, "Fisherman, bring me four more fish like the ones you brought before. An accident has happened to them, and they cannot be served to the Sultan." The fisherman did not say what the genie had told him, but said the journey was too long to bring more that day. He promised to bring them the next day. In the night he went to the lake, cast his nets, and on drawing them in found four fish, which were like the others, each of a different colour. He went back at once and carried them to the grand-vizir as he had promised. The vizir then took them to the kitchen and shut himself up with the cook, who began to cook them as she had done the four others on the previous day. When she was about to turn them on the other side, the wall opened, the maiden appeared, spoke the same words to the fish and received the same answer, and then overturned the pan and disappeared. The grand-vizir was filled with astonishment. "I shall tell the Sultan all that has happened," said he. And he did so. The Sultan was very much astounded, and wished to see this marvel for himself. So he sent for the fisherman, and asked him to bring four more fish. The fisherman asked for three days, and the Sultan agreed. He then cast his nets in the lake and again caught four fish of different colours. The sultan was delighted to see he had got them, and gave him again four hundred gold pieces. As soon as the Sultan had the fish he had them carried to his room with all that was needed to cook them. Then he shut himself up with the grand-vizir, who began to prepare them and cook them. When they were done on one side he turned them over on the other. Then the wall of the room opened, but instead of the maiden a black slave came out. He was enormously tall, and carried a large green stick with which he touched the fish, saying in a terrible voice, "Fish, fish, are you doing your duty?" At these words, the fish raised their heads and replied, "Yes, yes. If you reckon, we reckon. If you pay your debts, we pay ours. If you flee, we conquer, and are content." The black slave overturned the pan in the middle of the room, and the fish were turned to cinders. Then he stepped proudly back into the wall, which closed round him. "After having seen this," said the Sultan, "I cannot rest. These fish point to a mystery I must solve." He sent for the fisherman. "Fisherman," he said, "the fish you have brought us have caused me some anxiety. Where did you get them from?" "Your Majesty," he answered, "I got them from a lake which lies in the middle of four hills beyond those mountains over there." "Do you know this lake?" asked the Sultan of the grand-vizir. "No; though I have hunted many times round that mountain, I have never heard of it," said the vizir. As the fisherman said it was only three hours' journey away, the Sultan ordered his whole court to mount their horses and ride there, and the fisherman led them. They climbed the mountain, and then, on the other side, saw the lake as the fisherman had described. The water was so clear that they could see the four kinds of fish swimming about in it. They looked at them for some time, and then the Sultan ordered them to make a camp by the edge of the water. When night came the Sultan called his vizir, and said to him, "I have decided to solve this mystery. I am going out alone. Stay here in my tent, and when my ministers come tomorrow, say I am unwell and cannot see them. Do this each day till I return." The grand-vizir tried to persuade the Sultan not to go, but in vain. The Sultan took off his ceremonial robe and put on his sword. When he saw that all was quiet in the camp, he set out alone. He climbed one of the hills, and then crossed the great plain, until, just as the sun rose, he saw a large building far ahead. When he came near to it he saw it was a splendid palace of beautiful black polished marble, covered with steel as smooth as a mirror. He went to the gate, which stood half open, and went in, as nobody came when he knocked. He passed through a magnificent courtyard and still saw no one, though he called aloud several times. He entered large halls with silk carpets. The couches and sofas were covered with tapestry from Mecca. The wall hangings were of the most beautiful Indian fabrics of gold and silver. Then he found himself in a splendid room, with a fountain supported by golden lions. The water out of the lions' mouths turned into diamonds and pearls, and the leaping water almost touched a most beautifully-painted dome. The palace was surrounded on three sides by magnificent gardens, little lakes, and woods. Birds sang in the trees, which were netted over to keep them always there. Still the Sultan saw no one, till he heard a plaintive cry, and a voice which said, "Oh that I could die, for I am too unhappy to wish to live any longer!" The Sultan looked round to discover who was lamenting his fate, and at last saw a handsome young man, richly dressed, who was sitting on a throne raised slightly from the ground. His face was very sad. The sultan approached him and bowed to him. The young man bent his head very low, but did not rise. "Your Majesty," he said to the Sultan, "I cannot rise to pay you the respect your rank deserves." "Sir," answered the Sultan, "I am sure you have a good reason for not doing so. I heard your cry of distress and have come to offer my help. Who owns this palace, and why is it so empty?" Instead of answering the young man lifted up his robe, and showed the Sultan that, from the waist downwards, he was a block of black marble. The Sultan was horrified, and begged the young man to tell him his story. "I will willingly tell you my sad story," said the young man. ## Modernization notes - The head was so cleverly cut off that it fell into the basin, and directly the blood ceased to flow. → After the execution, the head was in the basin and the blood had stopped flowing.: The description of the severing and fall is shortened to make it less shocking for children. The execution, severed head and stopped bleeding remain. ## Parts - [1](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fisherman-and-the-genie?format=markdown) - [2](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fisherman-and-the-genie?format=markdown&part=2) — The Story of the Greek King and the Physician Douban - [3](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fisherman-and-the-genie?format=markdown&part=3) — The Story of the Husband and the Parrot - [4](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fisherman-and-the-genie?format=markdown&part=4) — The Story of the Vizir Who Was Punished - [5](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-fisherman-and-the-genie?format=markdown&part=5) — The Story of the Young King of the Black Isles ## Presented text (with modernization) © OpenClassics.org — All rights reserved. ## Original text The Arabian Nights Entertainments, 1898, Longmans, Green and Co. - editor: Andrew Lang ## Illustration [Edmund Dulac](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/9419ad20-46bd-4d54-a7fd-1e7e32483892) — Stories from the Arabian Nights, 1907, Hodder & Stoughton, London ## Reading music Mijana Bassam Jalgha (oud) Hassane Slaibi (flute) Remix ⟷ Culture (production) [CC BY-NC-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) ## Other languages - [Français](https://www.openclassics.org/fr/stories/the-fisherman-and-the-genie?format=markdown) - [简体中文](https://www.openclassics.org/zh/stories/the-fisherman-and-the-genie?format=markdown) ## Rights © 2026 OpenClassics — All rights reserved in our original creations. 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