The Fisherman and the Genie

The Story of the Young King of the Black Isles

You must know, Your Majesty, that my father was Mahmoud, king of this country, the Black Isles. They take their name from the four little mountains, which were once islands. Our capital once stood where the great lake nowsire, that my father was Mahmoud, the king of this country, the Black Isles, so called from the four little mountains which were once islands, while the capital was the place where now the great lake lies. My story will tell you how these changes came about.

My father died when he was sixty-six, and I became king aftersucceeded him. I married my cousin, whom I loved tenderly, and I thought she loved me too.

But one afternoon, when I was half asleep, and was being fanned by two of her maids, I heard one say to the other, "What a pity it is that our mistress no longer loves our master! I believe she would like to kill him if she could, for she is an enchantress."

By watching, I soon found they were right. When I dealt a mortal wound to one of her favourite slaves for a serious crime, she begged permission to build a palace in the garden. There she wept and mournedI soon found by watching that they were right, and when I mortally wounded a favourite slave of hers for a great crime, she begged that she might build a palace in the garden, where she wept and bewailed him for two years.

At last I begged her to stop grieving for him. He could not speak or move, but her enchantmentscease grieving for him, for although he could not speak or move, by her enchantments she just kept him alive. She turned on me in a rage and spoke some magic words over me. Instantly, I became as you see me now:upon me in a rage, and said over me some magic words, and I instantly became as you see me now, half man and half marble.

Then this wicked enchantress changed the capital, which was a thriving city full of peoplevery populous and flourishing city, into the lake and desert plain you saw. The fish of four colours which are in it are the different peoplesraces who lived in the town; the four hills are the four islands which give the name to my kingdom. The enchantress told me all this to add to my suffering.All this the enchantress told me to add to my troubles. And this is not all. Every day she comes and beats me with a whip of buffalo hide.

When the young king had finished his sad story he burst once more into tears, and the Sultan was much moved.

"Tell me," he cried, "where is this wicked woman, and where is the wretched man she lovesmiserable object of her affection, whom she just manages to keep alive?"

"I do not know where she livesWhere she lives I do not know," answered the unhappy prince, "but she goes every day at sunrise to see if the slave can yet speak to her, after she has beaten me."

"Unfortunate king," said the Sultan, "I will do what I can to avenge you."

He discussed with the young king how best to do this, and they agreed to carry out their planSo he consulted with the young king over the best way to bring this about, and they agreed their plan should be put in effect the next day. The Sultan then rested, and the young king surrendered to happy hopes of being freedgave himself up to happy hopes of release. The next day the Sultan got up andarose, and then went to the palace in the garden where the black slave was. He drew his sword and destroyed the little life that remained in him, and then threw the body down a well. He then lay down on the couch where the slave had been, and waited for the enchantress.

She went first to the young king, whom she beat with a hundred blows.

Then she came to the room where she thought her wounded slave was, but where the Sultan really lay.

She came near his couch and said, "Are you better todayto-day, my dear slave? Say justSpeak but one word to me."

"How can I be better," answered the Sultan, imitating the language of the Ethiopians, "when I can never sleep for the cries and groans of your husband?"

"What joy to hear you speak!" answered the queen. "Do you wish him to regain his proper shape?"

"Yes," said the Sultan; "hurry and set him freehasten to set him at liberty, so that I may no longer hear his cries."

The queen went out at once and took a cup of water. She spoke words over it that made it boil as thoughat once went out and took a cup of water, and said over it some words that made it boil as if it were on the fire. Then she threw it over the prince, who at once regained his own form. He was filled with joy, but the enchantress said, "Hurry away from this place and never come back, or I willHasten away from this place and never come back, lest I kill you."

So he hid himself to see the end of the Sultan's plan.

The enchantress went back to the Palace of Tears and said, "Now I have done what you wished."

"What you have done," said the Sultan, "is not enough to cure me. Every day at midnight all the people whom you have changed into fish lift their heads out of the lake and cry for vengeance. Go quickly, and restore them to their own formsgive them their proper shape."

The enchantress hurried away and said some words over the lake.

The fish then became men, women, and children, and the houses and shops were once more filled. The Sultan’s attendants, who had camped by the lake, were greatlySultan's suite, who had encamped by the lake, were not a little astonished to see themselves in the middle of a large and beautiful town.

As soon as she had lifted the spell over the citydisenchanted it the queen went back to the palace.

"Are you quite well now?" she said.

"Come near," said the Sultan. "Nearer still."

She obeyed. Then he sprang up, and with one blow of his sword he killed hercut her in twoExplanation: The detail of the body being cut in two is omitted to make the passage less shocking for children. The sword blow and death remain..

Then he went and found the prince.

"Rejoice," he said, "your cruel enemy is dead."

The prince thanked him again and again.

"And now," said the Sultan,Sultan. "I will go back to my capital, which I am glad to find is so near yours."

"So near mine!" said the King of the Black Isles.

"Do you know it is a whole year's journey from here? You came here in a few hours because it was enchanted. But I will accompany you on your journey."

"It will give me great pleasure if you accompanymuch pleasure if you will escort me," said the Sultan, "and as I have no children, I will make you my heir."

The Sultan and the prince set out together, the Sultan laden with rich presents from the King of the Black Isles.

The day after he reached his capital the Sultan assembled his court and told them everything that had happened to him andall that had befallen him, and told them how he intended to adopt the young king as his heir.

Then he gave each man presents in proportion to his rank.

As for the fisherman, since he had set in motion the rescue of the young prince, the Sultan gave him a great deal of money. Thisas he was the first cause of the deliverance of the young prince, the Sultan gave him much money, and made him and his family happy for the rest of their days.