Scheherazade said:
"It has reached me, O King, that there once lived an old fisherman. He was poor and had a wife and three children. To earn his living, he cast his fishing net into the sea four times a day—and never more."
One day, around noon, the fisherman went to the shore. He placed his basket down, rolled up his clothes, and waded into the water. He cast his net and waited until it sank to the bottom. When he pulled it back, he felt great weight.
At first, he was happy, thinking the net was full of fish.
But when he finally dragged it ashore, he found only a dead donkey, which had torn the net.
The fisherman sighed in disappointment."This is a strange kind of livelihood," he said.
He removed the donkey, repaired his net, and threw it into the sea a second time. Once again, the net felt heavy. But this time, he pulled out nothing but a large clay jar filled with sand and mud.
Angered but still hopeful, he cleaned the net and cast it a third time. When he pulled it in, he found broken pottery and glass.
He looked up and said,"I only cast my net four times a day. Three times have passed, and I have earned nothing. Grant me my daily bread this final time."
With renewed determination, he cast the net a fourth time.
It snagged on something heavy at the bottom. He dove into the water and struggled until he finally pulled it ashore. Inside the net was a sealed copper jar, shaped like a cucumber, its mouth closed with a lead cap bearing the seal of King Solomon.
The fisherman rejoiced."This could sell for ten gold coins," he said.
Curious, he opened the seal.
At once, smoke poured out, rising into the sky and spreading across the ground. The smoke thickened and took shape—until it became a huge Jinni, towering over the fisherman.
The fisherman froze in terror.
The Jinni cried out ancient words and then turned to the fisherman, saying,"Rejoice, O fisherman."
The fisherman asked cautiously,"Why should I rejoice?"
The Jinni replied coldly,"Because I am about to kill you."
The fisherman was horrified."Why would you kill me? I freed you from the jar and saved you from the depths of the sea!"
The Jinni answered,"Choose how you wish to die."
Desperate, the fisherman demanded to know why.
So the Jinni told him his story.
Long ago, the Jinni had disobeyed King Solomon. As punishment, Solomon sealed him inside the jar and had him thrown into the sea. For hundreds of years, the Jinni waited.
At first, he promised riches to whoever freed him.Then kingdoms.Then wishes.
But when no one came, his hope turned into rage.
"So," said the Jinni, "I swore that whoever released me, I would kill. And now—you are that man."
Scheherazade continued:
The fisherman, though afraid, did not lose his mind. He said to himself, "This Jinni trusts only his anger, but god has given me reason."
He spoke calmly and asked the Jinni,"Is it truly settled that you will kill me?"
"Yes," said the Jinni.
"Then answer me one question truthfully," said the fisherman."I swear by the Great Name engraved on Solomon's seal."
The Jinni trembled at the mention of the Name and said,"Ask quickly."
The fisherman said,"How could your great body fit into this small jar? It could not even hold your hand or foot. I cannot believe you were ever inside it."
The Jinni grew angry."Do you doubt my power?" he shouted.
"I will believe only if I see it with my own eyes," said the fisherman.
At once, the Jinni turned into smoke and slowly flowed back into the jar, little by little, until nothing remained outside.
The fisherman seized the moment. He quickly sealed the jar with the lead cap bearing Solomon's seal.
He laughed and cried out,"Now choose how you wish to die!"
The Jinni screamed from inside the jar, begging for mercy."I was only jesting! Release me and I will reward you!"
"You lie," said the fisherman."You wished for my death."
He lifted the jar and walked toward the sea.
"Spare me!" cried the Jinni."Free me and I swear by god I will never harm you. I will make you rich."
The fisherman paused."You swear by god?"
"Yes," said the Jinni."I swear an oath."
Trusting the oath, the fisherman opened the jar again.
The Jinni rose once more, huge and terrible, but this time he kept his word."Follow me," he said.
The fisherman followed at a distance until they reached a hidden lake between four mountains. The Jinni told him to cast his net.
When the fisherman pulled it up, he found four fishes, each a different color—white, red, blue, and yellow.
"Take these to the King," said the Jinni."He will reward you greatly. But fish here only once a day."
With that, the Jinni struck the earth and vanished.
The fisherman returned to the city and presented the fish to the King. The King was astonished, for he had never seen such fish before. He ordered them to be cooked.
But when the fish touched the fire, the wall split open, and a strange figure appeared, questioning the fish. At once, the fish answered in human voices.
The King was shaken.
"This matter hides a great mystery," he said."I will uncover it myself."
Scheherazade said:
The King followed the fisherman to the strange lake hidden between four mountains. The water was clear, and inside it swam fish of four colors—red, white, blue, and yellow. No one in the King's army had ever seen such a place before.
"This is no ordinary lake," said the King."I will not return until I learn its secret."
That night, the King left his soldiers and traveled alone. After walking far into the wilderness, he found a great palace made of black stone. The gates stood open, but no one answered when he called.
Inside, the palace was beautiful but empty. Golden fountains flowed. Birds fluttered under golden nets. Silken curtains hung in every hall—but not a single living soul was there.
Suddenly, the King heard a voice crying in sorrow.
He followed it and found a young man sitting behind a curtain. The youth was handsome, but his face was full of grief.
When the King greeted him, the youth did not stand."Forgive me," he said. "Half of my body is stone."
He lifted his robe. From the waist down, he was turned into solid rock.
The King was shocked.
"Tell me your story," he said.