50
had spared the physician Douban, God would have spared him; but he refused and sought his death; so God killed him.Night vi. And thou, O Afrit, if thou hadst spared me, I would spare thee; but nothing would serve thee but thou must put me to death; so now I will kill thee by shutting thee up in this vessel and throwing thee into the sea.’ At this the Marid roared out and said, ‘God on thee, O fisherman, do not do that! Spare me and bear me not malice for what I did, for men’s wit is still better than that of Jinn. If I did evil, do thou good, in accordance with the adage, “O thou that dost good to him that does evil, the deed of the evil-doer suffices him.” Do not thou deal with me as did Umameh with Aatikeh.’ ‘And what did Umameh with Aatikeh?’ asked the fisherman. But the Afrit answered, ‘This is no time to tell stories, and I in this duresse: let me out, and I will tell thee.’ Quoth the fisherman, ‘Leave this talk: I must and will throw thee into the sea, and thou shalt never win out again; for I besought thee and humbled myself to thee, but nothing would serve thee but thou must kill me, who had committed no offence against thee deserving this nor done thee any ill, but only kindness, in that I delivered thee from duresse. When thou didst thus by me, I knew thee for an incorrigible evil-doer; and know that, when I have thrown thee back into the sea, I will tell every one what happened between me and thee and warn him, to the end that whoever fishes thee up may throw thee in again; and thou shalt remain in the sea till the end of time and suffer all manner of torments.’ Quoth the Afrit, ‘Let me out, for this is the season of generosity; and I will make a compact with thee never to do thee hurt and to help thee to what shall enrich thee.’ The fisherman accepted his proposal and unsealed the vessel, after he had taken the Afrit’s pledge and made him swear by the Most High Name never to hurt him, but on the contrary to do him
