“An old man, whom I do not know, brings your hatchet and cord, and wishes to speak to you, for he will deliver them to none but yourself.”
At these words I changed color, and fell a-trembling. While the tailor was asking me the reason, my chamber door opened, and the old man appeared with my hatchet and cord. “I am a genie,” said he, speaking to me, “a grandson of Eblis, prince of genii. Is not this your hatchet and are not these your cords?”
After the genie had put these questions to me he gave me no time to answer. He grasped me by the middle, dragged me out of the chamber, and mounting into the air carried me up to the skies with extraordinary swiftness. He descended again in like manner to the earth, which on a sudden he caused to open with a stroke of his foot, when I found myself in the enchanted palace, before the fair princess of the Isle of Ebony. But, alas! what a spectacle was there! I saw what pierced me to the heart; the poor princess lay dead.
I fainted at the sight. When I was come to myself again, I cried, “Strike, for I am ready to die, and await death as the greatest favor you can show me.” But instead of killing me, he said, “Behold how genii revenge themselves on those who offend them. Thou art the least to blame, and I will content myself with transforming thee into a dog, ape, lion, or bird; take thy choice of any of these, I will leave it to thyself.” These words gave me some hopes of being able to ap-
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