in so strait a prison? I will tell you as many as you please when you let me out.'
'No,' said the fisherman, 'I will not let you out; it is vain to talk of it. I am just going to throw you to the bottom of the sea.'
'Hear me one word more,' cried the genie. 'I promise to do thee no hurt; nay, far from that, I will show thee how thou mayest become exceedingly rich.'
The hope of delivering himself from poverty prevailed with the fisherman.
'I might listen to you,' said he, 'were there any credit to be given to your word. Swear to me by the Great Name that you will faithfully perform what you promise, and I will open the vessel. I do not believe you will dare to break such an oath.'
The genie swore to him, and the fisherman immediately took off the covering of the vessel. At that very instant the smoke came out, and the genie having resumed his form as before, the first thing he did was to kick the vessel into the sea. This action frightened the fisherman.
'Genie,' said he, 'what is the meaning of that? Will you not keep the oath you just now made?'
The genie laughed at the fisherman's fear, and answered: 'No,
