aning over a wall and looking down into the street, he saw a
fagot-maker--just such a fagot-maker as he himself had one time
been--driving an ass--just such an ass as he had one time driven. The
fagot-maker carried something under his arm, and what should it be but
the very casket in which the Genie had once been imprisoned, and
which he--the one-time fagot-maker--had seen the Genie kick over the
tree-tops.

The sight of the casket put a sudden thought into his mind. He shouted
to his attendants, and bade them haste and bring the fagot-maker to
him. Off they ran, and in a little while came dragging the poor wretch,
trembling and as white as death; for he thought nothing less than that
his end had certainly come. As soon as those who had seized him had
loosened their hold, he flung himself prostrate at the feet of the
Emperor Abdallah, and there lay like one dead.

"Where didst thou get yonder casket?" asked the emperor.

"Oh, my lord!" croaked the poor fagot-maker, "I found it out yonder in
the woods."

"Give it to me," said the emperor, "and my treasurer shall count thee
out a thousand pieces of gold in exchange."

So soon as he had the casket safe in his hands he hurried away to his
privy chamber, and there pressed the red stone in his ring. "In the
name of the red Aldebaran, I command thee to appear!" said he, and in a
moment the Genie stood before him.

"What are my lord's commands?" said he.

"I would have thee enter this casket again," said the Emperor Abdallah.

"Enter the casket!" cried the Genie, aghast.

"Enter the casket."

"In what have I done anything to offend my lord?" said the Genie.

"In nothing," said the emperor; "only I would have thee enter the casket
again as thou wert when I first found thee."

It was in vain that the Genie begged and implored for mercy, it was in
vain that he reminded Abdallah of all that he had done to benefit him;
the great emperor stood as hard as a rock--into the casket the Genie
must and should go. So at last into the casket the monster went,
bellowing most lamentably.

The Emperor Abdallah shut the lid of the casket, and locked it and
sealed it with his seal. Then, hiding it under his cloak, he bore it out
into the garden and to a deep well, and, first making sure that nobody
was by to see, dropped casket and Genie and all into the water.

Now had that wise man been by--the wise man who had laughed so when
the poor young fagot-maker wept and wailed at the i