a pause, and
everybody was still, and as nobody else spoke I myself ventured to break
the silence. "I would like," said I (and my voice sounded thin in my own
ears, as one's voice always does sound in Twilight Land), "I would like
to hear our friend Sindbad the Sailor tell a story. Methinks one is
fermenting in his mind."

Old Sindbad smiled until his cheeks crinkled into wrinkles.

"Aye," said every one, "will you not tell a story?"

"To be sure I will," said Sindbad. "I will tell you a good story," said
he, "and it is about--"

The Enchanted Island.

But it is not always the lucky one that carries away the plums;
sometimes he only shakes the tree, and the wise man pockets the fruit.

Once upon a long, long time ago, and in a country far, far away, there
lived two men in the same town and both were named Selim; one was Selim
the Baker and one was Selim the Fisherman.

Selim the Baker was well off in the world, but Selim the Fisherman was
only so-so. Selim the Baker always had plenty to eat and a warm corner
in cold weather, but many and many a time Selim the Fisherman's stomach
went empty and his teeth went chattering.

Once it happened that for time after time Selim the Fisherman caught
nothing but bad luck in his nets, and not so much as a single sprat,
and he was very hungry. "Come," said he to himself, "those who have some
should surely give to those who have none," and so he went to Selim the
Baker. "Let me have a loaf of bread," said he, "and I will pay you for
it tomorrow."

"Very well," said Selim the Baker; "I will let you have a loaf of bread,
if you will give me all that you catch in your nets to-morrow."

"So be it," said Selim the Fisherman, for need drives one to hard
bargains sometimes; and therewith he got his loaf of bread.

So the next day Selim the Fisherman fished and fished and fished and
fished, and still he caught no more than the day before; until just
at sunset he cast his net for the last time for the day, and, lo and
behold! There was something heavy in it. So he dragged it ashore, and
what should it be but a leaden box, sealed as tight as wax, and covered
with all manner of strange letters and figures. "Here," said he, "is
something to pay for my bread of yesterday, at any rate;" and as he was
an honest man, off he marched with it to Selim the Baker.

They opened the box in the baker's shop, and within they found two rolls
of yellow linen. In each of the rolls of linen wa