s he
was drawing them towards the bank he felt a great weight. He though he
had caught a large fish, and he felt very pleased. But a moment
afterwards, seeing that instead of a fish he only had in his nets the
carcase of an ass, he was much disappointed.

Vexed with having such a bad haul, when he had mended his nets, which
the carcase of the ass had broken in several places, he threw them a
second time. In drawing them in he again felt a great weight, so that
he thought they were full of fish. But he only found a large basket
full of rubbish. He was much annoyed.

"O Fortune," he cried, "do not trifle thus with me, a poor fisherman,
who can hardly support his family!"

So saying, he threw away the rubbish, and after having washed his nets
clean of the dirt, he threw them for the third time. But he only drew
in stones, shells, and mud. He was almost in despair.

Then he threw his nets for the fourth time. When he thought he had a
fish he drew them in with a great deal of trouble. There was no fish
however, but he found a yellow pot, which by its weight seemed full of
something, and he noticed that it was fastened and sealed with lead,
with the impression of a seal. He was delighted. "I will sell it to
the founder," he said; "with the money I shall get for it I shall buy a
measure of wheat."

He examined the jar on all sides; he shook it to see if it would
rattle. But he heard nothing, and so, judging from the impression of
the seal and the lid, he thought there must be something precious
inside. To find out, he took his knife, and with a little trouble he
opened it. He turned it upside down, but nothing came out, which
surprised him very much. He set it in front of him, and whilst he was
looking at it attentively, such a thick smoke came out that he had to
step back a pace or two. This smoke rose up to the clouds, and
stretching over the sea and the shore, formed a thick mist, which
caused the fisherman much astonishment. When all the smoke was out of
the jar it gathered itself together, and became a thick mass in which
appeared a genius, twice as large as the largest giant. When he saw
such a terrible-looking monster, the fisherman would like to have run
away, but he trembled so with fright that he could not move a step.

"Great king of the genii," cried the monster, "I will never again
disobey you!"

At these words the fisherman took courage.

"What is this you are saying, great genius? Te