k out for yourself. Drink a little only, or I
will scratch your eyes out."

They arrived at the palace. The fisherman walked on the silken rugs with
his sandals. They gave him something to eat, and he ate little. They
brought him some coffee, and he hardly tasted it. The King gave him his
daughter. Si Mahomet said to the King:

"The son of the Sultan of India has quarrelled with his father, so he only
brought one chest of silver."

In the evening the monkey and the fisherman went out for a walk. The
fisherman said to Si Mahomet:

"Is it here that we are going to find the son of the Sultan of India?"

"I can show him to you easily," answered the monkey. "Tomorrow I will find
you seated. I will approach, weeping, with a paper in my hands; I will give
you the paper, and you must read it and burst into tears. Your
father-in-law will ask you why you weep so. Answer him: 'My father is dead.
Here is the letter I have just received. If you have finally determined to
give me your daughter, I will take her away and we will go to pay the last
duties to my father.'"

"Take her," said the King. He gave him an escort of horsemen and soldiers.
Arriving at the place, Si Mahomet said to the soldiers:

"You may return to the palace, for our country is far from here."

The escort went back to the palace, and the travellers continued on their
journey. Soon Si Mahomet said to the fisherman: "Stay here till I go and
look at the country of your father." He started, and arrived at the gates
of a city he found closed he mounted upon the ramparts. An ogress perceived
him, "I salute you, Si Mahomet."

"May God curse you, sorceress! Come, I am going to your house."

"What do you want of me, Si Mahomet?"

"They are seeking to kill you."

"Where can I hide?" He put her in the powder-house of the city, shut the
door on her, and set the powder on fire. The ogress died. He came back to
the fisherman.

"Forward," he said. They entered the city and established themselves there.
One day Si Mahomet fell ill and died The two spouses put him in a coffin
lined with silk and buried him. My story is told.

* * * * *

THE TWO FRIENDS

Sidi El-Marouf and Sidi Abd-el-Tadu were travelling in company. Toward
evening they separated to find a resting-place. Sidi Abd-el-Tadu said to
his friend:

"Let us say a prayer, that God may preserve us from the evil which we have
never committed."

Sidi El-Marouf answered,