8- Story of the Fisherman's Son - Page 2

at last arrived at the city, where he was informed of the
wonderful removal of the mound, and the ereftion of the palace.
He guessed that it must have been done by means of his ring, to
recover which he planned the following stratagem. Having
disguised himself as a merchant, he repaired to the palace, and
cried for sale valuable jewels. The princess hearing him, sent an
attendant to examine them and inquire their price, when the Jew
asked in exchange only old rings. This being told to the
princess, she recollected that her husband kept an old shabby
looking ring in his writing stand, and he being asleep, she took
it out, and sent it to the Jew; who, knowing it to be the one he
had so long sought for, eagerly gave for it all the jewels in his
basket. He retired with his prize, and having rubbed the ring,
commanded the genii to convey the palace and all its inhabitants,
excepting the fisherman's son, into a distant desert island,
which was done instantly. The fisherman's son, on awaking in the
morning, found himself lying on the mound of sand, which had
reoccupied its old spot. He arose, and in alarm lest the sultan
should put him to death in revenge for the loss of his daughter,
fled to another kingdom as quickly as possible. Here he endured a
disconsolate life, subsisting on the sale of some jewels, which
he happened to have upon his dress at his flight. Wandering one
day through a town, a man offered him for sale a dog, a cat, and
a rat, which he purchased, and kept, diverting his melancholy
with their tricks, and uncommon playfulness together. These
seeming animals proved to be magicians; who, in return for his
kindness, agreed to recover for their master his lost prize, and
informed him of their intention. He eagerly thanked them, and
they all set out in search of the palace, the ring, and the
princess. At length they reached the shore of the ocean, after
much travel, and descried the island on which it stood, when the
dog swam over, carrying on his back the cat and the rat. Being
landed, they proceeded to the palace; when the rat entered, and
perceived the Jew asleep upon a sofa, with the ring laid before
him, which he seized in his mouth, and then returned to his
companions. They began to cross the sea, as before, but when
about half over the dog expressed a wish to carry the ring in his
mouth. The rat refused, lest he should drop it; but the dog
threatened, unless he would give it him, to dive and drown them
both in the sea. The rat, alarmed for his life, complied with his
demand: but the dog missed his aim in snatching at the ring,
which fell into the ocean. They landed, and informed the
fisherman's son of his loss: upon which he, in despair, resolved
to drown himself; when