One Thousand and One Nights

Author: Xiaoqiu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: The story of the fisherman and the devil
Once, there was an old fisherman who lived by fishing, with a family of five. Their life was hard. The old fisherman had a habit of fishing only four nets a day, never more. One day, he came to the sea and cast his net. The net was very heavy, and the fisherman was happy, thinking, "It must be a big fish." But when he pulled it in, he found a dead donkey in the net. He felt very unlucky. So, he cast his second net. This one was even heavier. The fisherman thought, "This must be a big fish." He used all his strength to pull it up, but inside the net was a broken earthen jar filled with mud and sand. He was very disappointed and had to cast his third net. But this time, he caught only some bone fragments, broken glass, and weeds. After resting, he cast his last net. This one was even heavier, and he couldn’t pull it up at all. The fisherman took off his clothes and dived into the water. After much effort, he finally pulled the net up. Inside was a bronze bottle. The bottle’s mouth was sealed with tin, and it bore Solomon’s seal. The fisherman smiled and said, "This bottle could be sold for ten gold coins." He was curious to see what was inside. So, he removed the tin seal and turned the bottle upside down, but nothing came out. After a while, a green smoke came out of the bottle, slowly rising into the air until it turned into a devil with long hair. The devil said fiercely, "I will kill you. How do you want to die?" The fisherman, terrified, asked, "What crime have I committed to deserve this punishment?" The devil replied, "Let me tell you. I am a devil who has done no evil. Four hundred years ago, Solomon defeated me, sealed me in this bronze bottle with tin, and placed his seal on it. Then he threw me into the sea. For the first century, I vowed that whoever would free me would be granted a life of wealth and honor. In the second century, I vowed that whoever would free me would be helped to discover underground treasures, but still no one came to save me. In the third century, I vowed that whoever could free me would have three wishes granted. Four hundred years have passed, and no one has freed me. I curse anyone who saves me now—I will kill them. Tell me, how do you want to die?" The fisherman thought, "I must use my wits to deal with this devil." So he said to the devil, "There is one thing I don’t understand, and I must know it before I die. You must answer honestly." "Ask away," the devil said. The fisherman asked, "You were trapped in this small bottle. How could such a tiny bottle hold such a huge body? If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never believe it." The devil, hearing this, immediately transformed into a wisp of green smoke and the bottle. As soon as the smoke entered the bottle, the fisherman quickly picked up the sealed tin cap and tightly sealed the bottle’s mouth. Then he shouted, "Devil, you will live in this bottle forever." The devil panicked and asked frantically, "What will you do to me?" "I will throw you back into the sea and tell everyone not to release you, so you will stay in the sea forever."
The fisherman’s story Long ago, there was a fisherman who fished in a river every day. One day, he came to the river with his net and suddenly saw a big fish in the water. He said, "If I can catch this big fish, it will be as good as fishing for days. Then I can rest for a few days." After making up his mind, he quickly took off his clothes and jumped into the river to chase the fish. After a fierce chase, he finally caught it. But when he held the big fish and looked back, he realized he had reached the middle of the river. The only way to survive was to drop the fish and swim to the shore quickly. But the fisherman, unwilling to risk his life for the sake of the fish, refused to let it go. As a result, he drifted in the water. Gradually, the current swept him into a whirlpool. At that moment, the fisherman realized that death was approaching. He desperately called for help, but the people on the shore couldn’t save him. The fisherman regretted saying, "It was my greed that made me abandon my life and bring destruction upon myself." Gradually, he lost strength and lost the big fish, eventually dying.
P8-10