possessed two thousand sequins.  I gave my brother half, saying: "Now, brother, you can forget your losses."  He accepted them with joy, and we lived together as we had before.

Some time afterwards my second brother wished also to sell his business and travel. My eldest brother and I did all we could to dissuade him, but it was of no use. He joined a caravan and set out.  He came back at the end of a year in the same state as his elder brother. I took care of him, and as I had a thousand sequins to spare I gave them to him, and he re-opened his shop.

One day, my two brothers came to me to propose that we should make a journey and trade. At first I refused to go. "You travelled," I said, "and what did you gain?"  But they came to me repeatedly, and after having held out for five years I at last gave way.  But when they had made their preparation, and they began to buy the merchandise we needed, they found they had spent every piece of the thousand sequins I had given them.  I did not reproach them.  I divided my six thousand sequins with them, giving a thousand to each and keeping one for myself, and the other three I buried in a corner of my house.  We bought merchandise, loaded a vessel with it, and set forth with a favorable wind.

After two months' sailing we arrived at a seaport, where we disembarked and did a great trade.  Then we bought the merchandise of the country, and were just going to sail once more, when I was stopped on the shore by a beautiful though poorly dressed woman.  She came up to me, kissed my hand, and implored me to marry her, and take her on board.  At first I refused, but she begged so hard and promised to be such a good wife to me, that at last I consented.  I got her some beautiful dresses, and after having married her, we embarked and set sail.  During the voyage, I discovered so many good qualities in my wife that I began to love her more and more.  But my brothers began to be jealous of my prosperity, and set to work to plot against my life.  One night when we were sleeping they threw my wife and myself into the sea.  My wife, however, was a fairy, and so she did not let me drown, but transported me to an island.  When the day dawned, she said to me,

"When I saw you on the sea-shore I took a great fancy to you, and wished to try your good nature, so I presented myself in the disguise you saw.  Now I have rewarded you by saving your life.  But I am very angry with your brothers, and I shall not rest till I have taken their lives."

I thanked the fairy for all that she had done for me, 

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