A fisherman's son having in company with his father caught a
large fish, the latter proposed to present it to the sultan, in
hopes of receiving a great reward. While he was gone home to
fetch a basket, the son, moved by compassion, returned the fish
into the water; but fearful of his father's anger, fled from his
country, and repaired to a distant city, where he was entertained
by a person as a servant. Strolling one day in the market, he saw
a Jew purchase of a lad a cock at a very high price, and send it
by his slave to his wife, with orders to keep it safely till his
return home. The fisherman's son supposing that as the Jew gave
so great a price for the cock it must possess some extraordinary
property, resolved to obtain it; and, accordingly, having bought
two large fowls, carried them to the Jew's wife, whom he informed
that her husband had sent him for the cock, which he had
exchanged for the fowls. She gave it him; and he having retired,
killed the bird, in whose entrails he found a magical ring; which
being rubbed by his touch, a voice proceeded from it demanding
what were the commands of its possessor, which should be
immediately executed by the genii who were servants of the ring.
The fisherman's son was rejoiced at his good fortune, and while
meditating what use he should make of his ring, passed by the
sultan's palace, at the gates of which were suspended many human
heads. He inquired the reason, and was informed that they were
those of unfortunate princes, who having failed in performing the
conditions on which the sultan's daughter was offered them in
marriage, had been put to death. Hoping to be more fortunate than
them by the aid of his ring, he resolved to demand the princess's
hand. He rubbed the ring, when the voice asked his commands: upon
which he required a rich dress, and it was instantly laid before
him. He put it on, repaired to the palace, and being introduced
to the sultan, demanded his daughter to wife. The sultan
consented, on condition that his life should be forfeited unless
he should remove a lofty and extensive mound of sand that lay on
one side of the palace, which must be done before he could wed
the princess. He accepted the condition; but demanded an interval
of forty days to perform the task. This being agreed to, he took
his leave, and having repaired to his lodging, rubbed his ring,
commanded the genii to remove the mound, and erect on the space
it covered a magnificent palace, and to furnish it suitably for a
royal residence. In fifteen days the task was completed; he was
wedded to the princess, and declared heir to the sultan. In the
mean while, the Jew whom he had tricked of the cock and the
magical ring resolved to travel in search of his lost prize, and
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 suddenly, as he was going to execute his
purpose, a great fish appearing with the ring in his mouth, swam
close to shore, and having dropped it within reach of the
despairing youth, miraculously exclaimed, "I am the fish which
you released from captivity, and thus reward you for your
generosity." The fisherman's son, overjoyed, returned to his
father-in-law's capital, and at night rubbing the ring, commanded
the genii to convey the palace to its old site. This being done
in an instant, he entered the palace, and seized the Jew, whom he
commanded to be cast alive into a burning pile, in which he was
consumed. From this period he lived happily with his princess,
and on the death of the sultan succeeded to his dominions.