not lose time,” interrupted the genie; “all thy reasonings shall not divert me from my purpose: make haste, and tell me what kind of death thou preferest?” Necessity is the mother of invention. The fisherman bethought himself of a stratagem. “Since I must die then,” said he to the genie, “I submit to the will of heaven; but before I choose the manner of my death, I conjure you by the great name which was engraver upon the seal of the prophet Solomon, the son of David, to answer me truly the question I am going to ask you.” The genie finding
to his friends, gave liberal alms to the poor, set his slaves of both sexes at liberty, divided his property among his children, appointed guardians for such of them as were not of age; and after restoring to his wife all that was due to her by their marriage contract, he gave her in addition as much as the law would allow him. At last the year