"Turn over a few more pages," answered the head. The king continued turning the pages, still wetting his finger in his mouth, until the poison coating each page took effect. His vision failed, and he collapsed at the foot of his throne.
Seeing the poison work and the king's life ebbing away, the physician's head cried out, "Tyrant! See how cruelty and injustice are punished."
Scarcely had it spoken when the king died, and the head, too, lost the last spark of its life.
Thus ends the tale of the Greek king. Now, let us return to the fisherman and the genius.
"If the Greek king had spared the physician," said the fisherman, "he would not have died. The same applies to you. Now I will cast you into the sea."
"My friend," pleaded the genius, "do not be so cruel. Do not treat me as Imma treated Ateca."
"What did Imma do to Ateca?" asked the fisherman.
"Can I tell you while imprisoned here?" replied the genius. "Release me, and I will make you rich."
Lured by the hope of escaping poverty, the fisherman relented. "If you promise, I will open the lid. I trust you will not break your word."
The genius promised. Upon lifting the lid, the genius emerged as smoke, resumed his form, and promptly kicked the vase into the sea. The frightened fisherman was reassured by the genius's laughter: "Fear not; I only meant to frighten you and show I keep my promises. Take your nets and follow me."
With some misgivings, the fisherman followed the genius past the town, over a mountain, and down into a vast plain. There, nestled between four hills, lay a large lake.
"Cast your net," instructed the genius. The fisherman obeyed, hoping for a good catch amidst the abundant fish. To his astonishment, he saw four distinct kinds: white, red, blue, and yellow. He caught one of each, marveling at their beauty and their potential value.
"Take these to the Sultan," said the genius. "He will reward you handsomely. You may fish here daily, but cast your net only once per day, lest harm befall you. Heed my advice, and you will prosper."
With these words, the genius struck the ground. It opened, he vanished within, and it sealed shut.
The fisherman resolved to obey. He did not cast his net again but went to the palace to sell the fish.
The Sultan was amazed by the fish. After admiring them, he ordered his vizir: "Give these to the skilled cook sent by the Greek Emperor. They must taste as fine as they look."
The vizir delivered the fish to the cook. Returning to the Sultan, he was instructed to pay the fisherman four hundred gold pieces. Overwhelmed by this fortune, the fisherman promptly provided for his family.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted in the kitchen. After cleaning the fish, the cook fried them in oil. As she turned them, the kitchen wall opened, and a beautiful young woman emerged. Dressed in Egyptian flowered satin, adorned with pearl necklaces, ruby bracelets, and gold earrings, she held a myrtle wand.
Stunned, the cook watched as the damsel approached the pan. Striking a fish with her wand, she asked, "Fish, fish, are you doing your duty?" Receiving no reply, she repeated the question. Suddenly, all four fish raised their heads and answered distinctly:
"Yes, yes. If you reckon, we reckon. If you pay your debts, we pay ours. If you flee, we conquer, and we are content."
After they spoke, the girl overturned the pan, stepped back through the wall, and it closed as before.
Recovering from her fright, the cook retrieved the fish from the ashes, now black as cinders and ruined. She wept, "Alas! What shall I tell the Sultan? He will be furious and will not believe me!"
While she cried, the grand vizir entered, asking if the fish were ready. Hearing her story, he was astonished. He summoned the fisherman at once and demanded, "Bring four more fish like the ones before. An accident has rendered these unfit for the Sultan."
The fisherman, keeping the genius's warning secret, excused himself for the day due to the long journey, promising to return with the fish the next day.