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far from oppoſing it, that I defire you earneſtly to go on with it.
To reſume the thread of the Story,. ſays Scheherazad, you moſt know, that the old Man who led-the two Dogs, continued his Story to the Genie, the other two old Men and the Merchant, thus: In ſhort, fays he, after two Month’s Sail, we arriv’d happily at a Port, where we landed, and had a very great Vent for our Goods. I, eſpecially, ſold mine ſo well, I gain’d Ten to One; and we bought Commodities of that Country, to tranſport and ſell in our own.
When we were ready to embark, in order to return, I met upon the Bank of the Sea, a Lady handſome enough, but poorly clad: She came up to, me preſently, kiſs’d my Hand, pray’d me with the greateſt earneſtneſs imaginable to marry her, and take her along with me. I made ſome Difficulty to agree to it; but ſhe ſaid ſo many Things to perſwade me, that I ought to make no Objection of her Poverty, and that I ſhould have all the Reaſon of the World to be ſatisfied with her Conduct that I yielded. I ordered fit Apparel to be made for her; and after having married her, according to Form, I took her on Board, and we ſet ſail. During the Navigation, I found the Wife I had taken, had ſo many good Qualities, that I lov’d her every Day more and more. In the mean time, my two Brothers who had not manag’d their Affairs ſo well as I did mine, envied my Proſperity; and their Fury carried them ſo far, as to conſpire againſt my Life; ſo that one Night, when my Wife and I were aſleep, they throw us into the Sea.
My Wife was a Fairy, and by conſequence; Genie, you know well, ſhe could not be drown’d; but for me; it’s certain, I had been loſt, without her help. I had ſcarce fall’n into the Water, till ſhe took me up, and carried me to an Iſland. When it was Day, the Fairy faid to me, You ſee Husband, that by ſaving your Life, I have not rewarded you ill for your kindneſs to me. You muſt know, that I am a Fairy, and that being upon the Bank of the Sea, when you were going to embark, I found I had a ſtrong Inclination for you; I had a mind to try your Goodneſs, andpre-
