As they waited, the merchant and the old man struck up a conversation, and the merchant learned that the old man was actually a powerful magician. The magician revealed that he had the ability to grant the merchant three wishes.
The merchant, overjoyed at this unexpected turn of events, wished to be reunited with his wife and children and to have enough wealth to live comfortably for the rest of his days.
The magician granted these wishes and, with a wave of his hand, the merchant was transported back to his home. As he embraced his loved ones, the merchant knew that he had been given a second chance at life and vowed to never take it for granted.
"As the merchant and the old man sat by the fountain, they were soon joined by the genie, who appeared before them with his sword drawn.
The merchant, filled with fear, began to tremble and plead for his life, reminding the genie of the promise he had made to allow him one year before returning to face his fate.
But the genie was unmoved, insisting that the merchant must die for killing his son. Just as he was about to strike the fatal blow, the old man intervened, offering to take the place of the merchant and suffer the punishment in his stead.
The genie, surprised by this selfless act, agreed to spare the merchant and accept the old man as a substitute. And so, the old man willingly gave his life to save the merchant, who was filled with gratitude and regret for his actions.
From that day on, the merchant lived a life of repentance and dedicated himself to doing good in the world, always remembering the kindness of the old man and the lessons he had learned about the consequences of his actions."
The old man, who led the doe, told him about the adventure of the merchant and the genie, what had happened between them, and the merchant's oath.
He added that this day was the one on which the word had been given, and that he was determined to stay there to see what would happen.
As the sun set, the merchant sat at the edge of the fountain, anxiously waiting for the genie to arrive. He was joined by an old man leading a doe, who asked the merchant what had brought him to this desolate place. The merchant explained his predicament, and the old man declared that he too would stay and witness the meeting between the genie and the merchant.
Suddenly, another old man appeared, followed by two black dogs. He greeted the others and asked why the merchant seemed so sad. When he heard the merchant's story, he too was eager to see the outcome and joined the others.
And as they waited, a third old man arrived, also wanting to see the meeting between the genie and the merchant.
As the group of old men sat with the merchant, they heard a loud noise and saw a cloud of smoke approaching. The genie emerged from the cloud, his eyes blazing with fury. The merchant, trembling with fear, rose to meet him.
"I have returned, as promised," the merchant said, trying to keep his voice steady. "I am ready to face my fate."
The genie sneered at the merchant and reminded him of the wicked deed he had done, selling his own wife and children into slavery. The merchant fell to his knees, begging for mercy and promising to right his wrongs if only the genie would spare his life.
The genie, moved by the merchant's remorse, decided to grant him a second chance. He gave the merchant a magical ring that would grant him the power to make one wish, on the condition that he use it to correct the wrongs he had committed.
The merchant, overjoyed, thanked the genie and vowed to use the ring wisely.
The old men, who had watched the entire exchange with fascination, hailed the genie as a just and merciful being. And the merchant, with the weight of his guilt lifted from his shoulders, returned home to make amends for his past mistakes.
The sultan, determined to hear the end of the story, allowed Shaikeza to live another day. That night, Dinarzade once again implored her sister to continue the tale. The sultan also wanted to hear more about the merchant and the genie, so Shaikeza continued the story as follows:
As the merchant and the old man with the doe talked, another old man approached, accompanied by two black dogs. He greeted them and asked what they were doing in this deserted place.
The old man with the doe told him about the merchant's adventure with the genie and the merchant's oath. He added that this was the day the merchant had promised to return, and that he was determined to stay and see what would happen.
The second old man, also intrigued by the story, decided to stay as well. As he joined the conversation, a third old man arrived and asked why the merchant appeared so sad.
The others told him about the merchant's situation, which he found so extraordinary that he also wanted to witness what would happen between the genie and the merchant. He took a seat with the others.
Soon, they saw a thick vapor approaching, like a whirlwind of dust raised by the wind. As it reached them, the vapor dissipated, revealing the genie. Without greeting them, he approached the merchant with his sword in hand and took him by the arm.
"Get up," he said, "so that I can kill you, as you killed my son." The merchant and the three old men were terrified and began to weep and cry out in despair.
The merchant, having recovered from his fright, remounted his horse and resumed his journey. On the one hand, he rejoiced at having escaped such great danger, but on the other hand, he was filled with mortal sadness when he thought about the fateful oath he had made.
When he arrived home, his wife and children greeted him with the greatest demonstrations of joy, but instead of embracing them in return, he began to weep so bitterly that they could see something extraordinary must have happened to him.
His wife asked him for the cause of his tears and the deep pain he was showing. "We are rejoicing at your return," she said, "and yet you alarm us all with the state we see you in.
Please explain to us the reason for your sadness." "Alas!" the husband replied, "how can I be in any other state? I have only one year left to live."
He then told them about the encounter with the genie and informed them that he had given his word to return in a year's time to receive death at the genie's hand. When they heard this sad news, they all began to mourn.
The wife cried out pitifully, striking her face and tearing out her hair, while the children, sobbing, filled the house with their wails, and the father, giving in to the force of his emotions, mixed his tears with theirs. In short, it was the most touching sight in the world.
The merchant, having recovered from his fear, remounted his horse and resumed his journey. But while he rejoiced in having escaped such great danger, he was also filled with mortal sadness as he thought about the fateful oath he had made.
When he returned home, his wife and children greeted him with perfect joy, but instead of embracing them in return, he began to weep so bitterly that they knew something extraordinary must have happened.
His wife asked him the cause of his tears and the deep pain he was displaying. "We rejoice at your return," she said, "and yet you alarm us all with your state.
Please explain to us the reason for your sadness." "Alas!" the husband replied. "What can I do but be in this state? I have only one year left to live."
And so he told them what had occurred between him and the genie and informed them that he had given his word to return in a year's time to receive death at his hands.